somewhat [NSR], can scooters get towed? parking w/o plates?

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:24 am

I'm having a problem with my school. I'm parking illegally according to them, but for the past 3 years it wasn't a problem, and from my point of view it shouldn't be a problem. I park my 50cc scooter next to bicycle racks completely out of the way of pedestrian traffic and people locking their bikes.

I've contacted them several times for the reason behind why it's illegal and I can never get in contact with a superior. The ones who hand out the tickets all give me different reasons; it's not a bike so you can't park it at a bike rack, it has a motor, it has gas in it. To counter their arguments; they don't ticket mopeds/electric bikes, and the fire marshall said the gas wasn't a fire hazard because the spots I'm parking at are away from buildings.

I've gotten 4 or 5 tickets all coming from one officer, coincidence? Anyways now this is what I'm thinking. According to their rules, bicycles are only supposed to park at bike racks, but kids will park them on staircase rails, light posts, trees, etc... The parking officers said they don't get tickets because they don't have plates. So, the only way the school can ticket me is if I have my license plate and parking permit on my scooter?

If I were to take my license plate off while it was parked, can a Texas cop write me a ticket or tow me? Is it just mopeds or do 50cc scooters not need plates/registration? I heard from somewhere that scooters can't get towed by the average tow truck, true? Is it too much of a hassle to tow a scooter that they would just leave it be? As of now they could just pick it up and put it in a truck, but I plan on getting a good lock.

Thanks for reading and helping. Please no "just deal with it" posts.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:51 pm

The rules that apply are probably either city ordinances or college rules. If it's college property, and these are campus security officers, they can pretty much write their own rukes. The problem is that they probably didn't write them with scooters in mind, so everyone involved is trying to apply their own interpretation.

You say that you haven't been able to talk to a supervisor. Well, you need to. Explain that you're getting conflicting information, and you need a definitive and authoritative answer on where you're allowed to park. Don't count on getting much opportunity to debate it, because the director of public safety (or whatever) probably won't be that interested. But if you do get a chance to present your case, your best bet is not to appeal to logic or fairness, but to legal classification: your scooter is classified by the state of Texas as a "moped", so the rules applying to mopeds should apply to your scooter. (I'm assuming that's the law in Texas. If you don't know, you really need to find out, regardless of the parking question.)

synaps3 · Post by **synaps3** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:36 pm

Instead of contacting them, go to the office. You really have to talk to a superior -- all those tickets should be waived.

I'm in GA, and they don't ticket any scooters, even the ones over 50cc, parked at a bike rack. They could technically ticket anything 50cc+, but they don't anyways. I've never gotten a ticket, and I park at bike racks daily.

siobhan · Post by **siobhan** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:38 pm

Find out who is the director of public safety on your campus and contact that person directly in a well-written, concise email. Tell the person that you have been parking at the bicycle rack for X years and this semester is the first semester you're getting ticketed for violation X. Ask specifically for what you want, that is, parking at the bicycle rack. If the person responds "fine", then tape a copy of the email on your scoot. If the person responds, "no", then make sure your message asks where you can park legally.

I only say this because when I first started working on my campus, I was told, "no motorcycles/scooters on campus". I contacted our head of Security on my second day of work, explained the issues (can't park on the street as it's not secure, cars will bump it, scoot doesn't take a parking spot on campus, I have full insurance, blah blah), and he got right back to me with a waiver. In that time, the rule has actually been changed and one parking lot is now open to bikes.

Good luck. Be your own advocate.

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:04 pm

TVB wrote: it's college property, and these are campus security officers, they can pretty much write their own rules.

Unrelated yet similar issue.... When I got my first new car while in college, (fall of 1980) My car was ticketed for having the rear tires on the grass, they didn't want me to tear up the grass while pulling out, It was actually noted as such by the campus security officer who wrote the ticket. I took said ticket to the security office and asked "how can I do that with a front drive car" they incredulously looked at me, "front drive car"??? They'd never heard of that!!!!!

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:46 pm

slusher5 wrote:If I were to take my license plate off while it was parked, can a Texas cop write me a ticket or tow me? Is it just mopeds or do 50cc scooters not need plates/registration? I heard from somewhere that scooters can't get towed by the average tow truck, true? Is it too much of a hassle to tow a scooter that they would just leave it be? As of now they could just pick it up and put it in a truck, but I plan on getting a good lock.

As you have already licensed your Buddy, you are clearly already aware that 50cc scooters must be registered in Texas. The 50cc Buddy is eligible for licensing as a moped in Texas and your scooter should be treated the same as any other PTW registered as a moped. (And if you remove your plate, you are illegally operating your scooter without displaying the required license - in other words, that won't help)

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/docume ... edList.pdf

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 6:46 pm

thank you everyone.. got some useful information/ideas. So the buddy is defined as a moped, that might help me some.

dshanson · Post by **dshanson** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:50 pm

what school do you go to? uh motorcycle parking is awesome to me, but then again i carry a longboard on the side to get all around campus, so it doesnt really matter where i park.

