How to Park a Scooter Legally
Scooters, always popular in the small streets of European and Asian cities, are now more and more common in North America. They are easier on gas than motorcycles, faster and less tiring than bicycles, and much more maneuverable than a car. From a legal perspective, scooters often occupy a grey area between bicycles and motorcycles. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to parking. Different jurisdictions have different rules for scooter parking, and the best you can do is adhere to some general principles and make the appropriate inquiries about what is and isn't legal.
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Instructions
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Ask about parking regulations at the local city hall. Enforcement is generally handled by parking control officers who may be unclear themselves. You may still get a ticket, but if you know the policy, you should be able to fight it.
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Avoid parking your scooter on the sidewalk. As a motor vehicle, you will probably be breaking the law. There may be exceptions for scooters that have very small engines and still retain sets of pedals. These may be considered bicycles and allowed on sidewalks and in bicycle parking spots.
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Park in roadside parking spaces by orienting the scooter perpendicular to the road, with the back wheel in contact with the curb. This is the standard method of motorcycle parking, and should be allowed without ticketing in most jurisdictions.
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Check whether you need to pay for on-street parking. Some large North American cities, such as Toronto, allow scooters to park in roadside spots for free, even if the spots are metered. Other jurisdictions may demand that scooter drivers pay for an entire space.
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Look for other scooters. Groups of scooters will often be parked in legal spots. This frees up parking spaces for cars by packing several scooters into a standard parking spot. If parked in a group, you are less likely to get ticketed, unless you are in an obviously illegal spot such as a sidewalk.
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References
- Photo Credit scooter image by dead_account from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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I just bought a scooter and do park it sometimes on the sidewalk in front of my nearby tobacco smoke shop in Encino, California. Am I at fault? Also, how much will my fine be for my infraction of driving on the shoulder of a very busy boulevard this past Sunday? I obeyed the highway patrolman. I did not resist. I just accepted the ticket. Should I fight the ticket? Or should I just pay the ticket and get it done? I welcome your comment to my facebook. Thank you!
