Bad day for scooter drivers

[hoosierdoc]

You should totally make that bike your avatar!

it reminds me a bit of PeeWee Herman's bike, but much more awesome.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I expect a lot more of these arrests. My gut says the rider probably had outstanding warrants, so when he got popped for the minor infraction of not following the new law, he got cuffed instead of a ticket.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Doesn't look like much of a change; 50+cc already required a license, a plate and insurance. I have a 150 with all that. It's the 49cc ones that kids and DUIs have been using anyway. Mine can drag my carcass up to 35, maybe a bit more, and I managed to find a helmet that fits on my huge cranium. I still ride it like a bicycle. My bicycle philosophy is "cars are bigger than be, they can hurt me" and "it won't be much consolation that it was the other guy's fault if I'm laying in a hospital bed broken."

 

[logain]

The new scooter laws don't go into effect until Jan 1 2015

 

[mom45]

I came up on a scooter on a state highway after dark one night that had two kids on it. The driver and a passenger who was seated facing backwards. Both were wearing dark clothes and no lights were visible because the passenger had his legs hanging over the tail light. Luckily, I had my brights on and realized there was something in front of me.

A week or two ago, our local police report included an entry that described a complaint called in about three kids on a scooter pulling a fourth kid on a skateboard down a very busy county road.

These are horrible accidents just waiting to happen. I understand kids don't fully grasp the consequences of their actions at times, but this is the sort of thing that needs to be cracked down on, as well as those using scooters due to no longer having a valid driver's license.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I once saw one Amish kid on a horse pulling another one on a pair of inline skates; Amish road surfing I guess. Probably not as hazardous, being in daylight and all.

 

[mom45]

I once saw one Amish kid on a horse pulling another one on a pair of inline skates; Amish road surfing I guess. Probably not as hazardous, being in daylight and all.

That would have been kind of entertaining. Wonder what happens when the horse leaves some droppings for those skates to run over.

 

[Que]

As of yesterday, here in Virginia, scooters have to have a license plate and riders must have a DOT approved helmet on when operating the machine. Bike shops make a killing last weekend on helmet sales and the state collected a great deal of revenue, too.

 

[cosermann]

My idea of a scooter . . .

Suzuki Cycles - Product Lines - Scooters - Products - Burgman 400 - 2013 - AN400A

Suzuki Cycles - Product Lines - Scooters - Products - Burgman 650 - 2013 - AN650A

 

[LEaSH]

A moped down the street from me was towed, too.

But I suspect the db's that live there were up to no good.

 

[churchmouse]

As of yesterday, here in Virginia, scooters have to have a license plate and riders must have a DOT approved helmet on when operating the machine. Bike shops make a killing last weekend on helmet sales and the state collected a great deal of revenue, too.

As they should have. With the plates comes insurance and with all of that comes a Motorcycle certification. Just like I and the wife had to do when we were up on 2 wheels.
If these idiots have some skin in the game they may pay attention......or not.

If a plate/license/insurance required about two thirds of the damn things will get parked.

 

[churchmouse]

I can certainly understand the frustration brought on by those operating scooters improperly. They can be a real PITA and often downright dangerous. What I don't understand is this: If they can suddenly start enforcing new laws regarding scooters, why were they not enforcing the existing laws which would have eliminated the need for the new ones? If someone is drunk or driving improperly, it is just as illegal on a scooter as it is in a car regardless of whether or not there is a license, registration or insurance required.

I bought a nice scooter a long time ago so I could have a cheap alternate form of transportation that costs me nothing to just sit there if I'm not using it (no plates, registration or insurance). I've got nearly 10K miles on that little thing without ever being a part of the problems most people complain about. Now, because they failed to enforce existing laws, I am subject to penalties from new laws even though I was never a part of the problem. Sound familiar?

I am choosing to ignore these new laws requiring registration of my scooter (The new law still doesn't require insurance). I will continue to use it with common sense as I always have. From there I will just have to see how it goes. If I end up being hassled about it too much, I will have to decide then what to do about it. I don't yet know what that decision will be other than I know I won't be paying for registration.

