I wrote about this over at Vespaway.com, but this is one message that is worth repeating here as well:
Owning a scooter is a political statement. It is not politics in the way that Republicans or Democrats define them. You are neither hippie nor elitist because you drive a scooter. No, the new breed of scooterist is a true utilitarian. We drive these bikes because they get us from point A to point B fast & because they cost less money to fuel up than cars do. For urban dwellers like myself, scooters are THE most superior, efficient, quickest way to get around the city. No other transportation method can compete with in the urban traffic snarl. In most cases scooter cost less than the bus or the train. And the bus & train don’t drop you off at the front door… but your scooter does!
It is my mission in life to further the political agenda of scootering. All scooters are good (even non Vespas), because every scooter that is sold in America today raises the awareness of others about scootering. Every scooter sold empowers another American to be more independent, and take control over gas prices, tolls, & traffic.
But we are at the precipice of a critical time in scootering history in America. I do not believe there has been any other time in American history when so many scooters have been sold to the American public. The numbers of scooterist are growing in America. But in the urban centers of this country, we have not reached a point at which our voices are being heard. There are enough scooterist around to be unhappy with the lack of parking but not enough to be considered a valued constituent.
All of this will change over time. The next few years will be rough, but as the ranks grow (and they WILL grow), we will be noticed. Actions taken like the one today by Vespa will begin to raise our profile. Like any other movement whose message is right, we need to speak out.
I do not have any images of the ad that Vespa placed in the NY Times yet, but the text of the ad follows below:
February 21, 2006
Open letter to all U.S. mayors concerned with America’s oil consumption
To attain the ambitious goal of breaking America’s “addiction to oil,” the President has recently focused on the need to invest in alternative fuel technologies. However, there is also a behavioral approach that could greatly reduce this nation’s energy consumption, while helping to preserve our environment and reduce traffic congestion.
The use of motor scooters - a daily behavior of millions of people across Europe and Asia - is only marginally embraced in the United States. Everyday in this country, millions of individuals drive their cars in locations and situations where motor scooters would be perfectly appropriate and convenient. Instead, if they were to utilize one of the latest eco-friendly motor scooters available in the market today - those compliant with the most stringent European and American regulations on gas emissions - they would, on average, reduce their fuel consumption by 58%, their emissions of carbon monoxide by 90%, and their emissions of carbon dioxide by 80%.
With the launch of the first Vespa in 1946, our company started a movement that has substantively improved transportation in countries around the world. Consistent with the President’s energy utilization goals, we believe the time has come to expand the range of transportation solutions also in the United States.
We encourage you to broaden the dialogue about energy self-sufficiency to include both technological solutions and behavioral ones, fostering acceptance of alternative transportation, such as scootering. With your support - as well as that of other federal, state and local government leaders - scootering would bring immediate and substantial economic and environmental benefits to Americans and the communities in which they live.
We remain at your disposal should you wish to discuss this opportunity further.
Sincerely,
Paolo Timoni
President and CEO
Piaggio Group Americas
I will be appearing with 