Life: “Whenever I pull up on two wheels, I can count on one comment: ‘You’re crazy,’ strangers tell me. ‘Riding is dangerous.’ The comment is usually accompanied by a horror story about some neighbor’s friend’s gastroenterologist or other distant acquaintance who had a spectacular crash.
But a funny thing’s been happening lately. In addition to the usual comments on my sanity and safety, I’m hearing envy, and the horror stories they tell are their own. ‘What kind of gas mileage are you getting?’ they ask. The question is typically followed by the price tag on their latest fill-up, usually about $60.
While the average U.S. passenger car chugs gas at a rate of 22.4 miles per gallon, two-wheelers average about 50. So it shouldn’t come as too huge a surprise that sales are up for the lightest drinkers: scooters — by about 17 percent in 2005 (though the rate has slowed to single digits this year).”
Thu, Aug 3, 2006
News