I got a scooter when I was 17. It was a Honda Elite and I thought it was very cool. In places like Berkeley and San Francisco, where parking is nearly impossible, a scooter is the perfect way to get from place to place, without having to give up a choice parking spot.

Anyhow, a few companies are trying to fit scooters into a larger demographic than teens and students. BMW has started producing a hybrid vehicle that's like an extra-safe scooter, with a seat harness and roll bar (be sure to check out the crash test videos).

My favorite though, the one that makes me drool, is Mercedes-Benz's concept vehicle, the Life-Jet F-300, an enclosed inline two-seater, three-wheeled vehicle with a motorcycle engine driving the rear wheel, accelleration from 0-62 in 7.7 seconds, and about 45 miles per gallon.

Of course, the train's not bad either. It's harder to check your email while driving...