New to the scooter business, Doug Vitello and Gary Parr worked hard to meet their customers’ needs. But there was one type of customer they couldn’t serve, according to a story in The St. Petersburg Times.
Again and again, they kept hearing: I got a DUI. I lost my license. Do you have something I can use to get around?
Sunset Scooters did not. So Vitello and Parr started researching and found a type of electric scooter made in China and distributed out of California. They ordered some. They tried them out. They put a sign in their window:
“DUI SCOOTERS.”
They look like gas-powered mopeds, with bright candy-red and blue bodies, backrests and decorative detailing. They have headlights and window shields and go up to 20 mph.
And, yes, they’re legal to ride without a license.
They have pedals, which may or may not be used, and run for up to 25 miles on an electric charge. They fit a state and federal description of “low-speed electric bicycles.” Sunset Scooters gives customers copies of the law, recommending they laminate it and keep it with them.
Photo by St. Petersburg Times.