Since obtaining my new scooter, I’ve struggled to refine rules that I try to follow when on the road. Because the laws are mostly non-existent, the main limitations relate to the fact that roads – not to mention American culture – are not well suited for scooters(or bicycles for that matter).
On my first day with the new scooter, people on the road made it clear that they aren’t totally cool with some of the things I do. When riding to work for the first time, I was yelled at by some guy in a black SUV while sitting in the crosswalk. Why was I in the crosswalk on my scooter you ask? Why not? Honestly though, at the time I wasn’t exactly sure what my rights were on my scooter. I decided to take a closer look at the laws, and have also learned from experience since that first day.
Legal concerns
One of the questions that has come up since I started riding, both for myself internally and also (presumably) for the folks in cars that I scoot past is – “Is that legal?” It turns out the laws vary depending on the type of scooter you own. This is important.
Generally
When choosing a scooter there are many factors to be considered, not the least of which is the number of cc’s(cubic-centimeters). cc’s are a measure of the volume of the cylinder(s) inside the engine, and generally indicate the level of performance that can be expected. Scooters usually range from 49cc’s to 150cc’s, though I’ve seen a few up to 250cc’s. Missouri law states that scooters under 55cc’s do not have to have license plates, you don’t have to pay property tax on them, and no special license is required1 (although a valid drivers license is required to scoot on public streets). Although a helmet is not required by law, those with a fondness for brains(not in the zombie sense) should consider getting one.
If your scooter is below 55cc’s(like mine is) then the set of laws you must abide by is the same set of laws as bicycles2.
Driving in the shoulder, scooting past
“Scooting past” is my scooter lingo that is referred to legally as “riding to the right”. Again, if your scooter is more than 55cc’s this won’t apply to you. If you are able to get by with a less powerful scooter, then this Columbia city ordinance would apply to you(as it does cyclists):
Riding to right; riding abreast. Every person operating a cycle at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as safe, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction, except when making a left turn, when avoiding hazardous conditions, when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle, or when on a one-way street. Bicyclists may ride abreast when not impeding other vehicles3.
Parking
Where to park your killer scooter? Again, Columbia city ordinances set the rules about what can be done – and there isn’t much to be found:
No person shall park a cycle upon a street or upon the sidewalk in such a manner as to obstruct the flow of vehicles or pedestrian traffic4.
Clearly you can park your scooter just about anywhere you like. The only exception is that you cannot ride your scooter on the sidewalks in the downtown area5 .
Although bicycles are parked chained to parking meters on almost every block. I believe that they are within their legal rights in doing so – as am I.
Practical concerns
It should be obvious that my main concern is safety for myself and the other drivers on the road. When I first started riding to work, I found it extremely terrifying. It seemed that nobody knew what to do or what to expect me to do, and I had no clue what I was supposed to do. Now that I’ve been at it a month or so, that’s changed: I expect them to not know what to do, and I just do whatever seems safest and best for me while not breaking any laws(just like every one else on the road).
I really wanted to write all this down, not only so to make it more clear in my mind, but on the off chance that someone who has seen me on the road and thought “What the hell?” might stumble upon this blog and know why I did one thing or another.
In traffic, out of traffic?
If you’ve read the above sections related to legal issues of this topic, you’ll know that I can take my 50cc scooter just about anywhere I damn well please – so that’s a good start if you’re still thinking “What the hell?” But I’ll clear it up a little more, because I do actually use reason to determine my actions – unlike some SUV wielding folks I’ve seen.
In traffic
I’ll ride my scooter near the right edge of the lane if any the following are true:
- The shoulder is non-existent
- The shoulder is hazardous
- The shoulder is occupied by a pedestrian, bicyclist, or vehicle
I’ll ride my scooter in the middle of the lane if the above is true, and:
- I’m travelling at or above the posted speed limit or
- I need to make use of a traffic signal, left turn lane, etc
Out of traffic
In Columbia, we(those not riding in cars) are somewhat better off than many cities of similar size – both population and sprawl. People with 2 wheel vehicles which are completely without motors can make use of a network of pedestrian trails running throughout the city, and those of us with motors can make use of numerous bike lanes and wide shoulders to get around. I of course prefer to not take my scooter in traffic, and at times can choose from a variety of scoot-able routes.
