So I was thinking about that cool Moped Monday Podcast with Simon and I could only dream of what it must have been like with so many people getting into and riding mopeds in the early days. And how the mopeds would pop up all the time at garage sales and such and I couldn't help but compare it to the "Moped Desert" that is Texas.
I wondered why didn't Texas have the mopeds, they certainly had the money. Were they too busy riding horses? Did the Cowboy boots not fit bicycle pedals well? What gives?
Then I did some research and came across this passage from a 1980 Magazine
So you see the moped was at a distinct disadvantage in Texas from the start. Not only did they require a license, but a separate special moped license on top of a driver's license!!
No other state did that, no one else was that stupid.....
Or corrupt..... I wonder if Texas legislature deliberately sabotaged the moped in order to keep burning fuel and keep oil prices high.
It seems to have worked, there aren't many mopeds in Texas, and the legislature became even worse in the 2010s, now requiring a full motorcycle license complete with a self paid expensive safety course ... and of course Texas is doing it's duty by burning as much fuel as possible with everyone driving giant trucks instead of cars.
Luckily, the laws are so convoluted and dumb that the average cop doesn't understand the idiot laws and ignores what few proper mopeds there are running around.
Forgive me if this post looks familiar as I posted about the Texas Moped Laws in depth awhile back, but this post IS different - It's a Chronicle of Texas Bullshit and an explanation of WHY the "Moped Desert" was created in the first place.
I hope this is appreciated because I have pondered this situation for years and only recently have begun to figure it out. At least now the information is now available to all those who simply search here in the future.
Souce : Kiplinger's Personal Finance Dec 1980