...but I'll get out my tiny violin for the Obama people. I might even play a few bars. If they can't handle this kind of thing now, how are they going to handle what will come their way from people and the media later? They sound too much like Hillary Clinton for my peace of mind: whine whine whine.

It's too bad public canings are not in vogue here these days.

Try "reality of hostile to business". Look, the concept that "business is evil" and "not in my backyard" is what keeps Amherst what it is. If Amherst wants to remain what it is, it has to accept the downside as well as the upside. Upside: quiet, small town-like. Downside: expensive, most people have to commute elsewhere to afford it, lots of whiners. So be it. Live there? Not a chance; I'm not insane. Give me South Hadley. Amherst is a nice place to visit, though. And it's probably a nice place to go to school. But I seem to remember Boston as being better.

I picked up a map last week at the check out at Cooper's Corner. It shows the current path, as well as the plans for the future extensions.

How about printing a map that shows all this? (or at least making one available online...).

Thanks,

Randy

EVERYONE - Please take a course!!
If you are planning to get a motorcycle or scooter, you'll need a license. A great way to do this is to take a 2-day motorcycle saftety course. You get classroom and on-the-bike instruction (they provide a 250cc bike for each student), and you take the written and the skills test needed to get your license.

My husband and I went to SM Motorcyle school in Orange. Excellent course and training. We had men and women of all ages and backgrounds in a class of 15 students. The classroom instruction was succinct and practical, and we spent plenty of time on the bikes (12 hours in 2 days). Our instructors were lifelong riders who truly understand motorcylcle safety through their own experiences.

Although the course costs >$200, you get a discount on your insurance, the license fee is paid, and the lessons and skills learned are invaluable - they can save your life and prvent injury.

Check out www.msf.org for courses

Here is an FYI for people who may be considering a viable alternative to a car, but who need to go a little faster than 20 mph:

Neither this article nor the mass.gov/rmv website are of much assistance in distinguishing between a SCOOTER (the stand-on-top, smaller-than-a-moped type with a tiny engine that cannot legally exceed 20 mph speeds), and a SCOOTER, which may have a 150-250cc engine, must be insured, registered and plated, and may travel with the flow of traffic at speeds of up to 55 mph. This latter, "Vespa-style" of scooter (one of which I own) is essentially a small motorcycle.

Considering the immediate--one could say overdue--need for fuel-efficient alternatives, it's exasperating that this time-honored (but uncommon in our society) mode of transportation--the "original" scooter--is not specifically referenced in the RMV's literature (i.e., its website or the motorcycle manual).