Scooting down main street is the best way to travel downtown

Navigating traffic is much easier for city councilmember now that he has a Vespa

Chris Albert
Published: October 3rd, 2008 11:32 AM

 

Puyallup City Councilman Rick Hansen is doing is part in saving gas, helping with downtown parking issues and traffic within the city.

He bought a Vespa Scooter.

“I absolutely and totally believe there will be more and more of this,” he said.

Hansen has is offices in downtown Puyallup and spends a great deal of time in the core of the city. Since he bought the scooter a few weeks ago, he’s found maneuvering throughout the city has been much easier and riding around has been just as fun.

“For the most part it’s running around,” Hansen said.

Now that he has the scooter he finds himself noticing more of his surroundings when he’s out driving.

“You’re seeing things you’ve never seen before,” he said.

It’s opened up his opportunities to stop by and check something out he may have just driven by in the past.

“It’s so quiet,” he said. “You start to day dream.”

But as a two-wheel rider for a number of years, he’s learned that keeping aware of his surroundings is very important. He’s owned Harley’s in the past.

“You have to really stay alert,” Hansen said. “And you have to work at being alert.”

The experience has also brought him back to his college days.

He had a Vespa in college and road it all the time to and from class, whether it was sunny and dry out or raining and cold. The only time he didn’t was when it was icy out.

Older and wiser, Hansen said, he won’t ride the scooter when it’s unbearable, even its made for it. The Vespa has a windshield, the tires are bigger and it has the capabilities to ride on the freeway, he said. But it’s better to be safe rather than sorry.

“I’m smarter know,” he said about not risking the rain. “It’s fun but it’s dangerous. You don’t take chances.”

And it can be uncomfortable, he added.

From driving a car to riding around in a scooter, Hansen has noticed a considerable change in gas mileage. He’s only filled his up twice since he’s owned it, but his brother also bought own and told him he’s getting 73 miles to the gallon.

One of the most welcomed benefits to owning a scooter though has been its parking capabilities, Hansen said.

“It’s just so easy to get around,” he said. “I’m doing a little part and hopefully others will follow.”

Driving a scooter around a city is an everyday occurrence throughout the world, Hansen said.

“I’ve been around the world and it’s very common,” he said.

And the scooters range in price enough that they are affordable, Hansen said. A new Vespa scooter usually costs anywhere between $2,000 and $8,000.

As a former Harley Davidson rider he’s not too worried about how bikers view him one the road. He hasn’t gotten too much grief from Harley owners for his scooter, he said. They’ll wave to him occasionally on the road and understand the savings and convenience.

“But I’m not initiating the wave,” Hansen said.