Do's and Don'ts of Driving Your Vespa in Toronto

[joestrummer]

Do any Toronto Scooterists have any tips about Vespa driving in Toronto?

[eternal]

-a good vocal pressence is a neccessity when explaining to automobilists your frustration with them, eg. What the hell are you DOING?? Are you FRIGGIN blind?? Profanities are not neccessary but are acceptable.

-Gestures can make your feelings known when words are just not possible. Make sure you have a good collection for all occassions. My personal favorite is the squinty eyed head shake which covers a whole array of situations.Or the hard stare, again profanities are not neccessary but acceptable.

-a collection of comeback lines

-you are close enough to a bicycle to use the right hand bike lane in heavy traffic.

-Business cards for the shop that you support so when someone asks you where you got it you can be prepared

-wave to all scooterists and optional motorcyclists, but not crotch rockets cause they deserve no respect.

-and as long as you understand that in a collision the automobile will always win you should have nothing else to worry about

[rocket]

my favourite gestgure is to make eye contact, point at them. then touch your thumb with all your fingers
hold your hand in front of your face and shake the sauce bottle. at this point they will become enraged. lol!

[christine]

Plan your route. Especially when you are starting out. There are some very ugly streetcar junctions in parts of the town where cage drivers would run you over rather than cut you some slack.

Develop that "6th sense" for all those things that want to dart out in front of you - cars, bicycles, pedestrians...especially pedestrians. At downtown bus or streetcar stops they'll step right out in front of you while focusing on the horizon looking for the bus.

ALWAYS assume you can't be seen.

ALWAYS assume that if your lane is clear or moving better than the neighbouring lane, someone in the slow/stopped lane will want your space (without warning).

Cagers don't signal and often change their minds even after 'committing' to a move.

Never trust cabs.

People in SUVs are frequently on the phone, paying no attention to driving and assuming 'might makes right'.

Bicycle trails and lanes and traffic lane splitting are very tempting. They are also very dangerous because it isn't a cultural norm here like it may be in areas where motorized 2-wheels are more common.

Some cagers don't think a scooter is entitled to a full lane.

Going the speed limit (or only 10 kph above) can get you killed in some neighbourhoods.

Road surfaces are REALLY bad in many areas.

Downtown TTC drivers tend to be scooterist allies (believe it or not!). I don't know about the suburban areas.

As in any northern area - cagers aren't looking for small vehicles for the first few weeks of the season - you are more invisible at this time.

There are probably more - I'll remember then once I get out riding again.

Christine

[eternal]

YEah that's what I ment, what christine said...BTW what are "cagers"?

[christine]

"cagers" are car drivers...people who drive around in their metal (and mental) "cages"....protected and trapped at the same time.