[met_74]

I already opend a thread about having a car in HK. Now my next question about a scooter.

We live in London(hampstead) and my husband goes to work in the city with his scooter. It takes him about 25 minutes which is great (with the tube it would take him 50 min.)

Is it easy/safe to drive a scooter in HK? Would it be wise to bring ours along? We are now thinking about living in the southbay area (repulse bay) would this make a huge difference in traveltime (he is going to work in Central.)?

Thank you guys!

[Xav]

It's not much a question of travel time, but safety and air pollution. From Repulse Bay to Central, you have to drive through Aberdeen Tunnel, which is terribly polluted and often jammed at peak hour... and people here don't exactly drive the same way as in London.

[Baron]

Yeah, i don't think it would be a good idea at all...unless you fix a rubber ring around the scooter and prepare for bumper bike. Being cut off here is like breathing, it's natural.

[discobay]

There is a recent thread on bringing a car from the U.K.
Scooter - not recommended. There is little or no courtesy offered by other car drivers and you would be risking your life if you decided to ride one here.

[dropdedfwed]

Originally Posted by Xav

It's not much a question of travel time, but safety and air pollution. From Repulse Bay to Central, you have to drive through Aberdeen Tunnel, which is terribly polluted and often jammed at peak hour... and people here don't exactly drive the same way as in London.

agreed. in saying that, HK has far greater 2 wheeler traffic than UK. basically most the traffic comprises of mostly trucks, taxis, and buses, and a lot of bikes/scooters.

some of the roads aren't too great, and where they're doing rd works on the highways, i'd be a little worried riding there unless i knew the road and road works well - grooves, steel plates, u name it. the traffic here also does not seem to stick to the lanes as well as UK, however it doesn't move as quick either, even on the highways. then there is the issue of being seen... most the drivers dont look, they just go. yes, much worse than Oz or UK.

in the tunnel, well, they reckon that there is more carbon monoxide inside a car than there is outside - they did some research (not sure where, but the bike advocates in Oz were ranting about it at the time, about 3 yrs ago) where they measure the air breathed in by a cyclist riding to work, and compared it to motorists on the same road. they found the levels of CO2 and CO breathed in by the cyclist was much less than that breathed in by the motorist, even thought the cyclist was breathing a LOT more. also, a scoot would get thru the tunnel quicker than a car, so less time in exposure and less concetration of nasties. so pollution, against all logic, is less of a hassle on a bike/scoot/cycle than in a car/cage.

BTW, wot sorta scoot does ur hubby ride. i used to ride a vespaPX200. thinking of getting one in HK too. but they very expensive compared to the local twist'n'go scoots.

[Lammarite]

I'm trying to remember the joke about fat chicks and mopeds......anyone?

[dropdedfwed]

Originally Posted by Lammarite

I'm trying to remember the joke about fat chicks and mopeds......anyone?

ha ha ha,

looks like the scooter phobia is universal... guys think that a scooter is gay or sissy, even if they've never ridden a bike, let alone a scooter. for your info, most scooterists also ride a motorbike as the main form of transport, the scooter is often a restoration project or something to use to go to the shops. good to see testosterone based, and image based, phobias aren't just confined to "home"...

in saying that, wot's the joke? do tell. i'm busting my blubber for a good larf...

[met_74]

that is funny..in Holland and London i have not seen any girl on a scooterbike. I was asking around here (we live in London but come from Amsterdam) but no one ever heard about scooters and chicks an sissy's. Not so universal image after all?

I still like to hear that joke..

[jayinhongkong]

I've heard the sissy thing in relation to scooters. I bet they're a lot of fun, though. Want to get my motorcycle license - will do when I return from Europe (Amsterdam included ) I've ridden a mountain bike through much of NYC, and never got as much as a scrape. Did get my jeans caught in the chain once, though. Will be riding those big black 3 speed bikes in Amsterdam in a few weeks, though. I can't wait

[wahansa]

Do "mopeds" exist in Hong Kong? It's not a scooter, but more like a scaled-down motorcycle, a cross between an MC and a bicycle. If it does exist, is it expensive? What sort of licence do you need to drive one? I and my husband each have a moped (not at all considered sissy in Sweden), and we wonder if we can still enjoy riding one if we move to Hong Kong. By the way, we don't need any licence in Sweden to drive the kind of mopeds we have (under 30 km per hour).