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The Dispatch wrote
David the scooter vs. Goliath the car
Saturday, July 19, 2008
BY TIM DOULIN
From a distance, motor scooters look like they would be fun to ride. But when you get behind one in a car, well, they are just another two-wheeled pest to some motorists.
Columbus finally recognized scooters by giving them a place to park Downtown this week. But do other motorists accept them on the road? “People here seem to be very impatient when behind two-wheel vehicles, which is pretty frustrating,” said Josh Quinn, 26, who has been riding a scooter about six years.
[quote="Walker"]
From a distance, motor scooters look like they would be fun to ride.
But when you get behind one in a car, well, they are just another two-wheeled pest to some motorists.
“Everyone seems to love scooters until they are in their car,” said Michael Olshove, a 22-year-old Northwest Side resident who has been riding a scooter about six months.
It’s like my dad always said.
“they’re not a problem if you’re ahead of them and pulling away”
The ones who pull out right in front of you are the ones that’ll get ya.
Newsflash… There are STILL idiots out there on the road.
Wear the gear, be aware, and enjoy the mayhem! If your scared, you’re doing it wrong.
when rumbling past scooter riders on my Harley, i always wave to them…but they never wave back. cant we all get along? 8)
Wear the gear, be aware, and enjoy the mayhem! If your scared, you’re doing it wrong.
Awareness is key.
I just pretend I’m invisible to every other driver on the road and always try to look as far ahead as possible for oncoming stupidity. :)
Best advice of the day
Interesting that you bring this up. I always wave or signal them too and I hardly ever get a response. I wonder if they are paying attention, snubbing me, or a new rider that doesn’t know what’s what.
I’ve come to expect that from a harley rider but I thought scooterheads would have a greater sense of community. :wink:
On a side note, I’ve never gotten the “one percent salute” in response. :lol:
Interesting that you bring this up. I always wave or signal them too and I hardly ever get a response. I wonder if they are paying attention, snubbing me, or a new rider that doesn’t know what’s what.
I’ve come to expect that from a harley rider but I thought scooterheads would have a greater sense of community. :wink:
On a side note, I’ve never gotten the “one percent salute” in response. :lol:
left hand, down low, i’ve got it…
motorcycle riders only occassionally acknowledge scooter riders. so i think i miss it 1/2 the time because i don’t expect it. and i only signal in response, as i don’t feel like pissing off the harley rider that doesn’t think my 150cc of raw power is road worthy.
Funny. If I’m on the back of Mike’s scooter and I see a motorcycle driver acknowledge us, I definitely signal back and have to fight down the urge to wave wildly (I don’t want to mess up the balance of the scooter I’m on, especially if I’m not the driver). I guess it would be bad form to blow kisses?
Interesting that you bring this up. I always wave or signal them too and I hardly ever get a response. I wonder if they are paying attention, snubbing me, or a new rider that doesn’t know what’s what.
Naw. i give ‘em the down low “V” and almost always get an ACK. i’ve had a couple of nice convos at lights with harley guys.
Also, if you’re “rumbling past” me, you’re speeding even worse than I am. Please slow down for your own safety! :-P
left hand, down low, i’ve got it…
motorcycle riders only occassionally acknowledge scooter riders. so i think i miss it 1/2 the time because i don’t expect it. and i only signal in response, as i don’t feel like pissing off the harley rider that doesn’t think my 150cc of raw power is road worthy.
150cc of raw scooter power is worthy of a wave. as are weed trimmer motor powered skate boards and human powered cyclists. we are all out there, exposed to the pavement and thus we are a community. UNITE!
dont worry about pissing of harley riders, wave to them anyways. see if they wave back. in my pre harley days, i rode a honda and found that very few of the harley folks waved back to me. im here to change that trend. :)
Please do this. I would love it!
What is an ACK?
I like to give the down low “devil hornsâ€
I have sort of a twisted dark sense of humor and have wondered what kind of reaction I would get if I gave folks the ‘ol Hile Hitler. Of course I will never do it.
What is an ACK?
I like to give the down low “devil hornsâ€
ACK is an old computer networking term meaning “signal Acknowledgment”. INIT packets being followed by ACK packets. Sorry, I be geek.
I’ll try the devil horns next time!
if I spot another vintage honda – i usually give both hands in a double “west-side’ config. elbows out, and i try to stand up, but that’s more dangerous.
moto to bike – never gotten a response. but i feel for their road danger the most, and they need to know my support.
i only get waved maybe 80%, I think its mostly inattention, but some dudes only wave at their own make (it’s usually harleys, but clearly not hael.
LOL. Good one.
Oh and Rockmastermike, geeks are the new Alpha Male.
I couldn’t agree more!
I think it’s interesting that the article frames the recent increase in riders as some kind of car v scooter issue.
In my mind, the most important consideration involving more scooters on the road is the corresponding increase in novice riders on the road. There have been a number of studies suggesting that inexperienced riders are over-represented in motorcycle/scooter crash data.
In my mind, the most important consideration involving more scooters on the road is the corresponding increase in novice riders on the road. There have been a number of studies suggesting that inexperienced riders are over-represented in motorcycle/scooter crash data.
That would not surprise me. Lots of non-riders look at scooters as “cute” and “fun”, which they are, but if you aren’t careful you can really mess yourself up at 30mph. When I was in Key West they rented scooters to anyone with a drivers license and no one wore helmets and everyone wore flip-flops and partied their asses off. I saw at least one scooter accident every day I was there & there was even a fatality. It freaked me out & I stuck to renting a bicycle.
That would not surprise me. Lots of non-riders look at scooters as “cute” and “fun”, which they are, but if you aren’t careful you can really mess yourself up at 30mph.
I hit a patch of rocksalt going into a corner a few years ago and the rear tire slid out from under me. No fun sliding along the pavement without the bike, but the leather saved most of my skin. Banged up my elbow a bit where I hit the pavement. Scuffed up my knees a bit too. Vespas are designed to take this kind of mild punishment, so the bike was fine though.
A couple of years ago one of the scooter club guys hit a DEER down by riverside drive. Messed him and his bike up pretty good.
not a toy.
Just remember kids, drinking and scooting is not a good idea.
motorcycles are for the suicidal. Death machines I tell ya!
:roll: eh…
everything in life is a calculated risk. bikes are toys/tools.