So I live in Boston and last week was 35 degrees when I took my bike to work and 34 degrees when I left. Anyone know what the wind chill factor at 65mph is... ice cream headache cold!

Anyway I was coming home and passed 3 scooters which have taken Boston by storm as a new mode of transporation. I sat at a red light and watched a scooter weave in and out of some cars and then fly up inbetween the 6 or 7 of them at a stop light. Do others have these in your cities and are they becoming more popular because I couldn't help but wonder as to skill of the drivers vs the inherent safety issues I see. Here's what I observed over the last week of watching these crazy drivers.

1. I've yet to see one with leathers (though they have no fear of going 40mph down the road)
2. Their visiblity is horrible (quiet, no exhaust system and small they have almost no road presence).
4. The drivers don't seem to have any idea of how to drive safely
5. Unsecured items sit on the sccoters or they have one strap backpacks slung over a shoulder while they ride
6. They tailgate like crazy (This could be a boston thing though)

Was wondering if anyone else thought these scooter drivers were crazy or if maybe it's just because they are new to Boston and people just haven't learned yet.

 

I just sold my scooter...(moment of silence please) It ws so fun to ride around town, almost brainless, but riding my CBR made me aware of things like potholes, painted lines, car doors, ect...that kept me safe and made it fun. I would laugh outloud when I rode it since I knew the dangers and what to look for...It was freeway legal and I had it up to 75 MPH a few times..nothing like passing a car on the freeway and looking at the shocked expressions!!

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They ride like fools over here too, but i have to agree with LIMPSTER THEY ARE GOOD FUN.

 

Ewwwww -- I hate scooters. Of course I'm reminded of the old joke "Why's a scooter like a fat girl?" Both are fun til your friends find out you're riding one

 

Scooters took the whole western carolina by storm. When spring hit I saw them everywhere.

 

I hate scooters. I have riden my cousins and I have never felt more unsafe on the road one reason being

and the fact that they are so slow cars tend to tail gate you and then over take you at the unsafest times. I would never own one

 

my first ride (in my teens) was a 2-stroke vespa 150 ... orange/maroon (sounds weird huh !) in color ... no brakes or indicator lamps
no battery either since the headlamp/tail-light worked off the dynamo's power

so basically the faster you went, the more visible ya were
but the faster you went, the harder it'd be to stop so riding it was a catch-22 kinda situation

yet i had so much goddamn fun ... sometimes i wish those days had never ended !

 

p.s.

the smaller ones ARE unsafe @ highway speeds ... they're ok as long as ya stick to suburbian streets and bylanes

kinda sorta drawing a parallel between fun and safety here

 

I was told that scooters are like fat chicks. THey are fun to ride you just don't want your boys to see you doing it

Not a big fan. They were cool about 10 years ago, but here in the Midwest they haven't come back like in the coasts and large cities.

 

I see a few around here (Norfolk-Virginia Beach VA) but only with a 12 year old or 80 year old on em....