The Changing Face of Traffic

Scenes like this one to the left are commonplace in much of Europe and a whole lot of Asia. Scooters are so common there that it is unusual not to see one when you visit any city in Asia. It offers a quick means of transportation that is also fuel efficient and fairly convenient given the fact that in many parts of Asia, the road infrastructure is not suited to large automobiles or transports. So will that work in our favor over here given the trend in fuel costs and the like? Well it seem like it most certainly is in recent days. This photo was taken recently on the Brooklyn Bridge and if it is any indication, I think we'll see many more scooters and two-wheeled transportation (both motorized and non-motorized) making their way along the roads in the near future.

One can bring up the arguement that it's probably a good thing given that fuel costs are on the rise and that going green or being fuel efficient is the way to go. I think two-wheelers are a definite step in the rigth direction but still, it may not be practical for all parts of the country. Sure in California or Florida you can get away with two-wheeled transport for most of the year since the weather is ammenable to such activities and pursuits but what are you going to do in the winter up here in DC when there's a few inches of snow on the ground? As it is most people around here get into a major panic, what do you think they'll do if they actually expose themselves to this while driving on the road?

I guess the other concern is the fact that for longer distances, it may not be the most comfortable form of transportation. Now I haven't ridden a motorcycle or scooter myself for more than a few miles so I don't really know how I would do on one. Not that I'm against finding out myself but still, there's that bit of hesitation with something unknown. But that hesitation is melting off for a lot of people as they seek alternatives to SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles that are impractical in light of rising fuel costs. Recent news stories out here reported that showrooms are having a Hell of a time keeping two-wheelers in stock since they are fast becoming popular alternative transport options.

Now that we're entering the busy summer travel season I always wait to hear the news reports that fuel costs are expected to increase given the fact that heavier than normal traffic is expected and that fuel supplies are low. Funny; isn't that what they tell us when fuel costs go up in the winter as well? I guess the take-away from this is the fact that no matter what, fuel costs are on the rise and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We can hope for some miracle cure to this problem but at least for the near term, the most viable solution is to probably seek out other forms of transport by which to save fuel. Maybe scooters truly are the way to go.