accessories installation PDF

This great shot was taken from the back of the Frankenstella during the Westender's Great Ghost and Grub Ride. It features Nate's pimped out Vespa GTS, which runs on rocket fuel, and my very large teeth.

The image was captured by my cupcake, Viva. There's lots more Frankenstella action on her awesome ScooterLust Flickr Photostream.

I wasn't in a rush to replace the windscreen over the summer as I mainly use it to deflect rain. But I did find that long trips on I5 lacked their usual comfort; the day after a lengthy journey on the highway, my neck and shoulders ached from absorbing the sustained wind pressure of 75 m.p.h.

I wondered if motorcycle riders experienced a similar discomfort, especially since they tend to spend longer periods of time at higher speeds. Then I realized it's likely the upright seated position of the scooterist that makes us less aerodynamic and therefore more prone to wind drag. And maybe I would build up muscles in my neck that I don't presently have. (And maybe I should get a full-face helmet that doesn't scoop up the wind like a sail, so I must tighten my chin strap lest it fly off my head at high speeds.)

In any case, with the impending Seattle rainy season (September through July) upon us, I realized it was time to admit the windscreen dilemma must be solved or I was destined to continue showing up for work like a drowned rat.

I briefly employed my Yankee ingenuity in attempt to rig the windscreen I had in storage to fit on the Vespa. It's a Genuine windshield for the Stella, with the curves in all the wrong places. But I swapped the hardware on the Stella windscreen with the hardware from the broken GTS windscreen, and the design did not translate.

The Vespa windscreen attaches underneath the headset with built-in sockets, while the Stella windscreen attaches externally with additional plates that also hold the mirrors. I was hoping some bending and angling could get the job done, but quickly realized that it was a lost cause.

If you're trying to decide on a windscreen size, here's my $.02 (read quickly - with the current economy, it will soon be worth half that). scooter windshields generally come in four sizes:

• Flyscreen. The flyscreen looks very cool and is supermod, especially if you get the black and white checkered one. I can't imagine it actually does keep the flies off, but I can't speak from experience.
• Mini/Small. I found this height windscreen on the Stella to be pretty useless. The smoke one, which is tinted a slinky gray, is sharp and pretty, but again, I found it didn't block the rain and deflected the wind directly into my face. Please keep in mind that I am six feet tall and have very good posture. (Thanks, mom.)
• Mid-size. This size has worked well for me. At my height, the top of the windscreen lines up nicely with the bottom of my helmet's face shield, deflecting rain off my chest and channeling the wind up and over the top of my head.
• Riot shield. I had one of these on my Elite 250, and it did a fabulous job of creating a windproof tunnel to ride in at high speeds. It also made for a very quiet ride. I did, however, find it impossible to see out of in the rain, especially at night. Both the windscreen and my helmet's face shield would collect water, and the multitude of drops obscuring my vision and reflecting light all over the place blinded me. Rain-X didn't help. This is why I settled on the mid-size.

I like to support local business, and there's some serious eye candy down at Vespa Seattle in both scooter and human form, so I headed down to the showroom on 1st and Denny after work on Friday to see if they had any mid-size windscreens in stock.

After a bit of rummaging, a mid-sized windscreen was unearthed. It was a Vespa model - these are a bit wider than the Faco and shield your hands. I find it a little more obtrusive, but was willing to give it a shot. The only problem was the price tag; at $270, it was $100 more than I wanted to spend. Or needed to spend, given that Scooterworks has the Faco mid-size windscreen for $150 plus shipping (Scooterworks also carries the tall size for the same price). I was told the high cost was because Vespa didn't actually make mid-size wind screens; the dealership has a guy at Boeing custom cutting the tall ones down for them.

So it was back to the drawing board. Having purchased enough chrome to outfit an army of mods, I know that the shiny stuff is tres expensive. So I figured that a large portion of the price of the windscreen is the chrome hardware. Since the hardware from my broken windscreen is fully functional, it seems I could potentially get a discount for only needing the plastic piece. When I received the first windscreen, the hardware was wrapped separately from the plastic, so it's not like it's all pre-packaged together in a kit. I decided to call Scooterworks and see if I could just get the plastic. I can't be the only person on the planet to need a replacement.

