From today's RN-T:

The price of gas is $3.75 a gallon and rising. The convenience of pay at the pump, buckle up and go has left most dragging. The high cost of gasoline is stressful, but local scooter and motorcycle owners are trying to leave those gas guzzling ways behind them.

Jaime Maddox, 28, a medical assistant at Rome Family Dermatology and mother of two, is not your ordinary biker. She had never owned or ridden a two-wheel motorized vehicle before getting her scooter.

Road safety is a big concern for first-timer Jaime. However, saving money is a bigger concern for the Maddox family.

Her husband, Chad Maddox, makes an 80-mile round trip commute to Dalton [so] Jaime and her husband made an economical decision to downsize.

She recently purchased a red Suzuki Burgman 400, with an electric starter and automatic transmission, which gets 70 mpg. She is able to fill her tank for about $14.

Her main vehicle is a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer, which takes $73 to fill up and usually is refilled once a week.

Rebecca Arendt, general manager of Honda and Suzuki Sales, estimates motorcycle and scooter sales will rise this year about 15 percent.

John Cummings, owner of Easy Living Yamaha, estimates a 7 percent increase in scooter sales since last year.