Good morning Race Fans!

And welcome to the October 2003 NYCeWHEELS Newsletter!

NYCeWHEELS will be 2 years old on October 22nd - Happy Birthday to us!

We are planning our annual Birthday Bash a little later this year because Bert will be on vacation from October 12th until whenever he gets back from his cross country motorcycle trip.

Look for your Birthday Bash Invitation later in the month.

You may have noticed a slow down in our publication over the past three months; blame it on summer! In the past three months we've exhibited at several New York events, including our own 84th Street Neighborhood Association's Oktoberfest and across town at Ecofest, the largest running environmental festival on the east coast!

We were invited back to the WB11's morning news to display electric and regular folding bicycles and we've been battling on several fronts to get legal status for our personal electric transportation devices. Shoot, we even got quoted in the New York Times! Busy summer!

Anyway, on with the NYCe news - enjoy!

In this month's edition:

Eye on E Commuting: A Manhattan Road Story

To Scoot or Not To Scoot - That is the Question
At least in New York; Let's not leave it to others to decide!

Ecofest - FreakoFest

Eye on E Commuting:
A Manhattan Road Story

NYCe Kim: OK, so, the October edition of Eye on E Commuting is finally here!

This month I come to you from my favorite place on earth, my very own neighborhood! Yorkville, as it was commonly known years ago and still is on taxi maps today, is very much a small town within the city. Here, all the people know each other and gather at neighborhood festivals and fairs on a regular basis. This is a place where shopkeepers still tip their hats to you on the way to work in the morning and chat with local residents who are never too rushed to stop. If you've never been to Yorkville you ought to make the trip.

Today I sit atop NYCeWHEELS' Lepton scooter with Mr. Michael Bergman, atop his very own Lepton scooter. A fellow Yorkville resident, Michael has agreed to be my Eye on E Commuting Interviewee this month. Michael, thank you for meeting with me, I appreciate your time. Tell me, how has the Lepton changed your daily commute?

Michael: I'm a filmmaker, so I don't exactly commute. My work is different every-

NYCe Kim (interrupting): REEAAAALLY? A filmmaker, eh?

Michael: Yes, really. My work is different every day but it consists of lots of travel around the city, either to meetings or to my favorite cafe where I write, or to places where I rehearse or shoot or to movie theaters.

NYCe Kim (interrupting): I've been on TV a few times!

Michael: Oh . . . I used to take at least 4 taxis a day and I bought the Lepton to get me out of taxis. I was always resolving to take more public transportation, but I live in a corner of the Upper East side so I often have to travel diagonally and since I could always catch up on my phone calls in a cab I ended up taking more taxis than is good for anyone (I drove a cab when I was young).

NYCe Kim: Oh, sure, I've always dreamed of driving a taxi. That, and being a superstar . . . OK, the Lepton, back to the Lepton. It is a full size electric motor scooter. Where on earth do you park it in New York City?

Michael: Because it is electric and because it has no combustible or smelly fuels in it, I take it upstairs in the elevator and recharge it every night in my apartment. That feels cheerfully eccentric to me, and it has the very real benefit of keeping the bike safe overnight and giving me a chance to inspect it and take care of it in my apartment in comfort under good light.

The weight and size almost stopped me from buying it. I went to NYCeWHEELS and told you I loved the Lepton but thought I should by the Ego Cycle instead because I could never get the Lepton inside my house. You said "Take ours home and try it" and I did and it fit in the elevator and I knew I was hooked.

NYCe Kim: Yeah! And I didn't even know you were a filmmaker back then. So, that's pretty cool you bring it in the apartment. How do your neighbors react to you rolling that scooter through the lobby?

Michael: The neighbors react with relief once they know there's no fuel involved.


Michael & Kim face off on their Leptons...

NYCe Kim: Of course. How about your family and friends? I bet all those actors and actresses and directors and stuff that you know have something to say about your new ride. Who are they anyway? Any phone numbers you'd share with an aspiring superstar?

