When I read the article this morning, I thought the same things. I went back again to see what it was attributed to and WCVB has removed it from their site. It looked like someone just slammed together one or two stories from the Globe and called it a day without fact-checking any of it.
What the hell is wrong with our media these days that they don't even use a smell test any more before copying and pasting someone else's shitty pile of crap reporting?
The RMV doesn't have any ability to regulate parking and while the current stickers will be allowed to expire normally, there's still no information from the RMV as to how they will decide if you are a motorized bicycle or a limited use vehicle when you attempt to register. If it's based on signed owner statement (as it has been up until now anyways) then maybe little-to-nothing will change as we'll all continue to claim our scooters go only 30 mph (as we've been claiming up until now anyways, because otherwise we'd have claimed we were motorcycles).
Up until now, it's been the owner's word that defines that their 49cc scooter meets the moped definition and should therefore get a sticker. Will that change on August 1?
For example, I could install a speed restrictor on my engine that would keep it under 30 mph and would legally fit the definition of "motorized bicycle" as I've been claiming all along for lack of any better, sensible definition (besides the fact that my real-world maximum speed under the best conditions is 33 mph). This modified scooter would legally be a motorized bicycle according to the MGL, but wouldn't show up in any sort of list you might be choosing to use to divide scooters by "motorized bicycle" and "limited use vehicles". You could not register me as a limited use vehicle legally, but I can foresee the upcoming fight at the RMV with some agent who doesn't know what to do with me at all. So, what is going to determine who is a motorized bicycle and who is a limited use vehicle? If it remains the word of the owner, then I'm going to continue to tell you that I'm a motorized bicycle and we can both go away happy.
...is that you'll be fine, up until you get a speeding ticket for doing 35MPH on a motorized bicycle...and then also get charged with some crime related to falsely registering your vehicle (or lying to the registry.)
Comments
Assuming this is true
given that the AP isn't quoting any RMV sources in the article, why is there nothing about this change yet on either the RMV web page or Mass.gov?
Also, AFAIK, the RMV doesn't have the power to overturn local parking laws.
Article taken down
When I read the article this morning, I thought the same things. I went back again to see what it was attributed to and WCVB has removed it from their site. It looked like someone just slammed together one or two stories from the Globe and called it a day without fact-checking any of it.
What the hell is wrong with our media these days that they don't even use a smell test any more before copying and pasting someone else's shitty pile of crap reporting?
Back up
At least, when I clicked on the link to the story 30 seconds ago ...
yay...
I liked it better when I thought they took it down and not when it was just because their site sucks at serving pages...sigh.
From the RMV directly
Here is the details from the RMV directly:
http://www.mass.gov/rmv/alerts/green_vehicles.htm
The RMV doesn't have any ability to regulate parking and while the current stickers will be allowed to expire normally, there's still no information from the RMV as to how they will decide if you are a motorized bicycle or a limited use vehicle when you attempt to register. If it's based on signed owner statement (as it has been up until now anyways) then maybe little-to-nothing will change as we'll all continue to claim our scooters go only 30 mph (as we've been claiming up until now anyways, because otherwise we'd have claimed we were motorcycles).
Big question for the RMV
Here's my big question for the RMV:
Up until now, it's been the owner's word that defines that their 49cc scooter meets the moped definition and should therefore get a sticker. Will that change on August 1?
For example, I could install a speed restrictor on my engine that would keep it under 30 mph and would legally fit the definition of "motorized bicycle" as I've been claiming all along for lack of any better, sensible definition (besides the fact that my real-world maximum speed under the best conditions is 33 mph). This modified scooter would legally be a motorized bicycle according to the MGL, but wouldn't show up in any sort of list you might be choosing to use to divide scooters by "motorized bicycle" and "limited use vehicles". You could not register me as a limited use vehicle legally, but I can foresee the upcoming fight at the RMV with some agent who doesn't know what to do with me at all. So, what is going to determine who is a motorized bicycle and who is a limited use vehicle? If it remains the word of the owner, then I'm going to continue to tell you that I'm a motorized bicycle and we can both go away happy.
the big answer
...is that you'll be fine, up until you get a speeding ticket for doing 35MPH on a motorized bicycle...and then also get charged with some crime related to falsely registering your vehicle (or lying to the registry.)