Keep reminding people: Don't rent scooters and don't dive without DAN accident insurance!

[kaylee_ann]

I hate these stories. One of two tourists involved in Cozumel scooter accident dies - Riviera Maya News Rental companies will rent scooters to anyone I guess, and I question how well they maintain the scooters, but even the most experienced motorcycle drivers should not take scooters out on the island.

Then there was the diver on FB sharing his hyperbaric chamber story this week. Decades of diving, hundreds of dives, but he forgot to get DAN dive insurance. His home medical insurance won't pay the $30K. His daughter added a GoFundMe link. I am sorry he was hurt, but he knew the risks.

DAN also offers great Trip Insurance, and membership is not required. Most home medical policies do not cover outside of the US, but accidents and medical events happen. GoFundMe is a poor plan.

Do you happen to have the gofundme link by chance? I wanna donate. People may think I’m stupid for it but everyone needs access to life saving/changing treatment.

 

[happy-diver]

Solved

Scooter rider killed in Central Austin traffic crash

 

[Chris Stock]

Please do not dump attitude or try to assert superiority over others, not here.

People can use their own judgements, good points have been brought up.

Mainly,

Scooters are not the devil.

Do not operate intoxicated.

Operator should have a motorcycle endorsement and be familiar with riding a motor bike in a city.

Operator must preform a very strict inspection on the scooter before agreeing to rent ( your motorcycle operating training will have provided you with strict guidelines)

Wear a helmet, pants and shoes. Absolutely do NOT wear sandals.

Maintain awareness, be free from distraction.

Have good insurance.

Play stupid games, win stupid prises!

Play by the rules and a motorbike can be very enjoyable and safe. You can feel the air on your face even with a mask on, but i certainly recommend throwing those away, in a recycle bin of course. Breath in that fresh air and live a little!

Exactly. I ride in Philly, both motor and peddle. When I rent a scooter overseas on islands with crazy gradients and ****** roads I ride appropriately. Someone telling me I can't is just applying THEIR shortcomings to me. They mention getting hit by a cab, well, you can't live in a bubble. If I wanted to, I wouldn't have traveled to the island with ****** roads and crazy drivers in the first place, nor would I be diving.

 

[drrich2]

A little nuance goes a long way in some of these threads. No one is telling anyone they can't rent a scooter. I think the idea is to convey it's considered by some unduly risky for many people in Cozumel, and more people get hurt, at times seriously, than the general tourist public apt to rent is likely aware of. So as a general advisory to most, saying 'don't' may be helpful.

It's not an effort to outlaw them. There will be that fraction of potential renters who are more capable with a scooter and hold more knowledge of the issues involved than average. While even they are not at zero risk, none of us are till we die, and they make the call for themselves. This fraction of people may be less likely to follow such general advisories (though they may take the suggestion this situation may be riskier) and decide for themselves anyway.

I imagine some may have reacted to this bit:

but even the most experienced motorcycle drivers should not take scooters out on the island.

That's an opinion based in a personal value judgment, and of course yours may differ. He's just stating his, hoping it gets out there and helps prevent somebody from getting hurt.

 

[ggunn]

Exactly. I ride in Philly, both motor and peddle. When I rent a scooter overseas on islands with crazy gradients and ****** roads I ride appropriately. Someone telling me I can't is just applying THEIR shortcomings to me. They mention getting hit by a cab, well, you can't live in a bubble. If I wanted to, I wouldn't have traveled to the island with ****** roads and crazy drivers in the first place, nor would I be diving.

Read the thread again; no one told you that you can't rent a scooter. As general advice I don't think it's a good idea, and I will continue to say it, but we all make our own choices. You can dive without insurance if you want as well, but in both cases if something bad happens to you it's your decision to live with.

 

[Lorenzoid]

As the previous two posts pointed out, the original post was obviously ADVICE not to rent scooters in Cozumel, not a command that thou shalt not rent scooters in Cozumel. Each of us can make of Dandy Don's advice what we choose.

