Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!dual!ucbvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-thehut!hood
From: hood@thehut.DEC (mwe clant trock hrere)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Motorscooters and beginner drivers
Message-ID: <3607@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 02:28:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3607
Posted: Wed Aug 14 02:28:32 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 05:08:53 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 33

Last week someone wanted to know if motorscooters were "safe" enough
for his 16 year old daughter.  My sister asked me the same thing not too 
long ago about my nephew who's almost 16.  I'm afraid I pissed my nephew 
off with my answer...

Motorcycles and motorscooters aren't any more dangerous than cars or
ten-speed bikes * until they're driven in traffic. Until someone has a few
years experience driving, he or she can't begin to predict what the other
drivers might do at any given time. 

I've been riding mopeds and motorcycles for about eight years now and can't 
count the number of accidents I've avoided only because I (correctly)
guessed that some car driver was going to do something stupid. 

The place for someone to learn how to drive (at least for the first 
couple of years) is in a car surrounded by many hundreds of pounds of 
protective steel resting securely on four tires.

Attitudes of car drivers toward motorized two-wheelers (motorscooters
and motorcycles) are different from their attitudes toward 10-speed bikes.  
Car drivers seem to be afraid of hitting someone on a ten-speed.  They seem
to assume that people on motorcycles and motorscooters can take care of
themselves. 

Once she turns 18, I'm sure she'd love one of those sexy new scooters (I 
would).   Born to be wiiiiiiiild!

				Tom Hood
				Firmware Hippie in residence
				Digital Equipment Corporation
				295 Foster Street
				Littleton, Mass.
				(617) 486-6366