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Iqaluit (July 09/01) - If Shane McQuirter wanted a big family, he'd ride his compact 25-cc scooter around town.
"Kids chase me where ever I go. They're all smiles and they want to try it," he says.
 Shane McQuirter's two-wheeler reaches speeds of 55 km/h. |
The high-pitched, inflatable two-wheeler reaches speeds of 55 km/h, costs pennies to fill up and is easy to store. Because it's a motor-assisted vehicle, the scooter requires no special licensing, no insurance, not even a helmet.
In a city where big rumbling trucks and whinny quads rule the wash board roads, McQuirter's scooter is funky fish in a traditional sea.
But style has a price.
"When I drive to the store and back, my hands are numb, frozen from all the bumps and potholes," he said.
"I have to watch out for big puddles and big bumps. Other than that, I go anywhere on the main roads or trails."
McQuirter, who recently started work at a coffee shop, realizes the scooter's limitations. Which is why the red and silver unit is for sale a year after it arrived.
"I want something a little bigger, a little faster. The new one will have wider tires, front and rear suspension, dual disc breaks and an 80 cc engine."
His choice of modest motorized bikes seems odd given he also owns a chrome-studded 1977 Suzuki KS Super Boss 125-cc motorcycle. However, that, too, is for sale.
"They're fun. I like travelling in the open air and I'm young enough and in good enough shape I can still ride a scooter."
