There's a revolution taking place in Berkeley - what else is new? - with students uniting in a common cause against tyranny and injustice.
That would be the tyranny of $75 parking tickets and the injustice of a chronic lack of parking spaces around the Cal campus.
To deal with the exasperating shortage of parking and to better get around the sprawling, hilly campus, athletes in sports that do their business in congested Strawberry Canyon have taken to zipping about on scooters, as free scooter-only parking areas are available at four locations around school.
"The phenomenon started over the last three years. It just happened recently," said Claire Dougherty, a forward on Cal's field-hockey team and proud owner of a black Lance Venice scooter she calls Zorro. "Scooters are just really efficient, especially on this campus."
On a recent day in Strawberry Canyon by the football team's temporary headquarters, 52 scooters were spotted at two locations along Centennial Drive. There were Hondas and Yamahas and Suzukis and several Piaggio MP3s.The MP3s, which have two small front wheels, are regarded as a big man's scooter, built to handle 300-pounders.
"I was begging my parents (for) a scooter," said 280-pound defensive end Trevor Guyton.
"You can make it without (a scooter), but you're not happy if you do," said Guyton, a senior who has had his Piaggio since he was a freshman. "There are so many hills, and the schedule is so hectic. If you have a car, you might as well walk, because you're at least 15 minutes away. A scooter makes it easy. That's why a lot of guys have them. It's real efficient, and it's good on gas."
Good? Try great. Tavecchio said he fills his tank once every two weeks with all of a gallon of gas.
Read the full article at SFGate.com
