Modern Vespa

I moved to Boston from Concord, NH last summer and I'm having a bit of a tough time working up the courage to use my scooter now. It's not the driving - I go for drives with no problem. It's not where to park it overnight - I've got an indoor garage spot for it. The problem is that I don't know where/how to park when I'm out.

Aside from the fact that parking is a pain in the ass in a general sense in this city (never enough spaces no matter what you drive), it just doesn't make sense to park in a car space. All that empty space around... Plus, I'm terrified that someone will whip into what they imagine is an empty spot only to crunch my scoot! That said, I know Boston has rules on the books against parking on sidewalks.

So, scooter riders of the Greater Boston Area: what is your experience with parking when you're out and about? Where do you park? How often is your scooter knocked over? How much are the tickets? What happens if you don't pay your tickets? Will my scooter get stolen if I park it in a real space (like I'm supposed to) and can't lock it to something?

I have a scooter. I love my scooter. I'm afraid to use my scooter!

Aloha and welcome to the forum from Hawaii. Grew up near the MA border (where the pike and NY thruway extension meet). I've seen some designated 2 wheeled areas in some parking garages near Boston so i would think that they'd have them there too. Salem had them. You used to be able to park anywhere but their much stricter now. We park for free in most garages and i don't know if that's true in Boston tho. I wouldn't be afraid. Ask the attendant where you can park when you go into a place. If there aren't designated MC spots i park in the triangles at the end or front of some of the rows. Just ask if you have doubts. Good luck and have fun.

I haven't ridden in Boston but was there speaking at a conference a couple years ago and saw a lot of Vespas on the Back Bay. You can park along Boylston without issue:

http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/scooter_plot_7_10%20(2)_tcm3-33832.pdf

http://www.cityofboston.gov/parking/scooterandmotorcycle.asp

It appears you have to use a regular metered spot when in town. I suggest looking for a garage. A good garage has better security, covered and usually has24 hour access. Sometimes there are reduced rates for motorcycle or scooters.

http://en.parkopedia.com/parking/boston/

Hmm. Thanks for the ideas!

I think the big takeaway is that parking a scooter is no less complicated than parking a car in Boston. It can be done, but with the same headaches that accompany bringing any motorized vehicle out and about.

Seems strange - a vehicle as small as a scooter really ought to be easier to park. Urban areas with traffic problems and parking deficits should adopt parking policies that encourage people to use scooters and motorcycles rather than cars, but, alas, it appears that sentiment isn't universal...

I ride into Boston where my daughter lives in Brookline. I suggest you use parking spaces and garages. And pay the meters if there are any present. I haven't been knocked over but I'm careful where I park. Since you also have a GTS and a plate don't try the gambit of parking on the sidewalk. You will likely get a ticket for sidewalk parking. Boston has had a long time to make a lot of rules. Don't pay your tickets and the RMV won't let you renew your registration. Keep your nose clean, behave and watch out for the absolutely crazy and aggressive drivers who never use a turn signal. Using a turn signal is viewed by some as a sign of weakness. Good luck. It's a wicked awesome place to live.

You got this one right! Boston is the only place where I have seen cars triple parked. (for those of you who have trouble relating to that - image a car illegally parked 3 out from the curb outside of an illegally double parked car and just left there while the owner dashes into a store or whatever)

Not only a sign of weakness but if you signal your intentions you will be blocked.

I always love the morning banter as i'm driving up to Maine around the MA-NH corridor. Both accuse the other of not being able to drive. Gets pretty heated some days. Wonder if it was the NH crew that came up with the Mass Hole stickers. I consider myself from MA as well. Lived on the border growing up and we did more things there, than NY sometimes. Also i started school in MA. We moved back to NY after first grade. Dad worked at GE in Pittsfield.

Keep in mind, cities like Boston have a longish winter and motorcycle riding is seasonal. In warmer or more temperate climates, bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are given more leeway and have more amenities including better parking for the most part. Boston is a bloody mess. I am there usually every other year and I dread renting a car. If I don't have to go outside the city, I just take the T.