Portable scooters are this year's craze de jour, the gift most lusted after by preteens.
The high-tech, two-wheeled devices are only slightly less dangerous than skateboards to riders, pedestrians and drivers.
Pedestrians already risk life and limb negotiating sidewalks populated by maniacs on roller skates, inline skates, bicycles and skateboards. Now scooters.
Scooter users remain largely ignorant of rules of the road, meaning they ride facing traffic and ignore stop signs and signals.
But wait. Electric motors and gas engines are easily attached to some spendy scooters, making collisions even more likely.
What's next? Scooter lanes on major streets? (21 JANUARY 2001)