The gentleman on the phone didn't seem to catch my drift; he kept telling me that I didn't have to use the hardware if I didn't need it. When he finally understood that I was seeking a discounted rate for purchasing only half the product, he said, "Oh I don't think we do that." I paused, waiting for him to offer to find out. When he didn't, I said, "Can you find out?"

He put me on hold with audible foot-dragging. I imagined him just sitting there watching the clock while I was waiting. I was surprised by this exchange because I've always found the folks at Scooterworks extremely helpful, and while they don't necessarily need to honor my request, they could at least humor me.

Big shocker: they wouldn't sell me just the plastic. Reason unknown.

One other option that I decided not to pursue was a trip to my neighborhood Tap Plastics. It's quite feasible that they could custom cut me a piece of polycarbonate to match the broken one, but I can't imagine this being cheaper than ordering a new one and it would certainly require more time and work than I'm willing to invest right now.

Back online at Scooterworks, I noticed they also have a Prima mid-sized windscreen that's only $109. Their description says it's "super high quality". I decided to go with that one. Chrome and rubber hardware is chrome and rubber hardware, and I can't exactly say the Faco was "super high quality" given that it didn't withstand its first - and only - blow.

The new windscreen ships today. In the meantime, I'll cross my fingers that trips to West Seattle will not involve rain. Of course, there's always that Stella windscreen for Celeste, and since I've been riding her almost exclusively, it might be worth dragging out the Yankee ingenuity again and re-assembling it.

I've only been pulled over once - when I was sixteen. It's funny, how it happened last night, because I thought I was getting out of the way so they could pursue the real criminal who had triggered those flashing lights and sirens. Oh - that would be me?

I was riding home from work, approaching one of the many 4-way stop intersections in my neighborhood. After the car in front of me went, I continued my glacial roll to the stop sign, stopped, saw no other cars in the intersection, and headed up the hill. I was marveling over the flawless engineering of the Vespa GTS - so perfectly designed that I could balance while barely moving! - when I saw the cop car racing up the hill behind me. Lights and sirens - the whole nine. It's much louder when you're not encapsulated in a car. So I pulled over to let them pass - and much to my surprise, they followed me.

I must have had a giant question mark on my face when the officer sauntered up alongside my scooter, because he asked, "Do you know why I pulled you over?" I shook my head. No idea. I briefly entertained the possibility that I knocked my license plate off while parking against the curb earlier.

"You neglected to stop at that stop sign," he said.

"I stopped!" I protested.

"If you'd stopped, you would have put your feet down, right?"

I was about to enlighten him on the majesty of engineering that is the Vespa, when a trusty piece of advice loomed in my head: "know when to shut up." I suspected this was one of those times - as ready as I was to argue the semantics of the word "stop" with the Seattle Police Department.

stop: v.
to come to a stand, as in a course or journey, to cease moving, proceeding; to pause; desist.

Now I dug through every inch of the Seattle and Washington State Municipal Code that I could find. (And it's amazing to me how difficult it actually is to find our laws clearly published online.) There is not a single word about putting a foot down while riding a motorcycle. The only exception is the penalty for putting a foot down during the motorcycle skills test. See? They want you to be able to control your bike without putting a foot down.

If I bring my cycle to a standstill (throttle closed, brakes engaged) for two seconds before accelerating again, is that not a "complete stop"?

But lips firmly sealed (it was a struggle), I handed over my driver's license. He requested my insurance card as well, clarifying, "It's not required, but if you have one, I'd like to see it."

"Of course, officer. I wouldn't dream of riding without insurance." Is my laminated Geico Full Coverage Insurance policy winning me brownie points? Or should I show a little more leg?

I smiled apologetically as he returned to his vehicle, ID in hand. Meanwhile, I chuckled to myself over the timing; right when I had been extolling my awesomeness for not needing to put my feet down, I was nabbed for not putting my feet down.

The Friendly Officer returned with my license and insurance card, and started drilling me on my social security number, last mailing address, birth date and other assorted details which I must have answered correctly. "We were a little confused by the photo on your license. It doesn't look like you."

