Gas Scooters: Dangerous But Fun
Remember that feint noise you heard from your patio the other day? The one that grew louder and louder, sounded kind of like a lawn mower, and then slowly faded away? The sound you heard was a gas scooter driving by and you don’t hear them much these days. Many cities have banned the use of gas power scooters on neighborhood streets and public access ways because they can be pretty dangerous and disruptive.
Gas scooters are like motor powered skateboards with handles. These vehicles can get up to speeds of almost thirty miles an hour and all that stands between the rider and near disaster is a skinny foot board and a metal handle that comes up half way, just tall enough to grab at. The gas scooter is a favorite of teens because you can get around in it easily (if you can avoid the neighborhood watch security guys) and you can out maneuver bicyclists and slow moving cars.
There are safer gas powered scooters out there on the market now. The original one was just an open lawn mower engine strapped to a platform. Now they come in all different forms and some even have seats and safety belts on them. The original scooter wheels, back when the vehicle first became popular, were much like skateboard or roller blade wheels. They were plastic inline wheels that could grip the ground if the surface was smooth enough but once you got up onto gravel or grass you’d lose traction immediately. Today they make them to be more like all terrain vehicles. You can do scooter tricks out on the lawn or in the back yard if you’re not worried about chewing up the ground.
Gas scooters, when equipped with the proper scooter parts, can be faster and more powerful than an electric moped. Even though the moped is a safer vehicle, because you sit down in it like a bicycle, it is a lot more fun to ride along the streets in a gas scooter. If you are too lazy to use a self powered skateboard or too cheap to buy a Segway the next best thing is a gas powered scooter.
Before you purchase a gas scooter for yourself or for your children make sure that you check your cities rules and regulations on these vehicles. Often you will find that they have been outlawed and if you are found riding one you will be subject to a ticket or the scooter will be confiscated. Just be safe and have fun.
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