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Post by 90GTVert on May 9, 2020 23:45:56 GMT -5
It's a couple of years old, but I just saw it.
Kinda seems like the conclusion that they should have reached is that you have to be smart enough to make sure you get a helmet and know how to operate the a scooter and it's not smart to drink or do drugs and ride. More or less seems like common sense to me. You shouldn't need a rental agent to tell you that it's not safe to drink and drive.
...And the "scooter driver" at the end isn't even on a scooter.
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Post by jackrides on May 10, 2020 22:18:28 GMT -5
Scooter rentals are big in summer here, and it is a Lot busier than the tropical places on the video. Helmets are required no excuses. The accidents I'm aware of were not due to alcohol, drugs or abject stupidity. There were due to driver having absolutely no idea how to drive on two wheels. Such as: do Not lock the front wheel when braking and snatching the lever will do that; Look left Push left Turn left (or right). A 15 to 30 minute training video could cure a lot of the lack of knowledge
problem. Face it, it looks so easy and everyone on a scooter is smiling. Besides, most here are on vacation and everyone knows you can't get hurt on vacation. Haven't heard any political outcry about unsafe scoots, so maybe when the deaths start happening it will just be the rental operators that get hit. I saw a very pretty girl at my the local convenience store wearing an open face helmet. Nice picture. Went over and told her she had a very pretty face (no fear on her part as she had 2 male friends with her). She said thanks, then I said 'If you want to keep it, get one of these" and pointed to my full face. Kinda hated to blow her happiness, but that was a face that did not need pavement.
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Post by oldgeek on May 11, 2020 6:28:11 GMT -5
It's a couple of years old, but I just saw it. Kinda seems like the conclusion that they should have reached is that you have to be smart enough to make sure you get a helmet and know how to operate the a scooter and it's not smart to drink or do drugs and ride. More or less seems like common sense to me. You shouldn't need a rental agent to tell you that it's not safe to drink and drive. ...And the "scooter driver" at the end isn't even on a scooter. I agree, it's all common sense. Scooter rentals here were just allowed to open this past Friday, along with a bunch of other establishments. Its almost business as usual around here already, $$ over lives no surprise. Its funny you posted this video. While out on a ride yesterday, I was just looking at the condition of a parked rental. Scrapes on the side, and a bent rear brake lever. I have seen worse from the rental fleet scooters riding down the street, loose mirrors, turn indicators dangling, wobbly tires, exhaust loose, you name it. I wonder what the liabilities are for renting a poorly maintained scoot? I sit here trying to remember how many rental scooter wrecks I have seen or come upon. Twice I have witnessed the first ten seconds wreck (if it even takes that long), where the new rider hops on a scooter and promptly slams wide open into whatever happens to be in their way, and two more times I passed by just after it happened. (I did it myself on a honda hobbit when I was 10 or 11 years old.LOL) Numerous times I have seen the rental scooters getting wrecked or post wrecked, still laying in the road along with their operator. Watched EMS on scene wrapping up the hands, arms, or knees of tourists, then seeing the same tourists riding another scooter later, all bandaged up. Here if you are under 21 years, you must have a helmet. The rentals get the ill fitting half helmets, but better than nothing I guess. I would say the primary renters of scooters here are under 21, so alcohol may be less of a factor in the amount of incidents, or not. Who knows? I am surprised the amount of people I see talking on the phone or taking a video while they are operating a scooter. Another thing they like to do is beep the horn, 5-10 scooters in a pack blowing the horn continuously is quite annoying. |
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Post by aeroxbud on May 11, 2020 7:04:46 GMT -5
The biggest problem I see with riding a scooter. Most people think if you can ride a cycle, you can ride a moped.
Then they quickly ride with the throttle pinned, and front brake on!
Even 5 minutes of training in a parking lot would stop a lot of these accidents.
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Post by ThaiGyro on May 11, 2020 7:18:03 GMT -5
I have much experience with both scooters and motorbikes in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam.
Since Thai vacations are the most popular...lets abuse them:
You need a valid motorcycle license and a passport. OK, that is the law. Done. OK...must offer 10 bucks...
You need to pay upfront and need no experience. Your passport will be held..no shit. Example: most Chinese have never driven.
You will share the road, driving opposite of the USA with peeps who drive in China and Myanmar and UK and AU and wherever. Very few will have experience. On the island of Koh Samui...maybe number one location for Chinese and Americans and other Westerners...12 deaths per week. All on scooters. NO SHIT!
My accident was North of Chiang Mai, which has the highest rate of accidents, second highest deaths in Thailand. They kill over 25 per week. Not all tourists.
My accident cost me a hip, (and much more)...I was not speeding, not alcohol. Simply bad timing and stupidity. See, I hit a soldier, coming out of an Army base. He was on a scooter. Not registered, not insured, no driver license. He was a Myanmar soldier, working for the Thai Army. NOTE: Myanmar drive on the right...Thai drive on the left...he was looking the wrong way. Slam, bam, thank you maam!
What I am saying is...know what you are getting into. Traffic law enforcement does not happen in most countries outside the US or Europe. REALLY!
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Post by 90GTVert on May 11, 2020 11:02:11 GMT -5
Another thing they like to do is beep the horn, 5-10 scooters in a pack blowing the horn continuously is quite annoying. This is nearly mandatory in OC MD. It still kind of amuses me. I was getting a good show watching one guy ride up on sidewalk ramps at crosswalks and then jump back off repeatedly, all at full speed (30MPH). I have to chuckle watching them tuck down to do 35 and rev their engines at red lights. Honestly the worst people I've seen are the locals. I will take off, do wheelies or burnouts and sorta speed around a bit there. I will not blast through traffic like some of them. I've only seen a couple of riders do it, but they would roll through intersections with green lights where regular traffic is stopped at 30-40MPH. Dumb as hell! I used to roll on through, and then I realized that cars will do U-turns or turn across all of the stopped traffic and it's pure luck if you don't go over a hood if you're rolling up to that at speed. Now I slow way down for those situations. Some of them will go full speed through moving traffic, lane splitting. The whole area is full of people on vacation that have no idea where they are going or where they want to stop next, so unexpected sudden lane changes are normal. Part of me figures you get used to it if you see it everyday. Part of me figures you're an idiot if you see it regularly and ride like that. I've seen one guy that's about 50 with his wife on the back 3-4 times now (he's in at least 2 of my videos) and he's like that every time. I smoke him off the line and then he buzzes past because I've learned that it's just no smart to cruise around at 50MPH in the bus lane and he's been lucky so far. Has to be luck because no one is good enough to miss every accident opportunity there purely by skill when doing the stuff that he does. Some of the rental folks will do that stuff as well, but at least they're slow scoots and I have to give them some credit for not being used to riding there. It's definitely different than riding anywhere else around here. |
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Post by wiscootsin on May 14, 2020 23:18:00 GMT -5
my wife and i rented scooters on our honeymoon, on an island on Lake Superior! Barely any cars there. I don't remember wearing helmets.
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