I've never really understood this.
Now me, my preference is for mopeds cause they're more cost-effective, easier to fix, and require a lot less hassle on the red tape issue.
Also they handle rough terrain better, due to the larger wheels.
But I'll ride anything I can get my hands on, and with anything I can keep up with, or that'll keep up with me - if you wanna saddle a quarterhorse and ride with me, long as he keeps up I don't much care.
Us mopedarmy folks prefer mopeds for a multitude of reasons, and scooter folks prefer their scooters, obviously..and for asthetic reasons, this site and it's support is dedicated to mopeds exclusively, although in a pinch we'll help a scooter-pusher out, even if we do poke a little fun at their wheels in the process.
So I completely fail to comprehend where this antagonism comes from (but then, I don't much understand rice-rocket/harley antagonism either) - we both have issues with cage-pushers, similar mechanical experiences, and share a lot of the same attitudes on life, the road, and riding.
I know most of it's "in fun" as it were - but still, some folks seem to have pretty deep issues about it, which doesn't make any logical sense, but people never do, really.
Oh well..you wanna ride with me, then ride - you wanna rumble, I'll put some iron in your diet for ya a'la chain-frenzy, tho I prefer saving that for the cagepushers.
-R