In elementary physics, we learned about density. Water is denser than air, mercury denser than water. Uranium, our teacher told us, is probably the densest of them all.
Obviously our teacher did not live in Rome, for it is common knowledge among Italians that the densest thing known to man is a downtown Roman street during rush hour - rush hour being roughly from midnight to 11:59 p.m. The street has no visible gaps of any size. That's because the tiniest spaces are instantaneously filled by scooters. In Rome, they are as plentiful as gnocchi at Sunday lunch.
Indeed, after a century or so of powered transportation, Romans have decided that all forms of mobility are inferior to the scooter.
True, Romans love their Fiats and Alfa Romeos. But they are a practical people and scooters allow them to get to work before noon. They allow mothers to drop off their kids at school on time - three on a scooter is nothing unusual. Our 15-year-old babysitter arrives on a scooter (the legal driving age for the small scooters is 14).
Plumbers and electricians use them for work, their tool boxes wedged between their feet. Executives in expensive suits arrive at the office on them. You can smoke on a scooter and Romans have perfected the art of wedging mobile phones between ear and helmet, allowing them to drive, smoke and talk simultaneously.
After a year and a half in Rome, I too am sold on the idea of a scooter. Our Fiat is useless in the city because the traffic is horrendous and parking non-existent. I walk a lot and take buses. But there are many times when a scooter would be perfect. Like zipping a kid to soccer practice or the dentist. Or getting to a restaurant with my wife in a crowded part of town.
While I think scooters are ideal for Rome and other warm Mediterranean cities, I do have a couple of big problems with them. They are noisy and spew oily fumes. I keep wondering: Why aren't there more electric scooters? If electric cars are the future, why not electric motorcycles?
Rome does have a few electric scooters and bicycles. But the vast majority have extremely short ranges, making them little more than conversation pieces. What this market - any market - needs is a serious scooter with good range and comparable power and comfort to a machine with a 200-cc or 250-cc engine.
Enter the Vectrix, a U.S. company that claims to make the first zero-emission "maxi scooter" with genuine motorbike performance. Its Rome dealership gave me one for a week in the early autumn.
I almost cried when I had to return it. So did my girls, ages 8 and 11, who considered it more fun than an amusement park ride, not to mention politically correct.
The Vectrix, which is assembled in Poland, is no toy. Except for the lack of exhaust pipes, it could pass for a normal scooter. In size and appearance, it's similar to the popular Suzuki Burgman.
The scooter was in development for 10 years before it hit the streets in the United States and Europe in 2007 and it shows. It is a big, sturdy machine - perhaps too big - powered by 125-volt nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. This is the same type of battery used in hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius.
Vectrix didn't skimp on the components. There are Brembo disc brakes, front and rear, and Pirelli tires. It has a windscreen and 40 litres of storage under the ample seat.
My favourite feature was the regenerative braking system. Twist the throttle forward when you want to slow down and the motor acts as a brake while generating electricity. I almost never had to use the regular brakes.
