Mopeds -- fun, thrifty Published July 15, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Evan Castillo 28th Maintenance Group information management journeyman ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Sometimes as I enter the base, a gate guard asks me whether or not my moped is a government-operated vehicle, and I have to tell them it's not; this happens because my moped is blue, and I have a sticker of the Air Force logo attached to it. I exhibit it as a way to show my pride as an Air Force member. However, the real reason I am riding my moped, is the constantly-increasing gas price. I used to be skeptical of a moped' s or a scooter' s ability to run up 1--miles per gallon but after conduction studies and doing some calculations of my own, it's official - my moped can run 75 to 80 miles per gallon. I drive about 100 miles per week; this costs me approximately $5 per week compared to between $65 and $80 every other week when I am driving my truck to work. Initially, riding my moped was not easy for me, though. I used to be scared of riding due to the number of accidents on the road - especially those involving motorcycles. But like many other people who want to save money, I felt a push to get into riding a two-wheeled vehicle. Since I am a new rider, I had to fulfill all the requirements before being able to ride "legally" on and off base. I had to learn the basics of motorcycles, underwent motorcycle safety training, and obtained a motorcycle endorsement on my license, because my moped has a 150 cubic centimeter engine. Finally, after meeting all of the requirements to ride, I received my motorcycle safety briefing from my commander and bought all of the necessary personal protective equipment. I soon found riding a moped is fun as long as it is done safely and responsibly, and, of course, the greatest benefit is the money saved from today's rising fuel costs.