Scooter Frustration

UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST

Dad has been talking about getting Mama a scooter for well over a year.  Mama has resisted.  She is nervous about riding it.  She changed her mind after seeing Tom Hanks ride one in a movie recently.  BOL!  Dad has done a ton of research on scooters, but recently discovered that in Texas there are restrictions as to what qualifies as a scooter and what qualifies as a motorcycle. Mama told Dad that she is not taking a motorcycle class and taking a test. Dad would have to do the same and he doesn't know when he would be able to do it since it is possible that he may just be dropping us in Texas for the winter and not staying.  The folks started looking at the approved scooter list that Texas has.  If you buy one that is not on the list, you have to get a notarized affidavit from the dealer which isn't a big deal but Texas can still turn it down if they find it not to be on the up and up.  The folks set out on Saturday to search for a scooter.  Mama fell in love with one.  It is a Yamaha Vino.  The Vino is on the list, but not that particular model.  The salesman said he would sign the affidavit, but after speaking with him later in the day, he wasn't quite as sure. The folks decided not to take the chance on it.

Mama has been wanting a Buddy 50, but Dad thought you had to mix the oil and the gas since it is a 2 stroke.  You do not.  It does it automatically.  Dad is now fine with getting a Buddy 50 and it is on the TX approved list.  Yay!  Problem solved, right?  Wrong!  Texas and Illinois have different rules on what is considered a "moped".  In Texas, a Buddy 50 is considered a "moped".  In Illinois, it is not and a license plate is required.  If it is a moped, no license plate or registration is required.  Okay, that shouldn't be a problem because in Texas you need a license plate, so we can just register by mail.  Wrong, or we think it is wrong.  In Texas, you have to have a "K" endorsement on your driver's license in order to drive a scooter.  Mama doesn't think Texas will allow her to register the scooter via mail because of that. She needs to take a written test to get that. Her insurance agent said to give them a call and they might.  She is going to call them later today and hopes she gets a nice person.  BOL!  If it turns out that Texas will not let her register by mail, then she can get a temporary license and registration in Illinois that is good for 30 days.  Yep, she will only be able to ride if for 30 days and then it will have to sit until we get to Texas.  Dad said he wants to get it now even if it has to just sit for a while.  They bought a motorcycle carrier for it yesterday so they are ready to buy one on Saturday unless something happens to change their minds.

The dealership they went to on Saturday that had the Buddy 50 had an extremely rude salesperson.  Mama said he must be related to the Pigman.  He was rude when Mama called him on the phone to see if he had any in stock and really rude in person.   Apparently, Mama is stupid for thinking that the price tag hanging from the scooter was the actual price.  It said $1,999.  It was white and had a storage container on it.  The folks wanted black, but Mama said she really liked the extra storage.  There was a black scooter inside without a storage container and it was priced at $1,999.  It turns out that the $1,999 does not include the price of the storage compartment.  Mama thinks there should have been something on the price tag indicating that, but the salesman implied she was stupid for thinking it was included because it cost him $300 to add it and did she think it was less money because it was white.  The paint color doesn't matter. Really?  There was a lime green one priced at $1,799 next to it, exact same model.  He also said she was trying to get him to rig the registration.  She just asked if it could be extended after the 30 days.  If you are wondering, they will not be buying from him.  Mama said there are other dealers in town and she refuses to deal with him again.

Is anyone still reading this?  BOL!  We debated rather or not to even discuss it but this has been the topic of discussion in our home for the past week.

If you are wondering, Scout and I are doing fine.  We have been busy chewing our bully sticks.  We really love the bladder sticks, but they don't last nearly as long.  Mama was too tired last week to help me with the blog.  She is having trouble getting used to get up at 4:30 a.m. when Dad's alarm goes off.  I think she is feeling better because we let her sleep to 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  BOL!

It is going to be really hot here the next two days, so we are going to just chill inside.

UPDATE

Mama called Texas and they said it was not a problem at all to register through the mail.  Mama told them she didn't have an Endorsement K and they said they didn't care about that.  It sounds like she is going to be a Scooter Mama soon!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Hopes A Scooter Will Bring Him More Hamburgers For Lunch