What, a girl can't dye her hair?

"I'm not going to write you a ticket. It would have been $200," he told me. I gulped audibly. "Yes, exactly. We see a lot of these scooters on the road now, and it's dangerous out there - cars don't see you, and it's slippery in the rain. We want everyone to be safe," he said earnestly.

I believed him - I think he really meant it. They want everyone to be safe. And he's right - a more thorough stop at an intersection, when warranted, can save your life. I thanked him cordially and continued on my way home.

At the next intersection - which is a known danger zone - a car drove right through stop sign without braking. He would have hit me, but I was ready for it and stopped quickly.

I glanced in my rearview mirror for a witness, but my Friendly Officer was nowhere to be found. He would have been proud - I put my feet down that time.

I enjoy accessorizing.

Both of my Cupcakes are toying with the idea of getting their very own two wheels. As fabulous as it is to ride pillion on Aphrodite, sooner or later, everyone gets bit by the scooter bug. I indulge my vicarious thrills by shopping for them.

If you're in the market for a Genuine Stella scooter, there are a plethora of them in the classifieds, on craigslist, and in the online scooter forums. Usually they have about 500 miles on them, which is just long enough for people to realize they actually want an automatic, four-stroke twist-and-go that starts every time.

At some point I will add two additional Stellas to my fleet: an Atomic Fireball Stella, and a pink Stella with a sidecar for my imaginary border collie so we can ride to Frisbee tournaments.

I love Stellas, but I don't think they make good first scooters. And ironically, new ones are especially problematic. Let someone else work out the kinks for you! In fact, I've got a pristine Stella, certified kink-free, I'll sell you for $11,000. Cause that's how much it's cost me over the past two years.

Buying used - or "experienced" - scooters definitely has its benefits. You can save a big chunk of change. You'll just want to avoid sellers attempting to recoup their bad decision (or soothe an angry spouse) by listing a two-year-old bike for the MSRP they paid. They'll act like it's a deal because they're throwing in crash bars and a topcase. Keep looking.

But tossing in that topcase is another reason you can save big bucks when buying a used scooter if shop around for a good deal. Accessories have been purchased and installed for you. Chrome is expensive and requires several hours you may or may not want to spend lying on the ground with a wrench. And topcases can be pricey, especially if you're shallow and vain like me and insist on having a matching trunk with a backrest for your midnight blue Vespa.

Just for giggles, let's see the "new vs. used" comparison on a Stella.

New 2008 Stella:
$3,500 MSRP
$500 Average tax, title and dealer set-up fees
$400 Chrome kit
$130 Mid-size windshield
$170 Givi topcase
__________
$4,700 Total

That's assuming you install the chrome kit, windshield, and topcase yourself - which you totally can. (Unless you buy it from Ducati Seattle and they don't give you the right hardware so you have to pay them to do it, after shelling out your firstborn child for a scooter that needs to be rebuilt after 700 miles. But that's a whole other entry for another time.)

$4,700 new Stella with accessories
$2,600 average used 2005 Stella with accessories
____________
$2,100 Saved

Hey - that's almost enough to buy two! A pink one for your ladies' luncheon and a flat-black one for weekend drag racing. Or you can take the extra money you saved, upgrade your exhaust pipe to a Sito plus, subscribe to AAA, and bank the rest to cover any unforeseen issues that crop up (and crop up they will).

If you're comfortable tinkering with your own scooter, or you know someone who can show you (join a club!), a used scooter can be a good choice. If you're not ready to get out the wrenches just yet, the extra money for a new bike under factory warranty might be a better choice for you.

What's funny (but not ha-ha funny) is that I was so sick of my Stella being totally unreliable that I decided to buy a brand new Vespa scooter with an extended warranty so I wouldn't have any problems. So, as Murphy would have it, that brand new Vespa spent its first month in the shop, beginning on day three of ownership. Meanwhile, the Stella was suddenly repaired and ran like a dream. The Vespa was under warranty, so I was not charged for any of the repairs - or the repeated towing. But I did have to cover my own Valium prescription.

It's really a matter of comfort level. Go with your gut. Now that I have a reliable workhorse with roadside assistance, I am comfortable taking the carburetor out of my Stella and rejetting it myself over the weekend. Because I know I can still get to work on Monday.

