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