Like most of us riding Scooters, we are basically misunderstood. People assume all too much that we are poor and can not afford “a real motorcycle”. The other popular one is that we are incapable or scared of riding “a real motorcyle”. These are classic sterotypes that we all have had to deal with at one time or another. If that is not enough to piss you off, now the media is attacling us Scooter Riders. It seems now that every time a crime is commited on a Scooter, it is called “A Moped”. Scooter crime is certainly on the rise here in the NYC area. Also on the rise is a flood of illegal Scooters being sold without Plates or Insurance. Many companies & criminals are exploiting our backward behind the times registrations laws. Many dealers (if they are really dealers) are just putting them on the streets illegally to anyone with the money. Electric or Gas, it doesnt matter, but the flood of unregistered Electric Bicycles is making an even bad sitution worse.

Making things worse is just the begining. Now anything that looks like a Scooter is called a Moped, assumed illegal and is treated with even less respect. In fact if you enter the term “Scooter” into a Craigslist search, you will overwhelming get ads for push scooters, mopeds and electric bicycles and maybe a few Scooters. So the media attack is on, both online and on air. It is the Public perception that is the biggest issue here. Just this morning I was nearly run off the road (the LIE Service Road) and yelled at by a lady in a Lexus SUV. She came into my lane on purpose, almost hit me, (not an exagretion) to try and move me out of her way. Too close for my comfort, indeed. She yelled “You are going too slow on your Moped and you are in the Middle Lane!”. She then told me that I am “supposed to be on the shoulder or the slow lane. She thinks I am one of those illegal riders! I was doing 63 MPH on a 40 MPH road, BTW. My “Moped” is a legally registered Motorcycle in NY State and is 100% allowed on any damn road in the State & the US. Its top speed is almost 70 MPH. However the flood of illegal riders is making people like me rare. As a result, we are even more misunderstood.

All over my area (The Long Island, NYC Area) we have many groups of ATVs, Motorcycles, Scooters and more that ride around in packs on the Major roads. Right in front of the Police. I have seen this with my own eyes. They take over the street doing wheelies with their loud exhausts, all with no plates. I spend a lot of money to legally, Licenced, Registered and Insured, you know.

Add to all of this an epidemic of Ignorance has gripped our country. It seems now that people have no interest in facts, truth, laws or the conventions of Society. People nowadays just make up their own reality and go on. Going thry Red lights and Stop signs is a more common reality than ever. Well, that lady in the Lexus SUV has to now deal with the reality of dent in her door, placed their by my foot. Scoot On… Marbles Mahoney