As Eddie Izzard Says... "Ciao!"

You could be riding around the city on a scooter saving massive gas mileage! This is another way to save money on gas, and have fun getting around. Scooting would let you take the HOV lanes on the freeway, but with some of the smaller scooters, I wouldnt' recommend it.

When people think of motorcycle commuting, it's important to remember that scooters and mopeds are ok too.

Motorcycle Transit

Like the transit man, I regularly ride the bus. When I don't, I fulfill my "universal goals of the commute" by riding my motorcycle. Motorcycles are able to use the HOV lane which keeps one less car in the high traffic lanes and also allows riders to get where they're going as quickly, safely, and under as little stress as possible. More information regarding motorcycles in the HOV / commuter lanes can be found here:

• http://www.rtc.wa.gov/Studies/Archive/hov/faq.htm#Q7

In addition to understanding HOV rules for motorcyclists, information that's great for riders and drivers, there are some great resources for M/C riders and M/C supporters out there. The general cause for this is referred to as M/C awareness and April is motorcycle awareness month. Information on M/C awareness can be found on the State Motorcycle Safety Administrators (SMSA) motorcycle awareness site:

• http://www.smsa.org/motorcycle_awareness/

The gist of M/C awareness is right in line with the tenets of traffic zen:

• Share the road


• Be conscious about motorcycle riders.


• Give space so that riders can ride safe and have enough stopping distance to react. This falls right in line with the tenets of traffic zen and true speed. This is particularly important in adverse weather conditions when motorcycle riders are directly exposed to the elements.

Another aside regarding motorcycle drivers, the counter-productive goals are readily avoided as it's very challenging to ride safe and be performing a secondary task. With that said, I'll leave you with this; make M/C awareness a part of your pursuit for traffic zen, maybe even consider taking the riding safety course (http://www.pugetsoundsafety.com/brc_info.html) and having a go at pursuing two wheeled motorized transit as your path to traffic zen.