Michael: My parents (ages 84 and 90) reacted badly to the idea but fondly to the bike once they saw it. My wife rides around on it with me whenever we go somewhere together and my 7 year-old climbs on it
whenever he can at home and pretends to ride. My friends and acquaintances, who shall remain anonymous, run the gamut from pure envy-and-plan-to-get-one to various forms of worry about safety, either mine or the bike's, riding and parking on the New York streets.

NYCe Kim: Safety is indeed a concern here, but at least your full size scooter is legal and you don't have to worry about dodging the cops. How do you manage driving and parking around town?

Michael: No problems yet. I have to say, though, that I have years of bicycle and moped riding experience behind me, so a beginner should start slowly. Here are a few things I've learned about riding the Lepton in NYC:

Either take a lane by boldly riding in the middle or stay very far to the side and expect vehicles to pass you. If you are slightly to one side of a lane you will be forced over. If you take a lane, though, you should be in sprint mode so that you can keep your place in traffic when the cars speed up.

In general I ride in "go far" mode (21 mph) instead of "go fast" mode. You miss a few lights and it adds 5 minutes to a 20 minute trip but it feels safe and in control to me. It's just right for reaction times (mine and other people's), bad road surfaces, construction gravel and taxis that stop suddenly.

NYCe Kim: That is very responsible of you.

Michael: It's always worth being a "good neighbor." I often pass riders who got ahead of me by pushing into tough spots. The breaks I get from drivers who feel kindly toward me give me more openings in the end.

NYCe Kim: Other dangers to watch out for on City streets?

Michael: If you get between a double-parked car and the sidewalk the car's door will open at you. Watch out for the lashing "tail" of the second half of two-stage buses. The most dangerous threat is the pedestrian on a cell phone. Ubiquitous, heedless and merciless.

The engine braking recharging feature is perfect for slowing down frequently in heavy traffic if you're in "go far" mode. The battery charging adds up and the slowdown is not too sudden. However, using engine braking doesn't flash the brake lights so don't expect drivers behind you to know you're slowing down.

NYCe Kim: Good point. I often use the regenerative brake feature in lieu of the traditional brake when I am traveling around the city to places not nearly as glamorous and fascinating as rehearsals, movie shoots or the café where I write major motion pictures starring ME. And it never crossed my mind that my brake light wasn't lighting up! Thanks!

Michael: You're welcome.

NYCe Kim: How about parking on all of your various film industry type trips when you could be meeting other famous people and whatnot?

Michael: Parking on the street is an issue. Many people park scooters on the sidewalk and take the license plate away with them. I can't quite bring myself to be seen taking the plate off or putting it on when I return. It's part of the same mentality that caused me to buy a scooter that I could register and make legal. I just don't want to WORRY slightly, in the background, all the time. I've been parking on the sidewalk and leaving the plate on. So far, no tickets. I AM very careful about parking it so it's not much in the way and I always move it if a doorman or other person who knows the area "suggests" that I not park there.

NYCe Kim: I understand. I always park on the sidewalk too but I don't worry about the tickets because the Lepton is registered in Bert's name anyway. Besides, I spend a good deal of time worrying about being in the right place at the right time, you know? Anyway, it is almost time to wrap this up (almost "chicken fajita wrap time" is what I'm really saying!) so why don't you share any other thoughts on your Lepton our readers should know about.

Michael: I expected that recharging would be simple and silent and it isn't. There is a fan that keeps the system cool during recharging that makes quite a bit of noise in a quiet room. It's louder than a computer though not as noisy as a vacuum cleaner: more like an air conditioner or a dishwasher. That means I have to recharge it in a room where I can close the door and during the day, if I am working at home, recharging can be somewhat disruptive.

NYCe Kim: Well, you could always work over here - I wouldn't be disruptive at all by making numerous theme suggestions that have to do with a character based on me . . . well, lets not end on a down note. What are a few of the great things about your Lepton we haven't already discussed?

Michael: It handles very well, solid with suspension that's a match for the New York streets, yet agile. It's mischievous but completely legal. It's very quiet. It's absolutely silent when stopped at intersections, so I get to look around and be part of the street life around me. It's the perfect height for enjoying the city. I'm never late to meetings, now, and I never worry about being late. That's quite a contribution to the quality of life.

NYCe Kim: Awesome stuff. One last thing before closing, any chance your Lepton will make it on screen or stage?

