MT. PLEASANT -- Story Author: Miranda Richardson, NBC25 intern.
Before cutting off an arm and leg to afford pricey gas at the fuel pump, consider the alternative options.
Brad Osantoski, a 22-year-old Multimedia Production Coordinator at Mid Michigan Community College in Mount Pleasant, chooses to drive his mo-ped into work instead of his 1999 Dodge Caravan.
In spring of last year, he decided to purchase a mo-ped for $600 on Craigslist. It is a used 2008 Wildfire model, which he considers off brand.
Only in a perfect world, used vehicles stay in mint condition. "It had some cracks from dumping it a few times from the previous owner." However, this was not enough to stop him from customizing it, "I didn't like the red so I painted it black."
After fixing up the crack and dings, plus some cosmetology work with a new paint job, he was confident to hit the streets.
With weather permitting, especially rain, Osantoski ultimately drives his mo-ped anywhere around town, "to work at 8 a.m., to the park, to the beach, post office, running errands, sometimes to the grocery store."
Even though a mo-ped cannot exceed 30 mph, he said it roughly has the same drive time to most places around town.
Osantoski compares his Caravan's 15 to 20 mpg to the mo-ped's 80 to 100 mpg he receives tooling around town. Although mo-peds cannot be ridden on highways, the van receives 25 to 30 miles mpg.
Still, no where close to the mo-ped's mpg usage to take back roads. He said, "If you know the right routes, you can avoid traffic by taking shortcuts."
Without question, he will take his mo-ped for a ride if it is ten miles or under. He claims the longest trip he has made was a 40-mile round trip to the beach. "I have a friend that takes his every year on a long trip, usually from Jackson to Traverse City."
Michigan's helmet law does not apply to Osantoski. Mo-ped operators under the age of 19 must wear a properly-fitted helmet. Otherwise, the state's law does not apply.
Although he chooses not to wear a helmet, "I try to take "safe" roads by avoiding main roads." This includes sticking to one-way roads or roads that are 25 mph.
"It's really nice and relaxing to not have any headwear, but one has to be very cautious of other drivers."
Instead of wearing goggles, he wears sunglasses to keep his eyes from watering. "Cold weather makes your eyes water if you don't have the proper eye protection."
According to Osantoski, "I usually wear a heavier fall jacket and winter beanie," if it is about 50 degrees. "Cold weather is not always fun on a moped."
The pros are clear to him, "It's fun and comfortable, drivers don't need a motorcycle license, just an operator's license."
He saves a ton of money on gas just adding up the miles to and from work and running errands, "There's very low maintenance and easy to fix." Plus, mo-peds are easy to transport, they fit in most vans or trucks.
Parking enforcement in Mount Pleasant rarely tickets and usually you can find an alley or bike spot to post it up, Osantoski said, "I don't always need a parking space, sometimes I can chain up near bike spaces."
He spends only about $4 per week on gas for his mo-ped, compared to an average of $30 per week filling up his van.
The biggest cons revolve around safety and being cautious of other drivers. The dangerous part of driving a smaller vehicle or moped is the risk of poor drivers and large automobiles.
"Safety is the main concern really. However, from my experience riding a bicycle to work and school, I have almost gotten in more accidents riding a bicycle than a moped."
According to Osantoski, "Automobile drivers usually don't look out for bikers and especially sidewalk bikers, usually on a moped you are keeping up with the flow of traffic and have lights."
Along with defensive driving, he said other cons include lack of carrying space, having highway routes not as an option, not being able to carry other passengers, and personally, no radio.
But the perks are still there. "One time a park was closed and they had the road blocked off for cars, but I slipped right by it on the side with my moped on the sidewalk."
Osantoski recommends a moped to anyone that can ride a bike, wants to save gas, and usually travels short distances under 15 minutes, "as long as you feel comfortable, it's a nice ride, even my 78-year-old Grandpa has taken it for a test ride."
He has estimated savings of about $500 a year even with ride time usually set from May to September, "so mine basically paid itself off in one year."
Earlier this week, Osantoski posted a Facebook status about his mo-ped, "Found out this morning what wakes you up better than coffee... cold shower and cold mo-ped ride to work."
He thinks gas prices will eventually drive a cultural change more than anything. People may drive less or drive smaller vehicles, making it much safer to travel on a mo-ped. "For example, look at Europe and other countries, you see people driving smaller cars, mopeds, bicycles, and walking everywhere."
It may be a few years, but as we have all seen, gas prices are not dropping, "save your money, save the earth, ride a moped!"
Would you consider purchasing a mo-ped or other forms of transporation to avoid high gas prices?
