Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Mopeds Becoming More Popular

Hmm I guess gas prices are really getting up there so people are buying the put-puts. This guy explains it as a generational shift and a nod to the environment.

Though Gen-Xers and baby boomers are among those flinging a leg over these two-wheelers, the vehicles may owe their newfound cachet to their embrace by a younger set. Sometimes called "the millennials," they are said to embody a sense of social purpose, adopt a "team" approach to life, and rebel from their elders by hewing to the small-scale. It's an attitude with a simple message: Small-bore is cool.

"This [moped resurgence] is a reflection of a deeper generational shift going on," says Neil Howe, a cultural historian and coauthor of "Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation." "The idea of a big, bad, dangerous gas-guzzling machine is not the millennial style. They prefer something that is not only socially responsible in a big sense, but also in a little sense: It makes less noise, and it's less likely to get them into an accident."

That would be a very interesting book to read by Mr. Howe. Here is the link to the book on Amazon. Too bad I'm trying to get through like 3 books right now.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I see this overlap in the 12-14 year old male group of Mill's...they love small bore mopeds and gopeds both for ease and speed if super charged. Plus it provides father-son bonding lacking in the bulk of Mill's family social structure. This could actually be win-win...better for the environment, kids-parents bonding, and safer driving for youngsters just learning the roadways...