contemplate getting a moped for my daily commute

I think I would need to practice driving one before I made an investment. I have a 9 mile commute now that I’m in Austin… I am afraid I will get squashed on account of my clumsiness. My whole family is horrified at the thought, and they do know me and my lack of balancy skillz pretty well…. :( I think this goal is shelved until the eventual decline of my Honda will force me to make a serious transportation decision.

Pros:
1. Saves gas (average $7/week compared to current $25/week)
2. Not much investment (I checked and $700 buys you a decent 50cc moped)
3. No extra hassle (for <50cc and <35mph mopeds, no need for registration/tag/insurance… though I think I’d like to have insurance)
4. Off-beat enough for me to try :)

Cons:
1. Longer commute time (20-25 minutes per trip compared to current 12-15 minutes per trip)
2. Less safe (true, rides as slower speeds, but the driver is directly hit in case of an accident; also, car drivers are not too courteous/careful toward their less number-of-wheel gifted counterparts)
3. Not suitable in all weather conditions (not too much of a concern right now, but I don’t think it’s fair to wish for a drought just for the sake of riding a moped)

And parking is another concern… I’m now paying for a permit to park on campus (of course I can give the permit to somebody else, but it’s inconvenient if one day I decide to drive to school because of the rain, cold, etc). Also, I have yet to find a spot to park a moped on campus (bikes have a tendency to be stolen around here, and I’m not sure yet how mopeds will be treated!)

So considering all of these, what would you do?

and I have been contemplating this for a couple of weeks now! Making it a little more concrete here. It will depend on where I teach in the fall and whether I can commute that far on something electric, or if I will need gasoline.