At $3,000 and up, a fancy little Italian scooter is an awfully expensive (and let's face it, pretty wussy) mode of transportation. At least it was, but then gas prices shot up almost as fast as your house's value bottomed out, and suddenly that 50 miles to the gallon seemed a pretty sweet deal. But even cute Euro-scooters need maintenance, and when the engine starts to sputter, you'll want to have Victor Voris' number in your pocket. Voris fell in love with the Roman Holiday rides in the '80s and started tinkering. As they became more popular stateside, he found himself constantly giving advice to new Italian scooter fans in town at his annual Scooter Insanity Rally. So 19 years ago he opened his own shop, Big People Scooters, now located in Georgetown. He's also selling the bikes on Denny Way and in Woodinville. "They're just a great way to get around town, they make you smile," he says. So sell the Escalade, buy a Vespa, and rest easy knowing that if anything goes wrong, Voris will be there to help.—Laura Onstot