Which reminds me... I've got some serious projects to get underway and a Scooterworks order to unpack. I'll have a full report on Monday. Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!

If I come in on Monday with a sunburned nose, they ask if I rode a lot over the weekend. After stopping for gas on the way in, they tell me they were considering a scooter. People I've never met stop by to ask for my advice on the feasibility of commuting on two wheels. "I heard you're the Scooter Girl," they say in a hushed tone. "Can you hook me up with the 411?"

I heartily endorse the acquisition of a scooter, and I intersperse every sentence with, "Take the safety course." If it's your first scooter, get an automatic. Take the safety course. Parking can be much easier on a scooter. Take the safety course. I'd recommend a 150cc if you live in the 'burbs. Take the safety course. Oh, and - take the safety course.

Today during our chat, he said he saw a girl wipe out on the University bridge. She'd been weaving a bit in traffic, looking unsteady and a little out-of-control. It had just started raining for the first time in weeks, so the roads were slippery. "Slick as snot" was, I believe, the term he used. He lost sight of her, and then the traffic stopped up ahead and people were getting out of their cars. The girl and her brand-spankin'-new scooter had taken a tumble on the bridge grating. She appeared okay; she eventually sat up coherently. Her shiny bike with temporary plates had done a few cartwheels.

Friday I was talking to one of my coworkers who recently picked up a Piaggio Fly 150 for commuting. He takes the ferry. Cycles on the ferry don't have to wait in line - we go right to the front. So scooters are a blessing for rush hour commuting to the islands. Plus the fare is scads cheaper than a car. I'd been checking in with him every time I saw him, "How's the Fly treating you? Did you take the safety course yet?" I was appalled to hear he had been riding with his 6-year-old niece on the back after having the bike for a week. To legally ride a cycle over 50cc's in Washington, you have to have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license. If you pass the written test at the DOL, you can get a permit which allows you to ride, but sans passengers and not at night. He possessed neither permit nor endorsement.

Then Friday he was telling me how he got into a "little fender bender" last week. Is there such a thing on a scooter? The damn car in front of him stopped short (in the city?! The nerve!) and he rear-ended the guy.

In a related story, I watched a guy on a Mojito with temporary plates whizz past me, riding in the wrong part of the lane. He promptly nailed a pot hole and wiped out across two lanes, nearly getting flattened by a bus. He was okay and got to his feet, looking quite embarrassed.

Unendorsed riders out on the streets cause several big problems. It's not just that they're endangering their own lives - or even those of their illegal passengers. There's more to it.

Scooters are a fantastic alternative commute vehicle, and we could make a lot of progress in American cities if their popularity continued to increase. They use less gas, make less noise, reduce congestion in the streets and while parked. Many of them produce less pollution than cars. When ridden safely, they also allow more room for bicycles - another fantastic alternative commute vehicle.

But when most of the stories you hear about scooters involve crashes, accidents and injuries, or illegally parked bikes pissing off legally parked cars, the enthusiasm with which city dwellers embrace this two-wheeled form of transport dwindles, understandably. Scooters become an irritant - cutting off other drivers, parking incorrectly, not following traffic laws and creating unsafe conditions for everyone. People will start to say, "sure, you save gas, but they're so dangerous!"

I joke about it while riding down Broadway, but I can spot which riders did not even crack open the manual by the way they park. Parallel to the curb, or face-in to the curb, I point at one after another: "Didn't read the book, didn't read the book, didn't read the book." How to park is one of the first things covered.

These riders are also endangering my life. I don't want to share a lane with someone who couldn't be bothered to even consult the first chapter of the cycle safety manual.

What I don't really get is how dealers can let people ride off the lot without an endorsement. Don't you have to have a license to drive a car off a lot? Maybe not. I understand everyone is supposed to take responsibility for their own safety and legal status, but a lot of folks I talk to don't even know about the safety course. Seems dealers could provide a little bit of education. My club often hands out motorcycle safety manuals at events we go to. Couldn't dealerships do the same?

