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Collegetown Commuting

Get a Moped!

By Miah RodriguezPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Pictured: Rear view of my moped. Red, a little worn, 5 years old.

Driving and parking in college towns is an absolute nightmare, especially if you’re one of the students. With over 40,000 students competing for a space at my school before the pandemic, missing a class because of parking was a regular occurrence if you didn’t plan ahead or take public transportation. Once students return to campus full-time, this ancient conflict will also make a comeback. My solution I offer you, dear reader, is a reliable and fantastic motor scooter.

I had never been on a two-wheeled vehicle before I bought my first moped. I left home for college in an old, beat up pickup truck. After moving in, I realized I didn’t really need a truck for the short trips I was making every day to class and work. If I was able to find a parking spot, I was probably still walking a good distance just to get to class. My life changed for the better when I found a cheap, used moped for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

-- A brand new moped can be acquired for about $2,000. This may seem like a lot when you aren’t sure if this is how you want to be seen driving around town, but this can save you from an expensive monthly car payment or a used car trap. You might be able to find a used car for less than $2,000 but repairs and maintenance for a car can add up quickly when on a college budget. A simple AC repair can be as much as $1,000 just to make your car drivable again. A full tank of gas for the average driver is now over $30 in Florida, and that’s only going to get you 200 miles down the road. If you have a couple classes and a part time job, you could be gassing up a couple times or more a month. Gas, insurance, maintenance, registration, and the parking situation made owning a car a nightmare while I was living in one of Florida’s lowest-paid areas.

I met up with the seller outside a grocery store with a mechanic to make sure it wasn’t going to fall apart on me. $300 later, I drove home with my new daily driver. In the state of Florida, all you need to drive a moped is a license and a helmet if the engine is under 50cc. You don’t need insurance, a motorcycle endorsement, or specialized training. However, I recommend getting insurance anyways, in the unlikely event you’re involved in an accident. The policy I got was just a little more than $100 for the whole year, I paid a little upfront and only $10 a month after that; the least painful insurance you’ll ever have as a motorist. And always wear a helmet, lots of people won’t, but it can make the experience safer and more comfortable (wind and bugs will be rushing at you faster than you think).

There’s very little more exhilarating than zooming free on the open road, but getting gas was my second-favorite part of owning a moped. With just a dollar and some change, you ride away on a full tank and don’t need to stop again for a hundred miles or more. If you need to replace anything, most aesthetic parts are pretty cheap, some scooter shops might even have discount parts laying around if you ask. Getting an oil change will be your most expensive regular concern, and at $30, your moped isn’t asking much to stay in shape.

Whether you have a car already, or are looking for one, you need to stop and get yourself a moped. You get a cheap and fun vehicle that can last years and, perhaps best of all, you can park it practically anywhere. Go get a moped today and avoid being pulled down by the mechanical anchor of car ownership.

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About the Creator

Miah Rodriguez

Non-binary, he/they

Florida

Interests: Stocks, finance, advertising, restaurants, games, movies, games, independent living

Favorite anime: My Hero Academia

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