Take a walk down Bergenline Avenue and you are most likely to see, or hear, what is fast becoming the newest transportation fad in Hudson County’s crowded streets. And it’s arousing the ire of local residents and police alike.
Motor scooters, which run anywhere from $350 to $600, are built in countries such as China and Taiwan and come in many different models with different motor options. Some are outfitted with plastic fairings that give them a motorcycle-like appearance; others are more bare-boned and bear names like “The Rock.”
The motors that power these scooters are basically souped-up lawnmower engines mated to a steel frame. The engines run on a mix of gas and oil, much like a lawn mower.
Some riders are under the legal driving age or lacking the funds for any other mode of transportation, so scooters are the only way to go.
Safety concerns
The relative low cost of the scooters and the ease with which they are purchased has some in local communities concerned about the safety of not only the riders but of pedestrians.
According to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission’s web site, scooters are “non-conventional vehicles” which are “not designed or used primarily for transporting people or property and only incidentally operated or moved over roads.” As such, they are exempt from titling and/or registration, so in effect, the vehicles reside in a netherworld where they are not recognized as actual motor vehicles, but in reality operate in the same way as a motorcycle might.
It appears that the rules governing the scooters are being left up to municipalities to figure out.
According to Union City Police Captain Joseph Blaettler, who heads the patrol division, “We’re in the process of reviewing the issue. Union City was actually looking to pass an ordinance governing the scooters in some way, but nothing’s been decided yet.” Added Blaettler, “We enforce them like we would any other motor vehicle. If the person riding it is not obeying stop signs or red lights and one of our officers sees it, we will pull the driver over and give them a warning or issue a summons. It really depends on the infraction. The same laws apply.”
The lack of state involvement in these vehicles and the fact that they do not adhere to the same insurance and registration rules as other vehicles makes enforcement of traffic rules somewhat tricky.
According to a West New York Police Department source, the town has received complaints about the scooters and “we do have a town ordinance against them, but a lot of the cases are waiting to be adjudicated.” Continued the source, “Enforcement is difficult. They don’t fall under Title 39 (the “non-conventional vehicle” rule, as defined above), all of these scooters fall below the specifications that would classify them as a motor vehicle. By statute, they are not motor vehicles, but we all know they are. It makes it difficult for us.”
According to West New York Police Director Joseph Pelliccio, “About 18 months ago or so, Mayor Sires became aware of these vehicles and we passed a city ordinance that makes them illegal in West New York. If an officer sees one, it is confiscated. Also, if we see them advertised or in shop windows, we ask them to take them down.”
Other towns have had similar experiences and have taken similar steps to deal with those scooter riders who don’t adhere to traffic rules.
According to Hoboken City Councilwoman Theresa Castellano, who sponsored a resolution attempting to regulate these vehicles during the Russo administration, “The obvious complaints were about the noise and about them weaving in and out of traffic. From a pedestrian point of view, you’re expecting a car, not one of these things.” As far as police enforcement is concerned, Castellano said, “It’s really up to the officer. There could be a fine [if the rider is caught doing something illegal], depending on the situation.”
‘Dealerships’?
Curiously, these motorized vehicles are available in stores where one might not expect to find them. One store, Union City Sewing Machine on Bergenline Avenue, sells many different versions of the vehicles. The scooters share floor space with sewing machines and vacuums.
According to a salesman who declined to be identified, the scooters are very popular. “I’ve sold about 300 of them in this year,” he said. At $350- $600 a pop, it’s no wonder that the store stocks almost as many scooters as they do new sewing machines.
Another store in West New York, Bright Star, sells the scooters, which are mixed amongst radio-controlled toy cars and stuffed animals.
According to store worker Tanny Chou, “A lot of teenagers come in asking about them, but we don’t sell them to anyone under 18 years old. The parents usually come in with them because of the cost.”
Drawing a profile of the typical scooter owner is difficult. However, Union City resident David Torres, a father of two children, certainly bucks the image of a young hellion tearing around city streets terrorizing pedestrians and cars alike.
Said Torres, “The cops stop you when you don’t follow the law. I wear my helmet at all times and I encourage my kids to wear theirs at all times.” Torres’ 10-year-old son has an electric version of his father’s scooter. Its top speed, according to Torres, is about 15 miles per hour, barely faster than a bicycle.
As for people who don’t wear their helmets or have any safety on their scooters, Torres said, “That’s just being stupid.”
Added Torres, “To me, I see them as a thing for people who can’t afford a real motorcycle or car. This is what you get.”