It seems like the scooter market in the US is going in three directions simultaneously.

One direction is the same kind of mentality that leads many americans to buy large SUVs, pickup trucks, 1000cc and upwards sportbikes, and musclecars. The bigger, faster, badder is better mentality, as evidenced first by the Suzuki Burgman 650, and now the Gilera 850cc scooter, seems almost certain to set off a scooter size and horsepower battle, with Honda already having a prototype 900cc scooter that could be pressed into production soon.

Another direction is buying expensive high tech scooters like the Piaggio MP3 and L-Series for people with a budget that can afford the latest technology, combined with the luxury of having a philosophy that demands doing something to save the planet. For these folks, the scooter can make the same kind of personal statement as a BMW, as well as help to assuage the guilt that comes with a lifestyle driven by consumerism, all at the same time. For these folks, the Scooter is another object that defines who they are, before the rest of the world.

The other direction is the place that scooters have in most of the rest of the world, where utilitarian vehicles become part of people's everyday lives because of economic realities and necessity. People whose philosophy is simply to do what they can to make a decent life for themselves with whatever they happen to have. This isn't the flashiest, but it's certainly the fastest growing segment of the scootering world in the United States, as medical costs and spiralling gas prices eat into budgets that have already been reduced for many people here by the U.S. transitioning from a manufacturing economy to a service economy.

So what do these three groups have in common that can bring them together?

1) Risk. The recognition that scootering can be dangerous and that safety needs to be at the forefront of our thoughts at all times while riding a scooter. We can all share experiences and tips, teaching and learning from one another so we can scooter safely.

2) Fun. The joy and exhilaration of the ride, seeing and experiencing the world around us in a way that other vehicles isolate and insulate us from ever experiencing.

3)Commiseration. When the weather turns bad in the middle of an outing, be it an errand or a recreational ride, when metal fatigues from vibration, bolts and screws come loose, or a tire goes flat in the middle of nowhere, or miles from home, scootering can offer up miseries compared to anything that fishing trips or river rafting gone bad can offer. These shared experiences give us an even greater appreciation for what it takes to incorporate scooters into our lives, whatever our reasons initially.

4)Comradery. If we all quit fussing about what brought us to scootering... which is what initially influenced and determined the differences between the various machines we ride, and are willing to share the things we have in common, we can find a lot of new friends while also being a support system for one another.

And if you come across groups here and there who insist that only their chosen scooter(s), their reason to ride, their "style", and even their choice of safety gear, is the only way to scooter... just back off the gas, don't say a word, and coast on past them, then pour on the gas and get the hell out of there. Maybe they won't have noticed you. Just go on your way without bursting their bubble if you can. Why spoil it for them, and certainly don't let them spoil it for you... their world's too small!