Bike lanes
My first choice is the bike lane. The bike lanes have features that make them desirable:
- They are clearly marked
- They are (more or less) well maintained
- They usually do not contain grates or storm drains
- Situations involving cars making right turns, changing lanes, etc are more easily navigated than compared to being in the shoulder – probably due to the expectation created by merely having the bike lane.
Although it is extremely rare that I encounter a pedestrian or cyclist while using the bike lane, I simply enter traffic and go around or slow my pace until safe passing is possible.
The shoulder
The shoulder is a perfectly acceptable alternative but have these issues:
- Often riddled with sticks, rocks, trash, and dead animals
- End abruptly(usually at the worst times)
- Are wide enough that cars sometimes move into them unexpectedly
- Trace the road edge no matter what – making right turn lanes more dangerous
- In places where a sidewalk begins/ends – the shoulder usually interfaces with it
The sidewalk
Although it is legal to drive my scooter on the public sidewalks everywhere outside of downtown – I very rarely choose to do so for the following reasons:
- The sidewalk is extremely uneven and bumpy when travelling above, say, 15mph
- It is usually not as easy to transition to and from the sidewalk from other scoot-able routes(because of curbs and such)
- Sidewalks start and stop frequently
Crosswalks
Crosswalks are useful for crossing extremely large or dangerous intersections – but I usually stay out of them because they can be quite difficult to navigate in something as bulky as a scooter.
Scooting past
I will scoot past you on the right(or maybe even the left) side of the road if the following are true:
- YOU are not travelling in excess of 25mph (although usually cars I pass are going close to 0mph)
- I am not travelling in excess of 30mph (although I usually pass at around 5-10mph)
- There is sufficient room for me to pass you
- There is something to be gained by me passing you
Parking
About 75% of the time I end up parking my scooter in a parking space. I’m really doing this to mitigate the expectations of others more than to fulfill a legal requirement or reasonable expectation. Generally I will not use a parking space in the following(or similar) cases:
- If I go to the grocery store and the area near the door is easily accessible to my scooter and has plenty of room for it – I’ll put my scooter there.
- If I go downtown and the building I’m going to has little pedestrian traffic around it, plenty of room, and an accessible area(sometimes around the dumpsters) – I’ll put my scooter there.
- If I see a bike rack on concrete – I’ll put my scooter there.
I will use a parking space if:
- I am at work where none of the above are true(bike rack is in the grass, sidewalk is narrow and high traffic)
- It is advantageous to use a parking space
Case studies
Here’s the fun part. There have been many things that have come up where I wish a person would understand my point of view and be a little more rational. Following are some real situations and my attempt at sharing my perspective and/or feelings:
Guy in (black) SUV
Yells through his window while I’m in a crosswalk(my first day with the scoot): “Hey (expletive), crosswalks are for people”
Fail. I’m well within my legal rights to be in the crosswalk, and would gladly let anyone by me that felt like walking into cross traffic.
Person at work
Comments: “Hey, he’s taking up a whole space with that thing!?”
Fail. What was I supposed to do? Why should I be treated differently when I choose to drive my scooter as opposed to my regular vehicle?
Someone else at work:
The following day, after the previous comment – I decide to park as near the edge of the parking space as possible to allow a car to SHARE the space with me. This elicits an email – “Scooter improperly parked – unable to use either space.”
Fail. This ridiculousness marked my last attempt to be accommodating. I asked my Executive Director to do something and she offered to pour a concrete pad for “Scooter parking”. Hell yes, Pass!”.
Nearly everyone else:
Hey, you passed me and 50 other people who were diligently sitting in rush hour traffic – that’s not cool.
Fail.* I guess it depends on who you are. If you are me, and within your rights to do that – it’s actually hella cool. If you’re an a-hole sitting in traffic…well…get a scooter and quit bitching.
Conclusion
Well, I hope you’ve had as much fun reading as I have had writing this. I hope you’ve learned a lot about being more tolerant, sharing the road, and most of all – I hope you go out and buy a scooter!
Please post a comment! If you think I’m being a jerk – you’re probably a hypocrite!
1 http://www.dmv.org/mo-missouri/other-types.php
2 http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Council/Columbia_Code_of_Ordinances/Chapter_14/525A.html
3 http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Council/Columbia_Code_of_Ordinances/Chapter_14/503.html
4 http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Council/Columbia_Code_of_Ordinances/Chapter_14/506.html
5 http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Council/Columbia_Code_of_Ordinances/Chapter_14/507 html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia,_Missouri#Cityscape