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:22 pm

dshanson wrote:what school do you go to? uh motorcycle parking is awesome to me, but then again i carry a longboard on the side to get all around campus, so it doesnt really matter where i park.

I go to UH yeah.. I live on campus and it's only slightly more convenient to take the scooter and park at motorcycle spots compared to walking from my dorm, because of this i just park at the bike racks. plus all the motorcycles are packed and they have been handing tickets out like crazy to bikers who park inches outside the lines. I'm getting fed up with parking enforcement/cops, they act as if they are above the law.(not all)

yeauxkneauxit · Post by **yeauxkneauxit** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:31 am

When I went to LSU, I had a street bike and I was able to literally park right near the class b/c of motorcycle parking. I would check with the school to see if they would allow scooter/motorcycle parking. Not only to encourage a more "green commute" but to minimize the traffic all together on campus. I bet if you wrote a formal letter to the dean it would be received quite well.

At LSU this was a WIN WIN and I sure enjoyed driving almost to the front door of class. My friends were very envious! However, the campus police department was rather friendly as well. You might also try speaking to the head of campus PD and/or write a letter.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:52 am

I work at a university and scooters are definitely not allowed to park at the bike racks here. You have to have a parking permit or park on the street and pay. But looking at your university's website, I don't see any clear indicator of what the rules are. In fact, the "rules and regulations" page is conveniently down. I'd definitely say you should go to the parking office, or call one one the people listed below and ask to see the rules (pulled from the UH website):

Robert J. Browand
Director, Parking & Transportation
832-842-5750

Paul Lozano
Assistant Director, Parking & Transportation
832-842-5759

(By the way, where I work, the campus police department does not do parking enforcement. The parking office does. That's why I'm recommending going there)

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 7:02 am

the majority of kids commute and were in the process of building another parking garage, it seems only fitting to add more motorcycle parking that are convenient,

found out today that my tire has a flat, so guess I'll be calling people up and getting business done while I wait for my scooter, hopefully I'll be parking care-free afterwards

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:28 pm

In most states, a buddy is NOT a moped. Mopeds (with pedals and a engine under X horsepower) generally can park at bike racks and get away with things, but scooters (even 50ccs) need to follow the same rules as motorcyles and cars. That's not true EVERYWHERE, but that's usually how it works.

And in Chicago, anyway, they're more than happy to tow a scooter. They plasma-cut the lock, throw it on its side on a flatbed in a pile of other bikes, and charge you double or triple what they'd charge a car for towing and "storage" because your motorcycle required 'special handling.' Then when you pick it up, they'll make you pay for a missing plate, registration sticker, and or city medallion (plus late fees), then you still have the parking ticket to pay.

Bb

synaps3 · Post by **synaps3** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:43 pm

illnoise wrote:And in Chicago, anyway, they're more than happy to tow a scooter. They plasma-cut the lock, throw it on its side on a flatbed in a pile of other bikes, and charge you double or triple what they'd charge a car for towing and "storage" because your motorcycle required 'special handling.' Then when you pick it up, they'll make you pay for a missing plate, registration sticker, and or city medallion (plus late fees), then you still have the parking ticket to pay.

Never moving there... That's awful...

I take it you speak from experience?

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:47 am

synaps3 wrote:I take it you speak from experience? :lol:

Actually, no, i've got two parking tickets in 13 years here ($30 for one, $50 for the other) and both were me just trying to get away with something I knew wasn't right. If you make yourself aware of the law and follow it, you're usually OK. Just so many people fool themselves into thinking they are above the law, then they feel sorry for themselves when they get screwed.

It's REALLY hard to park in the Loop, but with the city tag (which is required anyway) you can park on any neighborhood side street zoned for residents-only parking, so that helps. I have a gated lot at my office, so it hasn't been an issue for me for years (and I don't commute much by scooter, since I've got to drop off my kids most days)

It IS expensive though, I have a few scooters and I have to keep them all up to date on plates, reg tags, and a $50/year city motorcycle medallion for each (I actually cheat and only get 2 of those, since I never have more than two bikes running at a time, I could conceivably get caught, but they rarely match the tag number to the plate number unless they've already busted you for something else. Insurance adds up, too, but it's not too bad for me because I live in a pretty safe neighborhood, I have a garage, I'm 42 and married, and I don't ride in the winter. It's still much cheaper than owning a second car, and nice to be able to have one car for a family of 4 and know public transportation or scooters can save the day when we need them.

david12df · Post by **david12df** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:32 pm

I say stick it to the man. get 50 friends with scooters take up 50 spaces
in the parking lot ,all close spots to the entrance, make sure one of
you are out there to keep an eye out for someone who wants to frak
with the bikes,a couple days like this scoots will have there own spot