I was consulting the WA state safety course recently, and noticed that the scooter session - and even most of the motorcycle sessions - were booked solid until late November. So that means many of the new scooters I see on the road each week are operated by riders with no training. One law enforcement official said about 50% of riders he pulls over do not have their endorsement.

The WA Rider Safety Task Force Report features some interesting statistics:

• One third of fatalities were motorcyclists who did not have a valid motorcycle endorsement

• 86% of the fatalities had not taken the state's training course
  

In the conclusion, the task force says, "DOL should seek a partnership with motorcycle dealers to discourage the practice of allowing unendorsed purchasers to ride a newly purchased bike from their lots."

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Bodhi, Hairy LaPinch, Safety Ed, Victoria and RogerTango throwing
the Westenders gang sign and hanging tough in West Seattle.

I'm not sure my friend Victoria knew what she was getting herself into, moving to the West Coast. Or, more specifically, moving in with me. Let's not blame Seattle at large for my borderless insanity.

I was a bit surprised. While she was visiting a few years ago, I tried to get her to ride with me. She had just received a crazy industrial ear piercing, making the helmet uncomfortable. So we didn't ride. And perhaps it was my imagination, but I remembered her looking relieved to have an out.

With no piercings in the way, VVB strapped on a helmet and enthusiastically mounted the GTS behind me. I took her for a morning sunshine spin down Lake Washington Blvd., which is the route you take visitors when you want them to stay. It's hard not to fall in love with Seattle riding through the Lake Washington Arboretum, or through the verdant tunnel of foliage along the crystal blue, sparkly waters.

VVB was sold on both the city and the scooter in short order, so I decided to organize a little ride to welcome her to the neighborhood. One of her favorite movies, Almost Famous, was playing at the Pedestal downtown. They project the movie onto the side of the building and you watch under the stars and city lights. Very cool. Very Seattle. It seemed like the perfect destination for a ride, so "Operation: Almost Famous" was born.

I'd never lead a formal ride before, and even when riding with one other person, I defer to their leadership. There are several reasons for this: first, I'm still new to the area - especially West Seattle. (Last week I was pleased as punch to find my way from the bridge to Alaska Junction without consulting my map.) Second, I'm terrible with directions. Catastrophically terrible.

Third, I ride a 250cc scooter and I've got a lead foot. Er, lead wrist. Ripping along Aurora at 50 m.p.h. is fine when it's just you, but when you're leading a crew of 60-year-old vintage scooters, manual shift Vespas, and 50cc bikes, not so much. I'm always paranoid I'll leave someone behind because it's hard for me to tell if I'm accelerating too quickly or going too fast. It's easiest for me to just follow other people so nobody gets hurt.

But I figured the time had come for me to buck up and take the heat, especially since the ride was my idea. The night before the planned ride, VVB and I mapped the route with the help of Google and took a test run. I printed out the directions and taped them to my headset. I kept the route simple and focused on creating a pretty ride with lots of "ooohs" and "ahhhhhs". Alki Beach at sunset is hard to top.

We met up at Cupcake Royale in West Seattle. As we've already established, I don't need an excuse to make a cupcake run. But this time it was also a tribute to VVB's status on my scooter. A few months ago I met Angie, founder of the Ladies Scooter Society of Boston, who said her club had replaced the traditional "riding bitch" with "riding cupcake". "It's much nicer, don't you think?" she said. I have to agree. (Although when it comes to boys as passengers, I'm not sure you could convince them that either is appropriate.) Hence, VVB was my Cupcake, so our adventure began at Cupcake Royale.

The night of the official ride was nearly 90 degrees and clear skies. Flawless. Beall even made it on his new Salsbury - a scooter half a century old that looks like it should be in a museum, not bombing down a busy coastal street. (photo credit - Beall)

Beall definitely gave our little gang street cred. Which brings us to the Westenders "gang sign" in the opening photograph. VVB dreamed that one up and offered a tutorial when we stopped at Hairy LaPinch's studio on California for the West Seattle Artwalk.

We cruised along the beach and down Fairmount - my favorite secret side street revealed to me by Joni Jett. Then we took Aurora to Rainier Sq. I held it at a steady 45, which seemed doable for everyone, even Safety Ed with a lawn chair strapped to his ET.

