Town Talk
Not long ago I was visiting a new yogurt shop in Fells Point, Mr. Yogato (at 35 calories a cold, yummy serving), and failed to notice a new, neighboring store, Green Rider. However, my colleague, Laura Wexler, came by my desk the next day to tell me her husband had become quite excited over the idea of purchasing one of the new Low-Speed Electric Vehicles (LEVs) that were sold there.
What the heck was I going to do with a, um, scooter? That was my first thought. The second reaction came from our eleven year old daughter, when I told her how “green” the scooters were supposed to be. She went into paroxysms. “No, Mommy, no! You can never get a motorcycle!” After having told her horror stories about drugs, alcohol and motorcycles, I was glad to see that at least one of the warnings had stuck. “Calm down. I would never get on a motorcycle, Jenkins.”
Three months later I found we were in need of another car, so we did what most people would do—we hit the car dealerships. Only—one thing kept gnawing at me. Did we really need a second car, when, for the most part, I’d only be using it to get to the Light Rail? I’m a big fan of the Baltimore Light Rail, because I’m a huge proponent for working on a better environment (and saving money… and not being stuck in traffic jams… and having an extra 20 minutes to read without everyone wanting something from me… etc.).
So, after giving it much thought, we headed down this Saturday to have brunch at Kali’s Mezze on 1606 Thames St. (they have the most delicious omelets in town—and at an exquisite cost), and for some Mr. Yogato yogurt. Then we headed in to purchase a Green Rider Motorino Electric Scooter.
The pros:
- no gas (saving me at least $10,000 a year!)
- no insurance (another big, monthly savings)
- no license registration (although you have to have a driver’s license to drive one)
- no tags or inspection (hello!)
- no parking costs (they can park on a sidewalk—just like a bike)
- can be driven on a non-highway road, just like a car
- a 10% tax credit
- the costs is between $2000 and $2300 (or approx. $125 a month for 2 years)
- not at all noisy (thereby cutting down on noise pollution)
- range of about 30 miles on single battery & 50+ miles with duel battery
- they’re cool as heck! (We bought a yellow and black XPh)
The cons—not many:
- highest speed is 30 miles an hour (average off-highway speeds)
- this isn’t Europe, e.g., less people on motor scooters means less car drivers are on the lookout
The extras:
- you will need to pony up for a helmet or two (in case you have a rider)
- you will need a chain lock
- you’ll probably want a tarp to put over it for rainy days
- you’ll most likely want an extra little lock box to hold other items than your helmet
- i.e., do factor in another $200 bucks, give or take, to the price to cover the above.
For those who want to try before they buy, owner, Ray Carrier rents the LEVs ($25 for two hours; $10 each additional hour; or $50 for the day). He also sells Pedego Electric and Electric folding bikes (called “umbrella” bikes).
It only took a few minutes for us to make the decision to purchase our new Green Rider scooter. It might take a few months to make sure our daughter understands the difference between getting on a motorcycle that can hit the highway, hard, versus a scooter that’s used for environmental purposes. Yes, there are still danger issues, but we’ll teach her these important facts about our electric scooter: we can’t go over 30 miles an hour; we are faithful helmet wearers; we don’t plan on going on any big roads; we’ll watch all driveways and intersections—as well, as the front tires of the cars in front of us—at all times. In other words, we’ll make safety our priority—as it should be when driving anything motorized. Plus, we’ll save the big rides for the Light Rail.
Green Rider
714 S. Broadway St.
(410) 522-5857
GreenRiderUSA.com.
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