While Prudie is right that the Vespa will save GAS, it won't save MONEY. It doesn't make financial sense in the long run for such a short commute. This girl should be honest and say that she just wants a Vespa because they are cute.

An average Vespa gets up to 80 mpg and costs $1,000. The average car in the US gets 25 mpg. At $4.16 per gallon, that means this woman is spending about $260 per year on gas to go to work. She will only need about 19.5 gallons of gas, or about $81 worth, for the year with a Vespa. That means she's saving about $179 per year in gas by using the Vespa for her 3 mile commute.

But she has to pay $1,000 right now to save that $179 per year. That means it will take her 5.58659 years just to break even, before she starts saving any money. Assuming that she works 52 weeks per year and rides the Vespa every day. And that's not figuring in other expenses, like insurance on the Vespa.

Also, in many climates (like Chicago) there will be days when it is just too frigid, icy or wet to ride the Vespa and she drives instead. That means it will take even longer to pay off the initial investment in the Vespa.

It's possible that the letter writer is considering selling her car and buying a Vespa instead, which probably would save her money almost immediately. But there is no mention of that in the letter. If she keeps her car and just buys the scooter as an additional vehicle, there isn't going to be any savings for a long, long time.

been done by several folks...

Unlikely that she would use it only for trips back and forth to work. Do you know how many miles a wife usually puts on in errands around the neighborhood? Climate is a factor, though. Chicago is a terribly bad example--we have one car and dh has only a few days a year he won't ride, living in the Pacific Northwest. Don't think he'd do a long commute in the rain.

joniholderman:

This girl should be honest and say that she just wants a Vespa because they are cute.

making assumptions about other people makes you an ass.

your stereotypes about "this girl" are also offensive. last time i checked she was a married woman not a girl and just because she is female does not mean she only buys things "because they are cute".

its also interesting that you ASSume she hasn't done the same math you have done. her question wasn't "dear prudie how can i convince my hubby that it will save $$", it was "how can i convince my hubby i wont get hurt?".

thanks for doing nothing other then offending "girls", perpetuating a stereotype and getting the whole point of her letter completely wrong...

Arachne646:

Unlikely that she would use it only for trips back and forth to work. Do you know how many miles a wife usually puts on in errands around the neighborhood?

Most of my "wifely errands" I do or have done can't be done on a scooter or motorcycle, even if we had one. Grocery shopping (usually at least 4 bags), pick up the kids (even if just one, he'd have a big back pack - and what if he was sick?), take a pet to the vet (ever try to balance a skittish border collie on one?), go downtown for medical appointment (20 miles on the freeway, often with hubby or kid in tow), transport someone to/from the bus station or airport (with luggage, plus the airport is 30 miles on the freeway), etc.

I could go to work & back, and I could go to the pharmacy, assuming there were no other major stops in between. Otherwise, I'd usually need the car. And if I did take a scooter to run errands, I'd have to carry my helmet around when I stopped, or it wouldn't be there when I returned.

sayraht:

thanks for doing nothing other then offending "girls", perpetuating a stereotype and getting the whole point of her letter completely wrong...

I'm pretty sure the original post hasn't derailed the entire feminist movement in North America.

Agreed. Plus, isn't Joni a female name? (Sorta like the female version of Johnny?) When I saw the OP's name, I thought it was being written by a girl. Er, sorry. Woman.

sayraht:

joniholderman:

This girl should be honest and say that she just wants a Vespa because they are cute.

its also interesting that you ASSume she hasn't done the same math you have done. her question wasn't "dear prudie how can i convince my hubby that it will save $$", it was "how can i convince my hubby i wont get hurt?".

I always love that "when you 'assume' you make an 'ass' of 'u' and 'me'" thing. It always strikes me as such a mature and thoughtful response.

No need to "assume" much here, sweetie (sorry, "mature intelligent goddess-woman who must be revered"): LW claims it's about saving money, she speaks of her strenuous 3-mile commute (poor thing), and says she's promised evil husband (man! bad!) that she will only use it on the quiet residential streets between home and work, and only in the daytime.

It may be that she does have secret plans to use the scooter for lifesaving missions transporting organs for transplantation across the country. But that would be assuming a lot.

And we musn't assume...

(And why is it bad to refer to a person as a "girl"? Is it the gender? SEXIST! Is it the age? AGEIST! Girls are people too, are are worthy of our respect. "Girl" is not an insult. So calm down, girl.)

My husband rides his motorcycle unless it is icy, snowing or the first day of rain after a dry spell. (the roads are super slick that first day) We're in PDX. He lost a year of riding due to carpal tunnel surgery and a logging accident, now he's making up for lost bike time.

If it were just the cost of buying the scooter that would be one thing, but the LW says her husband is fine with buying them after retirement to ride together. Sounds to me like he just wants to be in control.

Moonpnw:

Sounds to me like he just wants to be in control.

Maybe her automobile driving scares him so much, that he has no doubt she'll get hurt on the Vespa. She probably won't listen to him at all if he points out her flaws as an attentive, defensive driver, so he concentrates on how dangerous the other drivers can be.

Some people simply aren't aware of their surroundings when driving. Others pay too much attention to everything else. We passed a guy one day who was working a crossword puzzle while driving down a major street, one hand holding the paper and resting on the steering wheel, one hand holding the pencil. If she's not one of those, odds are she'll encounter someone who is.

Incog, thanks for the laugh! In an earlier post here, you were describing your "wifely errands." I cracked up over the vet trip. I got a mental picture of myself trying such a thing. I can barely coerce my Aussie Cattle dog onto the scales at the vet. I can just imagine trying to get her on a scooter. The smaller male dog might be game, but I can just imagine his claws digging into me as he held on. The cats? I don't even want to think about that!

Seriously, though if the woman wants a scooter and they can afford it, why not? It might be just fine for the route she is planning to take to work. I have to disagree with the people that think a bike is a better alternative. Bicycles are a lot less visible, especially at night. And I think people take more of an attitude that a bike rider will stay out of the way.

Scooters, bikes, motorcycles and walking all have the same drawback, though-inclement weather. Of those four alternatives, I personally probably would pick walking. I, too live in a hot climate. For awhile I had to take a bus. Just walking to the bus stop and standing in the heat waiting, I was a wet dishrag. Luckily, the kind of job I had it didn't much matter.

Three miles walking doesn't sound like a whole lot until you are the one out there burning up or getting soaked in spite of umbrellas or raincoats.

You are so right, too, Incog about many drivers not paying as much attention to the road as they should. No, that does not bode well for cyclists or scooter riders. I live on a narrow street that people fly down. I figure if I am walking, I can at least jump in a ditch if I am about to be mowed down. Ha! Ha!

It sounds like to me that the LW has thought this out. If she is aware of safety rules, knows how to drive it, etc. I don't see the problem. And who cares if she thinks scooters are "cute?" It's her money. Who hasn't bought something and later thought "what the hell was I thinking?"

Her question was about how to convince hubby she is safe-not about whether she gets a scooter. Maybe he should ride with her a time or two and he might feel better.

There was also not one thing said about trying to keep in shape. I have seen many posts alluding to the idea that she should walk or ride a bike for fitness. Wonder how many of those saying that have parked their cars and are walking, jogging or biking now?