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:10 pm

david12df wrote:I say stick it to the man. get 50 friends with scooters take up 50 spaces
in the parking lot ,all close spots to the entrance, make sure one of
you are out there to keep an eye out for someone who wants to frak
with the bikes,a couple days like this scoots will have there own spot

I would love to see that =p,,.. it's not that we don't have spots, its that they are inconvenient and filled to capacity during the day..

talked with a supervisor or something thursday, he said the reason I can't park a scooter at a bicycle rack is because it is not a bicycle... I then asked him what the "real" reason was, was it about safety or something? he didn't respond... I then asked him why bicycles get to illegally park at trees and on staircases,, he said someone who worked inside the building would have to call them and say they wanted it removed. he also said they don't ticket bicycles because they can't....(they only go after ticket-able offences i take it)

went on to ask what would happen if I took my license plate off to prevent them from ticketing me, he said they would report it stolen to the police

Ethan Allison · Post by **Ethan Allison** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:16 pm

This is from the only document that shows up when you search for "moped" on uh.edu...

Motorcycles and Mopeds
Motorcycles and mopeds must park in the areas designated for their use. These areas are located throughout the campus.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:04 am

Ethan Allison wrote:This is from the only document that shows up when you search for "moped" on uh.edu...
Motorcycles and Mopeds
Motorcycles and mopeds must park in the areas designated for their use. These areas are located throughout the campus.

Sounds like a definitive answer. A scooter of whatever size definitely falls under "motorcycle and moped".

laxer · Post by **laxer** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:23 am

I hated the parking gestapo at my school, but the scooter/motorcycle parking is SO conveniently close to the school that I haven't had to worry about it ever since I got the rattler.

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:24 am

they are in the process of changing the parking rules and regulations, probably nothing concerning motorcycles/mopeds/scooters though

If they won't let me park at bike racks, I'll just have to get them to add more motorcycle parking, or worse... walk to class

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:25 am

slusher5 wrote:they are in the process of changing the parking rules and regulations, probably nothing concerning motorcycles/mopeds/scooters though

If they won't let me park at bike racks, I'll just have to get them to add more motorcycle parking, or worse... walk to class

So if you live on campus, close enough to walk but you prefer parking at the bike racks, have you considered getting a regular bike to ride to your classes? Then you'd be able to park anywhere, just like everyone else.

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:15 am

pdxrita wrote: So if you live on campus, close enough to walk but you prefer parking at the bike racks, have you considered getting a regular bike to ride to your classes? Then you'd be able to park anywhere, just like everyone else.

scooters>bicycles
i had a bike my freshman year before i got my buddy, not my cup of tea

walking won't be so bad now that its winter, but normally you get sweaty just from walking across campus so I try and ride my scooter everywhere

Bulls Eye · Post by **Bulls Eye** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:45 pm

At Texas Tech in Lubbock, my 150 Buddy is treated just like a car or motorcycle for parking purposes... no sidewalks, bike racks, etc. It is also not allowed to chain them to any signs in theparking lot.

Fortunately, I have a parking permit that applies to both my car and the scooter. I got a Grip-Lock to keep the bike from walking off when it's parked.

The campus police offered conflicting answers on what was allowed. It took quite a few phone calls and emails to get to someone who had a definitive answer, and that was someone in parking services (the folks who issue the parking permits)

Good luck!

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Sun Nov 13, 2011 5:49 am

Bulls Eye wrote:At Texas Tech in Lubbock, my 150 Buddy is treated just like a car or motorcycle for parking purposes... no sidewalks, bike racks, etc. It is also not allowed to chain them to any signs in theparking lot.

Fortunately, I have a parking permit that applies to both my car and the scooter. I got a Grip-Lock to keep the bike from walking off when it's parked.

The campus police offered conflicting answers on what was allowed. It took quite a few phone calls and emails to get to someone who had a definitive answer, and that was someone in parking services (the folks who issue the parking permits)

Good luck!

each officer has their own set of rules they follow it seems like.

I talked with one of the head directors about getting more convenient motorcycle parking and/or allowing scooters to park next to bike racks. Been a week or two,, I'm thinking he probably said he would and then did nothing

teabow1 · Post by **teabow1** » Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:14 pm

Institutional change takes time to implement so that's what you'll have to give them.

Probably advocating for more motorcycle/moped parking is a good idea. Meanwhile, you can walk across campus. A little exercise won't hurt.

At the university I once was affiliated with, scooters are treated like motorcycles and need a permit to park on campus. Bicycles and electric bikes are allowed to park at the bicycle racks. Now, that was a California university.

Now I'm in North Carolina, the local private university heres seems to allow 50cc scooters to park anywhere that bikes can. I've seen it with my own eyes, a whole line of them next to bike racks with campus police nearby and no tickets. Of course, in North Carolina 50cc scooters are essentially bikes since they are not tagged or titled and I don't think you can even get insurance for them! In California, I don't think that's the case.

Modern Buddy