Tip of the Week 44

Scooters -- They just can't get no respect!

These days, when you combine the price of gas at the pump (now averaging more than $4.00/gal) with the realization that gas will probably never be cheap again, you're left with overwhelming feelings of panic and desperation.

How am I going to afford to drive and what can I do to cope with this situation, you ask?

Our options are few and fairly simple to comprehend. Here my list of alternatives to help you cope. They include:

1. Quit bitching and pay the man

2. Park your vehicle and walk

3. Carpool

4. Telecommute

5. Get rid of that gas guzzler and buy a hybrid vehicle (Flex-fuel, electric, hydrogen powered)

6. Trade your four wheels for two; bicycle, motor scooter, or motorcycle

7. Ride a horse

8. Drop out - sell all your possessions and move to a deserted island

And if you can you think of any other suggestions that should be included in this list, please email me and I'll be happy to include them.

But it's # 6 on this list (Trade your four wheels for two; bicycle, motor scooter, or motorcycle) that I would like to talk more about today.

These three alternatives - bicycle, scooter and motorcycle represent proactive responses that each and every one of us can do IMMEDIATELY to improve both our personal finances and the environment.

Bicycles are a no gas, no-brainer - renewable solution to most of our local transportation needs. Most bicycles are relatively cheap to buy and the physical act of simply getting from point a to point b provides each rider an added bonus -- better health.

Scooters, although more expensive than a bicycle, also provide relatively inexpensive transportation with several additional bonuses. They are faster than bicycles and they provide their owners greater range along with fabulous gas mileage.

Motorcycles represent the top of the line in two-wheel transportation. They are sleek, fast and have unlimited range. Some even provide riders with most of the creature comforts of their four-wheel cousins -- radios, cup holders, windscreens and (in some cases) reverse gear.

Most motorcycles provide better gas mileage than cars, but their size, speed and weight make them less fuel efficient and much more expensive to buy than scooters.

So if you're going bankrupt feeding your gas-guzzling car, SUV or truck, it makes perfect sense to invest in some sort of two-wheel transportation to help defer fuel costs.

After all, the ROI on the purchase of a $100 bicycle could be less than a month depending on the current price of a gallon of gas and how many times you opt to ride your bike instead of driving your vehicle.

Lately (yet understandably) I'm seeing more solo bicyclists then ever and I'm noticing even more groups of spandex-clad cyclists, heads bowed and whizzing by in single file along the aprons of many of our roadways. Their wild colored outfits, space age composite helmets and under-turned handlebars rarely cause motorists heads to turn any more.

As for motorcycles on our roadways, their numbers have been growing at astronomical rates for quite some time now. In 2005 (the most recent data available) motorcycles made up about 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States. But curiously, they were only driven for only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. If motorcycle owners would just park their cars and collectively ride their cycles more -- that would have an immediate and positive impact on reducing America's dependence on foreign oil.

So, lets pause for a moment now and take a closer look at the lowly and oft-maligned motor scooter.

For strange and unexplainable reasons, bicycles and motorcycles both seem to have achieved higher status in the US than the lowly motor scooter.

Personally, I've never been able to understand the bad rep and unpopularity of this particular form of two-wheel transportation -- but unfortunately the scooter's bad reputation in the US is real. But now, with the high price of gas, and a flood of cheap Chinese imports, the lowly scooter is finally beginning to gain popularity and has even begun to earn a tiny bit of respect among the general populus.

From my point of view, scooters are functional, easy to ride, cheap to operate, boldly unpretentious and for some strange reason -- even curiously sexy. Although I have personally never owned a scooter, I harbor no ill will toward them and I have, on occasion, ridden them and enjoyed the experience.

Italy is the place where scooters bask in their highest level of prestige. The Italian "Vespa" scooter has become a way of life in that country as well as a cultural icon coveted by many avid scooter riders from around the world.

And it is the Italians who have managed to transform their beloved Vespa from merely just another form of cheap transportation to sex symbol status. Everyone should be able to conjure up a scene, in their mind's eye, similar to the following:

A handsome Italian male drives his beautiful date through the winding streets of Palermo to the local bistro in the plaza for wine and Brie. With her arm tightly wrapped around her prince charming's waist, She confidently rides sidesaddle, her head resting on his shoulder and her chiffon dress blowing in the wind.

They reach their destination and are immediately greeted by numerous friends who also arrived at the Bistro astride their Vespas.

Scooters and bicycles of all kinds line the curb waiting patiently as their riders enjoy the evening passing time with friends The riders are talking, flirting, and tasting fine wines, cheeses breads and pasta.

At the end of the evening everyone shares a kiss on each cheek before climbing aboard their Vespas. And as each couple goes their separate way, they pause for a moment, turn, wave and shout arrivederci.

Ahhhh! Those Italians, they really do know how to enjoy life. And I'm really NOT KIDDING!

I have a personal friend by the name of Giuseppe. He grew up on the island of Sicily and naturally, as you might expect, Giuseppe began riding Vespas at a very early age.

Giuseppe is grown and he's moved to America with his two sisters and his mother. Now He's an accomplished chef living in Florida and plying his trade at a local Pizzeria.

One of the first purchases Giuseppe made, after his move to the United States, was to buy a big SUV and immediately outfit it with the latest in highpowered audio equipment -- big speakers, powerful amplifiers, LCD video screens on the in-dash tuner -- GPS -- the whole shebang. He thought that was the proper thing for people his age to spend their money on and he wanted desparetly to be accepted by his new American friends.

But something strange happened somewhere along the way. Giuseppe quickly began to loose interest in his ride and over time his SUV began to rack up fewer and fewer miles.

Then one day something remarkable happened when I showed up at the Pizzeria for Tuesday's Giuseppe's special. Giuseppe spotted me and shouted out "Hey Bruce, come out back and let me show you my new Vespa."

Giuseppe ushered me excidedly out the back door of the restaurant and proudly stood next to his Vespa. And that's when it struck me like a ton of bricks -- "You can take the Italian out of Italy, but you can't take the Italy out of the Italian!"

Since then, Giuseppe has been happy as a clam. He has parked his gas-guzzling SUV and now rides his Vespa to work as much as he can -- weather permitting.

Giuseppe has since married and his wife is expecting, so the family will be able to make good use of their SUV in the very near futrue -- QUIET PELASE, BABY ON BOARD!

But it's very obvious that the Vespa is clearly Giuseppe's "ride of choice" for his daily commute to work.

This week's Tip of the Week:

While I am definitely not advocating that we all ditch our cars for two-wheel transportation, what I am suggesting is that all of should begin to make a concerted effort to either walk or make use of any available two-wheel transportation as much as we possibly can.

The whole point of this week's tip is to highlight the fact that it really doesn't matter what type of two-wheeled vehicle you choose to use as transportation, because each of them will save you money while helping the environment.

So, why not be a real man -- park your gas hog -- start experiencing life - step up - slow down and do the right thing- invest in two wheel transportation - forget the Gucci - buy a Vespa -- and transport you and your lady in style.

Just remember this: Life's an adventure -- enjoy the ride!

See you next week!