 

[BigDaddyGlad]

I dunno... my buddy and I rented a couple scooters on our last trip to Cozumel on a day when the harbour was closed so there was no diving. I'd never been on one before in my life, nor have I ever been on a motorcycle.

We drove the road all around the entire island, stopping for food or to take pictures at some of the souvenir stops/outcroppings on the east side of the island. I was actually surprised at the speed you could achieve on these things on an open road. I never felt unsafe or in danger; the only time I really had any uncertainty with the machine was when I tried to park it amidst the line of other scooters on a downtown side street.

Then again, I'm a relatively responsible 54- year-old man who can make his own risk-assessments and life choices.

 

[ggunn]

I was actually surprised at the speed you could achieve on these things on an open road. I never felt unsafe or in danger...

And that's the point; they feel very safe until something happens, and it does happen frequently enough to make them (IMO, of course) an unacceptable and avoidable risk.

When my brother was in the ER because of a scooter accident they told us that scooter accidents are far and away the most common reason for tourists to visit the ER. As I said earlier, in my relatively small circle of friends four have been injured in moto accidents in Mexico; one of them died and another will be living with the effects of the crash for the rest of his life.

 

[DandyDon]

Do you happen to have the gofundme link by chance? I wanna donate. People may think I’m stupid for it but everyone needs access to life saving/changing treatment.

No, I don't. I agree that everyone needs access to life-saving treatment, but he got that ok. He may have maxed out more than one credit card, and he may not drive a new car for a while, but he was out $30k, not made homeless. It was all I could do not to tell him how big of an idiot he was. He took his daughter on her first dive trip and he should have known to ensure that they were both insured. His irresponsibility, his loss.

The Canadian mentioned earlier was as irresponsible to go on an international tech diving trip without dive insurance, especially after his fiance reminded him to reinstate it, but he was hurt worse, she had traveled over there to be with him until she could find a way to get him home, and I did donate a little to that one mostly feeling sorry for her. I doubt that he ever walks again, but they did get him home in time.

I dunno... my buddy and I rented a couple scooters on our last trip to Cozumel on a day when the harbour was closed so there was no diving. I'd never been on one before in my life, nor have I ever been on a motorcycle.

We drove the road all around the entire island, stopping for food or to take pictures at some of the souvenir stops/outcroppings on the east side of the island. I was actually surprised at the speed you could achieve on these things on an open road. I never felt unsafe or in danger; the only time I really had any uncertainty with the machine was when I tried to park it amidst the line of other scooters on a downtown side street.

Then again, I'm a relatively responsible 54- year-old man who can make his own risk-assessments and life choices.

Okaaay. I hope that you take good trip insurance every time you leave the US as I do, or have confirmed clearly that you have superior insurance at home that covers you outside of the US.

 

[kaylee_ann]

No, I don't. I agree that everyone needs access to life-saving treatment, but he got that ok. He may have maxed out more than one credit card, and he may not drive a new car for a while, but he was out $30k, not made homeless. It was all I could do not to tell him how big of an idiot he was. He took his daughter on her first dive trip and he should have known to ensure that they were both insured. His irresponsibility, his loss.

The Canadian mentioned earlier was as irresponsible to go on an international tech diving trip without dive insurance, especially after his fiance reminded him to reinstate it, but he was hurt worse, she had traveled over there to be with him until she could find a way to get him home, and I did donate a little to that one mostly feeling sorry for her. I doubt that he ever walks again, but they did get him home in time.

Okaaay. I hope that you take good trip insurance every time you leave the US as I do, or have confirmed clearly that you have superior insurance at home that covers you outside of the US.

Oh okay…I thought he wasn’t able to get it. Read it wrong.
That’s one thing to go without him being insured, but to put his own DAUGHTER at risk like that? Oh hell no that’s not cool. If you’re gonna make stupid choices, make ones that only affect you. Not only that but I bet his daughter doesn’t look at diving the same again, like what if something happens to her and her parents can’t afford it? Hopefully he wised up and bought the insurance.
Eta- so everyone should get dive insurance no matter how often you do or don’t dive? OW student here who wants to know how to prepare for my first dives.