Modern Vespa

Last night I hit a club in down town Minneapolis to see a friend's band play. At one point I stepped outside for some fresh air. Next to where my scooter was parked sat a van in a handicap spot, and some dudes were unloading their music equipment. I noticed there were about four crusty looking dudes standing around my scooter talking. At first I thought they were admiring it, but then I realized they were trying to figure out if they could move it. One of the dudes jokingly grinded up against it, like he was humping it or something. At that point I went over. I said, "hey man, if you're gonna hump my scooter you gotta pay me $10." He said, "Oh, is this YOUR scooter? Do you mind moving it over there (a clearly marked NO PARKING zone) so we can park here?" I said, "why don't you park over there?" He said, "It's a no parking zone. We'll get a ticket."

I laughed, said so would I, and walked away.

you might have wanted to stay close in case the scooter sex got too rough

Man, I don't get some people. Like those people you mentioned. They are the kind of idiots I wish I could just throw a punch at sometimes..

hope your scooter is ok

Yeah it was fine. I wasn't worried. I had a six man backup plan in the same club these clowns were loading their gear into. I sorta get it; you see 50ccs parked on the sidewalk all the time. A lot of people who don't ride scooters don't know the law. Still a funny question to ask someone. "Do you mind moving your vehicle so i can have your spot, cuz I'm more important than you. I'm in a van AND a band, man."

Hmmm. Too bad they didn't have a handicapped sticker, too. I'm guessing a ticket of a non-handicapped vehicle in a "handicapped zone" is a lot more $ than a ticket in a "no parking" zone. It is in Iowa.

And, any citizen can send a picture of the vehicle's licence plate parked in a handicapped zone and the police send a ticket automatically-no officer needed. (To do this, you photo the vehicle from the back/front showing the license plate and the parking designation sign in the same frame. That's why these signs have to be "so high" when mounted, and why we have to have license plates on the fronts and backs of cars.)

It's one thing to unload in a space, it's quite another to take it over....

I am particularly sensitive to this topic as you can probably tell.. I have a handicapped sticker and take great delight in NOT having to use it!!