I live in Lyon (2nd largest city in France). Here, Scooters are called Trotinettes, and they are serious business: you can see people of all ages rolling around on the sidewalks, from little children to suited up businessmen. It's a really efficient way of transportation for short trips. They can be folded and carried around with a strap, so they are the ideal urban companion to mass transport system -- 300 mts to the subway station, 500 mts afterwards...