Dangerous Driver today!

tshall · Post by **tshall** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:53 am

Riding home from work, I'm stopped at a red light waiting for it to turn. It does so, and I wait for the school bus opposite to proceed so I can turn left. After the bus, I start to accelerate into the turn, when this other scooter proceeds, slowly and calmly, to RUN THE RED LIGHT coming right at me. OK, easily avoided, so after a muttered "WTF," I continue down the road, easily leaving him behind (random Chinese 49cc, NO gear, NO boots (it's KY, any sort of shoes are culturally disapproved of) - he's not keeping up. A couple of miles later, I'm stopped at a light in a line of cars when here comes the SAME GUY, tentatively trying to lanesplit his way to the front. A honk from a little old lady foils that plan, but five minutes later, when faced with another queue at a light, this guy has the bright idea to take to the SIDEWALK to avoid having to wait.

After a while it dawned on me - this guy thinks he's on a bicycle! No gear, going through red lights when safe, lanesplitting to the front of a stoplight, intermittent use of sidewalks - he looked like he was using bicycle judgment!

I plan to stay far away and count on the sound dampening quality of my FF helmet to protect me from anyone else hearing the curses or laughter such idiocy prompts.

Anyone else have spring time fledgling scooter rider stories this year?

Post by **Lostmycage** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:44 am

Yep. That's what happens a lot with 50cc scoots. People treat them as toys, sell them as toys, and down-play them as toys. A 50cc scoot can be an incredible convenience, but it's been marred by it's abuse. No license, no insurance, no registration, no problem! I HATE that! HATE, HATE, HATE! (License= acceptable road usage and comprehension; no insurance means the rider is screwed if they get "hit and run" on or worse, they hurt/maim someone on the sidewalk; No registration= if it's stolen... it's not registered. You're done.)

As I was heading down to my <a href="http://www.scootrichmond.com/index.html">lovely dealer</a> to pick up an oil filter so I can get my scoot back on the road, I had a little "Happy 50" in front of me. The guy was all over the lane and SLOW!!! He had a helmet, which... ok, yeah, that's the bare minimum. The gym shorts, sneakers and t-shirt aren't exactly what I'd want to be slidin' dirty in Richmond in. (Holy crap-buckets.... Slidin' Dirty could be some new "thing" - anyone got an idea how to work that?). So Happy 50 guy's in front of me at a stop light and he's in the right lane with his left signal on (I don't think he realized it was on because it was that way for the last mile) doesn't do a right on red, he pulls through like he's on a bicycle. Straight though! The hell with lane splitting, I want law immunity that came with that dude's Happy 50!

The problem isn't the riders, it's the lack of information to the riders. As long as 50cc scooters are treated as "mopeds" or toys, the average new rider isn't going to take them seriously. It's actually sorta made worse for the Buddies because to the average cager, there's no discernible difference between the 50, the 125 or the 150. Same frame, same plastics (except the front wheel fender).

It's a shame.

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:01 am

I guess one of the nice things about the fact that Ohio requires registration for anything and has a specific list of what models they consider to be mopeds (pedals are one of the criteria, by my understanding) and everything else is defined as a motorcycle and has to follow the laws of a motorcyclist.

Of course, that does not stop people from being idiots...

-v

Milktown · Post by **Milktown** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:09 am

Vic wrote:I guess one of the nice things about the fact that Ohio requires registration for anything and has a specific list of what models they consider to be mopeds (pedals are one of the criteria, by my understanding) and everything else is defined as a motorcycle and has to follow the laws of a motorcyclist.

Of course, that does not stop people from being idiots...

-v

its the same in illinois. when i had my buddy 50 i still needed registration and insurance to drive legally

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:26 pm

it would be interesting, and informative, to see if you can find out what the laws are in your respective areas for 50cc scooters. i was pretty surprised to find out that in boulder it's actually LEGAL for 50cc scooters to ride on the side of the roads in the bicycle lane. i haven't seen a lot but i have seen scooters do that. two of my coworkers who have/had 50cc scooters did that when we rode together and that was when i found out about that law. it's weird, but i can understand people's mentality and why they chose to ride like that...still a bad idea though. it gives drivers the incorrect expectations and can lead to dangerous consequences.

tshall · Post by **tshall** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:45 pm

That's a good point about the bike lane. It makes some sense to let scooters that can't keep up with traffic do that, rather than have a backed up queue of angry drivers behind them. However, I would guess that running red lights in the face of oncoming traffic, lane splitting and sidewalk riding are still no-nos.

un_designer wrote:it would be interesting, and informative, to see if you can find out what the laws are in your respective areas for 50cc scooters. i was pretty surprised to find out that in boulder it's actually LEGAL for 50cc scooters to ride on the side of the roads in the bicycle lane. i haven't seen a lot but i have seen scooters do that. two of my coworkers who have/had 50cc scooters did that when we rode together and that was when i found out about that law. it's weird, but i can understand people's mentality and why they chose to ride like that...still a bad idea though. it gives drivers the incorrect expectations and can lead to dangerous consequences.

MrNatural · Post by **MrNatural** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:11 pm

tshall wrote: (it's KY, any sort of shoes are culturally disapproved of) -

That's a fabulous story!!! Especially the above. My son is in Morganfield, KY right now...

brape · Post by **brape** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:42 pm

these people are the reason I get hasseled by city cops For riding my 125 in the left lane

sotied · Post by **sotied** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 10:52 pm

In MA, a 50cc still has to be registered, but it is allowed to use bike lanes where it wants and is allowed to ride with traffic if it can keep up.

BUT, just like a bike, it has to stop at all lights and stop signs. There's no lane splitting in this state. And cops are allowed to ticket bikes and 50ccs (and anything else that moves...probably even horses).

The WORST thing I ever saw in the way of idiocy was during a scooter rally at the state house last summer, a woman who was a good friend of (OR WORKED FOR) the local Genuine dealer, was riding her buddy the same way the OP said he saw the guy riding. Her mirrors were facing all the wrong way and flopping about. She had a sundress on and flip flops. And she was lane splitting and dashing through red lights.

I told the shop guy about it because it still had their promo license plate on it. And made it really clear that she was making us all look like jerks.

I shake my head.

Modern Buddy

Dangerous Driver today!

Dangerous Driver today!

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