Hey, it's the nation's largest newspaper but they're pretty late jumping on the bandwagon with this story.
There is a quote from Genuine's Brett Ratner.
At Genuine Scooter, whose brands include Buddy and Stella, there's no longer a need for a warehouse. All scooters go straight to dealers.
"They're selling faster than we can make them," says Brett Ratner, Genuine's dealer development director.
Across the industry, scooter sales are up 66%. Vespa sales are up 174%. Genuine is up 122% (quoted in another story).
They went with a stock photo which unfortunately shows a scooter model no longer manufactured (Vespa ET). Comments are typical: lots of ignorant anti-scooter baloney and a couple defenders.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
But a bit lazy. Looks like they just searched stock sites and AP and snagged whatever. Look at those "scooters" the Carolina Panthers are riding. And the thing in the shot with Jessica Simpson is a moped! For shame, USA Today!
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
very dissapointed witht the pictures the 2 the football players were riding were Push scooters with motors and jessica simpsons clearly had pedals so that would make it a MOPED and as we all Know "Its not a damn moped"
That moped is interesting though - either interesting good or interesting bad, I haven't decided yet. It has a bicycle front fork for suspension -- looks just like the the Rock Shox Judy on my mid-90s mountain bike.
But yeah, lame journalism. I could've come up with better Google search results. Maybe I'll submit what I would have compiled as a "portfolio" and apply for a job over there.
USA Today is to journalism what McDonalds is to fine cuisine. Designed for mass market "appeal" and processed so it no longer resembles anything that occurs in nature.
Andy
2006 Buddy 125 (orange), going to a good MB home
2009 Vespa 250 GTS (black)
2012 Triumph Tiger 800 (black)
2008 Ducati Hypermotard S, traded for Tiger 800
gt1000 wrote:USA Today is to journalism what McDonalds is to fine cuisine. Designed for mass market "appeal" and processed so it no longer resembles anything that occurs in nature.
[somewhat OT]True, yet they've become a standard bearer solely by succeeding and having a smart business model. Meanwhile the traditional newspaper industry is dying a horrible and painful death. (Oh, some will survive in some form, yeah.) No, USA Today isn't responsible for that, but we'll see much more of that kind of journalism as newsrooms elsewhere shrink.[/OT]
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
But a bit lazy. Looks like they just searched stock sites and AP and snagged whatever. Look at those "scooters" the Carolina Panthers are riding. And the thing in the shot with Jessica Simpson is a moped! For shame, USA Today!
Yes, that would be AP unless they have their own file photo.
gt1000 wrote:USA Today is to journalism what McDonalds is to fine cuisine. Designed for mass market "appeal" and processed so it no longer resembles anything that occurs in nature.
[somewhat OT]True, yet they've become a standard bearer solely by succeeding and having a smart business model. Meanwhile the traditional newspaper industry is dying a horrible and painful death. (Oh, some will survive in some form, yeah.) No, USA Today isn't responsible for that, but we'll see much more of that kind of journalism as newsrooms elsewhere shrink.[/OT]
The best newspaper in the country is the Wall Street Journal.
20 years from now, larger papers will be free distribution Sunday (color ad inserts) and Wednesday (grocery ads). You'll have to pay for the rest. Papers in smaller communities will still thrive.
It's funny, the past 50 years newspapers have concentrated less on good journalism and more on advertising. Then the Internet came along, took all the classified advertising (the meat) away from newspapers. Now they have to concentrate on a good product again. One man's opinion.
I have 15 years in the newspaper industry, now selling real estate.
gt1000 wrote:USA Today is to journalism what McDonalds is to fine cuisine. Designed for mass market "appeal" and processed so it no longer resembles anything that occurs in nature.
That's a little harsh. It's still more authoritative than tv news.
on Jessica Simpson's face is priceless.