The ride was beautiful and the movie was great. Plus, my Cupcake felt welcomed, which was frosting on the... oh, never mind.

I would argue that AAA is a better number, since they're open 24-hours.

But Big People's is a good back-up. Read the full report here.

I've put nearly 3,000 miles on the GTS now so I made my appointment for the next scheduled service. I'm told it's a quickie - fuel filter, I think, and some other things. Seems I'd be needing a rear tire around now but they look good as new to me. It's a good thing I scheduled the service ahead of time - I had to book out three weeks because they're so busy. Tis the season.

This gas update is brought to you by the new MPG Calculator at Scooterworks.com. Those kids. Always trying to make stuff easier on me.

• Average MPG: 62
• Mileage at fill-up: 2858
• Cost per gallon: $4.559
• Gallons added: 1.785
• Total cost: $8.14

8/08 tank MPG: 60

• Average MPG: 62
• Mileage at fill-up: 2747
• Cost per gallon: $4.699
• Gallons added: 1.756
• Total cost: $8.25

8/01 tank MPG: 64

• Average MPG: 64.5
• Mileage at fill-up: 2640
• Cost per gallon: $4.739
• Gallons added: 1.754
• Total cost: $8.31

You can imagine my insane delight when I discovered the Flickr group, Cats on Scooters. Their subtitle is, "Cats are taking over the world - and they're using scooters!"

While Nevadelia enjoys lounging on the sunny veranda of our residence, The Aloha Cabana, her reign is limited to the confines of the property because a free-roaming city cat is a dead cat. So I was stumped on how exactly I was going to participate in my new Flickr obsession with the cat on one side of the fence and my scooter on the other. Oh yeah... PhotoShop!

I give you Princess Nevadelia Lotus Blossom, taking an imaginary nap on Aphrodite:

I just may have to make Cats on Scooters our permanent Flickr group in the right column with scooter♥lust.

This space I found in the QFC parking lot on 15th is a perfect example. I'm not sure what it's intended for, but it's a perfect scooter spot with little barriers and everything!

The other place that would be good to sneak scooter spots are the sloped edges of parallel street parking. In Seattle, many of the curbs are "cut out" so the beginning and end of them are angled and cars can't fit. Usually they're painted red or white to let you know you can't park there. But they're perfect scooter spots. You can often squeeze two scooters in.

For example, on University Way (or "the Ave" for you locals), I see a lot of cycles tucked into these corners. We could easily fit 6 scooters per block if we were allowed to park there, without affecting the availability of car parking at all. Presently, many of those spots are painted as no parking zones, as I mentioned in a previous post. I know at least two other people besides myself who have recently gotten tickets for parking in those areas, painted or not.

It's all about getting creative. Maybe it's the blue-collar Yankee Ingenuity I was raised with, but I'm all about making do and making use of the resources at your disposal. We probably don't need to engage the city in expensive, red-tape laden parking revolutions. We just need a little less yellow paint and a receipt for our meter stickers.

This photo is from the Sustainable West Seattle fair. A couple of people asked me about the magnetic poetry yesterday's article in the West Seattle Herald referenced. Here it is!

Aphrodite was covered head to tail light in Sexual Innuendo Magnetic Poetry. It was fun for a few months and then i removed it because it was scratching my paint. Last week I found one lonely word lying on the floor of the garage, and stuck it to Celeste.

Ralph's quote pretty much sums us up:

"Being a Westender is a state of mind," said Ralph Leach, who wears a jacket of patches and buttons. "This is a family friendly scooter club. We aren't a bunch of derelicts, just some of us."

This lighthearted little news bite provides a much-needed respite from yesterday's rampant stupidity in the reader comments on the Seattle PI scooter parking piece.

I've received word that the Westenders article is in the print version of the newspaper, on newstands now. I've got to grab a copy tonight to read while sitting on the beach at Alki, eating cupcakes and waxing philosophical.

"Moving a little 150-pound scooter just a few feet over to make room in a prime parking spot has proved too tempting for some desperate motorists, leaving scooters vulnerable to damage and undeserved tickets. But the Seattle City Council may come to the rescue with a new law that would impose a $38 fine on anyone caught moving a scooter that isn't theirs."