Michael: I can't put it in a movie unless I'm willing to let an actor ride it!

NYCe Kim: HA! Ok, well then, if you ever need a . . . personality . . . who can ride, you know where to find me! Thanks a lot and have a great day! Next month: Eye on E-Commuting: Vancouver!

To Scoot or Not To Scoot:
That is the Question
(At least in New York; Let's not leave it to others to decide!)



As you may well know, the past two months have brought heightened media attention to the fact that motorized scooters are illegal in the State of New York. This media attention triggered the NYC police to respond by ticketing and confiscating motorized scooters. For the most part, our clients have been untouched or let go with no more than a warning (myself included!). For the most part we are still scooting around town. But now we have to hop off and walk it when we see police or hide and wait for the police to leave a certain intersection. Now we have to scoot like criminals.

The law, which does not differentiate between gas and electric powered scooters (though it uses the brand name of a popular gas scooter in its definition), is old. The enforcement of it is not. It is our belief that the increased availability of inexpensive gasoline powered scooters has lead to increased noise complaints and increased injuries. The media has published articles with names like, "Scoot to Kill," Daily News, September, 2003, and "Scooters, Long a Nuisance, Draw Anger as a Safety Risk," New York Times, September 16, 2003. NYCeWHEELS was quoted defending our personal electric transportation devices in both, as well as on the Hispanic TV network, Telemundo.

Still, nobody is differentiating between gasoline and electric-powered scooters. This distinction must be made.

NYCeWHEELS called for an urgent Letter to the Editor Writing Campaign to the Times and received over 60 letters from all over the country and the world. Thanks to all of you who participated, you helped make a difference because those letters lead to our first victory. The NY Times printed three of these letters under the title, "Scooters Are Better Than Their Image."

That victory has been encouraging, but the battle is just beginning.

Here is the problem:
Legislators do not recognize the fundamental differences between gasoline and electric-powered scooters. They believe electric scooters are just as dangerous as gasoline powered scooters and that children are being injured on them all the time.

Here is the Solution:
Educate Legislators so they are capable of making the right decision for New York, just as Legislators have already done in several other states, including California, Texas, Oregon and Florida.

This is going to take a lot of work and a lot of people, or at least their names. Several NYCeWHEELS clients have come together to form a Coalition to legalize personal electric transportation in New York. Now you can join the Coalition - membership is free and only requires you give us permission to use your name as a member.

Please join now!

Another way you can help is to print out our petition and get 10 people to sign it and return it to us

NYCeWHEELS
Attn: NYCE KIM
1603 York Ave
New York, NY 10028

fax: 212-288-9612

Click here to print out the form


Ecofest - FreakoFest


Thousands attended this year's Ecofest.

In college I belonged to a group called Student Activist Volunteers for the Environment, or, SAVE. We marched on the NJ State Capital to try and save the Rainforests in Alaska. I wore my BEST tie-dyed dress and put beads in the mass of knots I wore on my head and called 'dreads.' I didn't know then that white people can't make dreads look pretty. Ever. The point is, one of the main guys in the group, the chief organizer of the whole thing, he said to me, "Kim, why do you always have to dress like such a freak for these things?" Boy was I confused and insulted by his remark - and I wasn't alone. We didn't realize we were there to sway the "mainstream."

I hadn't thought about that day in a long time until Bert and I attended the Ecofest over in Lincoln Center last weekend. It was an awesome event and it certainly was geared for the "mainstream" with excellent music, dancing, tasty food for all and many young people, none of whom would have fit in with my compatriots and I at the "FreakoFests" of yesteryear. It used to be "fringe" to be environmentally motivated or concerned. And now it is not. How cool is that?

Ecofest has been organized by the Westside Cultural Center for the past 15 years and is one of the Nation's largest environmental festivals. In addition to many Eco-friendly exhibitors (including NYCeWHEELS this year!), music and food, they hosted a full conference on today's environmental issues. It poured rain all day and yet thousands of people turned out to celebrate our Earth's natural resources. Kudos to the organizers of Ecofest and thanks to all of you who have let your freak flags fly to pave the way for such a "mainstream" event today.