Tampa, FL Scooter rider hurt in Crash

[demon]

www2.tbo.com/content/2007/oct/26/scooter-driver-injured-crash/?news-breaking

as if this is not bad enough look at the comments from the ignorant A-holes at the bottom...

["Big Guy"]

I especially like the jerk that said, "MY DRINKING HAS A MOPED PROBELM". I mean, does think it's okay to drink and drive ANY vehicle?

Then there's the guy that said, "they expect you to treat them like a pedestrian". What an idiot! The meaning of his post is that the car is much bigger than the scooter; hence the scooter shouldn't be on the same roadway.

Hmm, let's think about this one for a minute! So does this also mean that the 18-wheeler is much bigger than the car, so the car should not be on the same road?

Why is it that 4 wheelers (cars) believe they are the only ones entitled to drive on the roads? I really don't know where this mentality came from, but it's everywhere you go.

When I was growing up, I remember a time when everyone was courteous and yielded the right-of-way, even when they didn't have to!

What exactly started this new phenomenon called road-rage?

I'm willing to bet 10-1 that the car the scooter hit SPEEDED UP when he saw him coming out, then realized his stupidity and couldn't stop in time.

[scooterlizard]

Well Demon,

That is typical of the comments that came from individuals that live there, they probably have never been on anything two wheels but a bicycle. I grew up in the Tampa area and drivers in that area have no respect for motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, or bicycles. If there is a vehicle that even remotely slows traffic, it will be a target for road rage. That part of tampa is not the best place to be at that time of the morning. Six lanes of traffic to deal with, lots of local bars in that area, being dark, it's tough right there. I have seen cars turned up side down in that intersection several times. All you can do is just watch out for the other idiot(s) out there and don't take nothing for granted.

[termite]

Stupid people drive cars, ride motorcycles/scooters, and use bicycles.

The level of driver education and training in the USA is very low. People don't know what "flash-to-pass" means, and their lane discipline is terrible. And they rarely check their mirrors. I call it "head-up-the-ass" syndrome.

Something that greatly irritates me is drivers who stay in the left lane of a 4 lane freeway/interstate(2 lanes each side), and who will not move to the right lane. ESPECIALLY if they are driving below the speed limit. I hate passing in the right lane, and in some states(particularly the NE states), this can get both drivers a ticket. One for improper passing, the other for deliberately obstructing traffic.

[gusset]

It's hard to know what really happened in this accident, since it was such a short article (no mention of traffic lights or other controls). It sounds like the rider may have messed up. Kinda ironic when considering that a large percentage of car-motorcycle/scooter accidents have the car turning left in front of the bike.

Ignorant comments at the bottom of the article aside, it would be nice if more riders of scooters, as well as motorcycles, took time to learn more about how to ride, and how to do it smart and safe. There seems to be a perception that learning how to ride a motorcycle is only about learning how to operate the clutch, so therefore a twist-n-go must not require any special skills or considerations beyond what was learned on a bicycle as a kid. Just buy it, get endorsed by passing the riding test, and you're all set! Not a good assumption at all.

[infernobutterfly]

I don't think all the comments made in the links were made by idoits. (yes, the one about the drinking and moped is). I am talking about the one about mopeds and running stop signs and red lights.

I bike and scooter to work and have noticed that a LOT of bikes and a few mopeds do not know that a stop sign means that they have to actually stop. It seems to me that they want to be treated as a privileged vehicle and not have to stop for stop signs and lights, but must be respected as a responsible vehicle on the ride. It does not work that way. They are a vehicle and must obey all (not just the ones they want to obey) traffic laws.

That aside, there are also many cagers that are idiots and believes they are gods of the road. There are idiots who does not know anything about his surroundings. There are idiots who only knows about his "intended" surrounding. There are idiots who knows everything about his surround but just don't care. Then there are the cellphone idiots.

So... the conclusion is, unfortunately we have to take it upon ourselves to protect ourselves from these people.