Why on god's green earth are we even discussing the need for legislation to stop people from moving parked scooters to steal their space? Why? How does this action not fall under some other law? If I hopped into your convertible, shifted it into neutral and pushed it down the street so I could park my vehicle in the spot you paid for, isn't that already covered under at least one of the million and five municipal codes?

And furthermore, would you consider the honest-to-goodness whopping $38 fine for such behavior fit for the crime?

In my opinion, this heinous act, which is basically auto theft, should come at a price of at least $44. Because that's the fine I have to pay this week after somebody moved my legally-parked Vespa four feet into a commercial loading zone so they could steal my spot.

The fact that my 350 pound, 250cc Vespa is not a "little 150 pound scooter" didn't slow them down any. And the fact that I wrote "CYCLE" across the parking sticker in black sharpie didn't prevent them from swiping that, either. Since I was only running into the store for a few minutes, I paid for the sticker with quarters, which means I have no credit card receipt of the payment and therefore no proof of purchase. I believe this is what they call "S.O.L."

I've had each of my scooters moved several times by someone (half the time the bikes landed face down - at least this time it was still upright) and I've had my parking sticker stolen twice, but this is the first time I got a ticket as a result. And I'm pissed.

I lived on a houseboat for a couple years and had to park in the marina lot, which was shared with a restaurant/nightclub. One Saturday morning, I found my scooter relocated to free-up the space it was parked in (and I paid RENT!). It was flung onto the curb of Westlake, face down in the bushes.

The problem is that car drivers feel entitled to something more than me, simply based on the size of their vehicle. Why should I be punished and inconvenienced so extraordinarily for trying to make my city a better place?

Now I'm thrilled that Sally Clark is getting in on the issue, and City Council has been all ears for the scooter community, asking for feedback, photos, recommendations, holding hearings. That's awesome, on paper. Yet I keep watching cycle parking disappear while all this is going on. Two places I used to use were gone last week when I arrived to park, the first being 4th and Union.

Coincidentally, 4th and Union is the last place I received a parking ticket. I had class on that block twice a week. At first I used the cycle parking. My dilemma was that the parking space had a two-hour limit and the class was three hours long. I figured the two-hour rule didn't apply to scooters, since there's only two cycle spots on the whole street, so it's not like I can move mine somewhere else.

I paid for the spot for two hours, and then bought another hour when the first sticker expired. I came out of class to find a ticket on my bike, "two hour limit" in bold black print, and a $35 fine.

I was livid. So the next week, I paid for my spot for 1.5 hours, and at the class break, I moved my scooter over to the other cycle spot (three feet to the left) and bought a new 1.5 hour sticker. As I was leaving class, I saw the meter maid printing me out a citation. I ran over and told her I moved it to the other space, and paid for it, and WTF?! And she said, "Well you didn't move it far enough, and I can still see the chalk on the tire."

I thought I was mad before?

The following week, I parked on the sidewalk. No two-hour limit there. It's totally illegal to park on the sidewalk, mind you. But what I'm discovering is that not all cops have the same information in their little Scooter Harassment Handbook. I decided to park on the sidewalk until I got a ticket, which would surely be cheaper than parking in the garage twice a week -- where they charge me the same as a car but don't let me have an actual parking space, wedging me in next to the cashier.

Guess what? I never got a ticket for parking on the sidewalk in the middle of the day in downtown Seattle. I parked there twice a week for six months. No ticket.

However, last month I got a ticket while parked in the University District because I used one of those curved "leftover" spots that are technically not a parking spot because a car can't fit there. But the one I chose was not painted red, therefore I saw no reason not to make the most of the space since nobody else could use it. Yeah. Totally flawed logic as far as the city is concerned, apparently. But they're all about alternative transportation!

So I could fight this ticket, if I wanted. I could take a vacation day from work, go down to traffic court, and waste an entire morning pleading my victimhood - with absolutely no proof. But I won't. Because it's not worth my time, energy and frustration. Especially since I'd also have to pay for parking while at traffic court.

Although I guess I could just park on the sidewalk.