I get your point and agree. You are not the problem.
With out new laws the butt heads that write them would become irrelevant.

I started riding at age 9. Harley topper. Look it up.
When they passed a law that a test was required to ride (legally) I Poo-Poo the idea as I am not one of the idiots driving into parked cars. That attitude changed when my nice shiny Harley went away on a hook due to my lack of certification.

 

[Dirtebiker]

I get your point and agree. You are not the problem.
With out new laws the butt heads that write them would become irrelevant.

I started riding at age 9. Harley topper. Look it up.
When they passed a law that a test was required to ride (legally) I Poo-Poo the idea as I am not one of the idiots driving into parked cars. That attitude changed when my nice shiny Harley went away on a hook due to my lack of certification.

If you would have gotten your motorcycle endorsement in 1980( when it started), you only had to pass the written test, and as long as you keep it current, never have to take the riding test.

 

[churchmouse]

If you would have gotten your motorcycle endorsement in 1980( when it started), you only had to pass the written test, and as long as you keep it current, never have to take the riding test.

I know. I was being a hard head about it.

 

[vitamink]

Yesterday my wife saw someone handcuffed and taken away outside her office. The guy had been on a scooter. While heading to dinner we saw a scooter hanging from the strap of a tow truck as the officer and tow guy tried to secure it. Towing a scooter was a funny sight.

Did I miss an anti-scooter law starting July 1?

where did this happen? In the hood, the joke is there is really only one scooter... Everyone just steals it from each other. Also any scooter stop yeilds either warrants or drugs. They're more popular than ice cream trucks as narcotics delivery systems.

 

[BogWalker]

Funny this thread appeared. Got stuck behind a friggin moped going 30 in a 55 today. He didn't even bother to move over any when I went to pass him.

 

[hoosierdoc]

where did this happen? In the hood, the joke is there is really only one scooter... Everyone just steals it from each other. Also any scooter stop yeilds either warrants or drugs. They're more popular than ice cream trucks as narcotics delivery systems.

Suburbia, my hood but not "the" hood

 

[JettaKnight]

The new scooter laws don't go into effect until Jan 1 2015

Correct. This law will create a class for "Motor Driven Cycles" A & B. Plates and fees will be required, but no operator license. The rules of operation will be the same as they have been for years:

• 49 cc maximum (new Class B)
• 25 MPH maximum
• no passengers
• under 18 (?) must wear a helmet

I.C. 9-21-11-12 (and other places) covers this.

Do the police enforce any of this? Not to my knowledge.


New law changes:
HEA 1343 ? Motor Driven Cycles | Indiana Juvenile Justice Blog

 

[Cemetery-man]

I read the descriptions but it still makes no mention whether a class B will require a license plate. Just mentions drivers license and has to be registered. I assume the registration is like the one for recreational vehicles? I don't ride one but my co-worker has 2 of them which he lets his very small grandchildren ride all over.

 

[Suprtek]

I get your point and agree. You are not the problem.
With out new laws the butt heads that write them would become irrelevant.

I started riding at age 9. Harley topper. Look it up.
When they passed a law that a test was required to ride (legally) I Poo-Poo the idea as I am not one of the idiots driving into parked cars. That attitude changed when my nice shiny Harley went away on a hook due to my lack of certification.

You know I respect you Churchmouse. And with all due respect I must point out that even without the new laws that are going into effect, that Harley topper would have been subject to the requirement of registration, licensing and insurance because it was over the 49cc limit (under current laws). My scooter is 49cc, therefore not subject to these requirements until these new laws go into effect. I could deal with these new requirements much better if they would have at least had a grandfather clause that allowed those that bought them under current law to keep operating them under those laws. That being said, I still hold to my original point that enforcing the already existing laws properly would have eliminated the need for new laws. So I still ask... If they were incapable of properly enforcing existing laws, how are new laws going to help?