Whose Road/Sidewalk Is It? Micromobility

 America, unlike much of Europe and Asia, is no land for small motorized vehicles. Not on the roads. Not on sidewalks. Just read the outcry against e-bikes and e-scooters in The Wall Street Journal.

Yet, with the expense of owning/operating a car each month at $965 (maybe more with the Iran War) micromobility presents a cost-effective transportation solution. Also, since in myriad jurisdictions licensing and insurance aren't mandated the option is hassle-free.

For aging Boomers, especially those warned to give up on driving a car, it extends independence. In retirement paradise Sierra Vista, Arizona, you can tool around on the sidewalks. Store them in the garage or apartment. Insure them with State Farm. And have road service through AAA. E-trikes are increasingly popular.


Yet, even in that community, configured for the aging, there's a bias against small motorized modes of transportation, just as there is in New York City. 

On the road, riders are horned. 

On the sidewalk walkers show annoyance. 

However, with gasoline at almost $4.50 a gallon more will have to consider this choice for getting around town. It is likely to be a long time before that price point significantly resets.

What hasn't entered the controversy is this: It feels good to navigate your life on a peddle-assist e-bike. There you are outdoors, exercising, working off calories, seeing the world. For about 10 months after a car accident I did that. I had lost my confidence for driving a four-wheeler. 

In some ways it was the best of times. The number-one negative was the stigma of not owning a car. That is a metric which still counts in America. In my tarot reading some women express outrage that they were asked on a date by someone without a car. What nerve.

Back to car-driving, recently I had a $900 repair. Actually, some would say I got away cheap. The engine light had come on. The bill could have been much worse. But after being treated as a kind of public nuisance e-biking it, I will stick with a car, at least as long as I can afford it. 

In coaching, I guide the semi-retired and young about ways to make their money go further. Transportation has become a major category.

Careers. Forget all that. It’s about earning a good living, no matter what.

Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova, StreetSmart Coaching (janegenova374@gmail.com)



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