Hartford defends its scooter parking ban

HARTFORD, Conn., July 17 (UPI) -- Parking officials in Hartford, Conn., have defended a ban on scooters and motorcycles in city garages after environmentally-conscious commuters complained.

Sonny Parlin said he was surprised to discover the red scooter he purchased to save gas and reduce carbon emissions was not allowed in the parking garage at the end of his commute to Hartford, the Hartford Courier reported Thursday.

Parlin said the Hartford Parking Authority told him his scooter was a danger to himself and other garage patrons.

"I was furious," Parlin said. "I feel I'm doing my part for the environment and what do I get in return? I feel like I was shut down. They don't have a place for me to park my vehicle."

City parking Director Jim Kopency said scooters and motorcycles are not allowed at any of the four city-run parking garages for numerous reasons. He said motorized bikes are smaller than automobiles and harder to see. He said the smaller vehicles often move too fast for drivers to react.

Kopency said scooters can also be dangerous in the garages because they lack the mass of automobiles, so the motion sensors that control the entrance and exit gates can't detect them and could injure a scooter driver by closing too quickly.