Wherever Brian Sartorelli goes, he knows he looks ridiculous. The 25-year-old auto parts salesman spends his weekdays driving to see clients around Concord on a 1987 Honda Aero Scooter. Sartorelli is 6-feet, 4-inches tall.

But he takes the finger-pointing and the laughing and the honking in stride.

"Joke's on you, because I'm spending $5 a week on gas, and I'm driving as much as you," he said. "If you can get over the fact that you look ridiculous, it's economical and it's practical and it's the smart thing to do."

Drivers across the state have been letting go of their inhibitions this summer and scooping up scooters, which enthusiasts say are a safe and cost-effective alternative to cars as gas prices continue to climb. The state had registered a thousand more scooters as of last week than they had at this time last year, and dealers said they can't get their hands on new models fast enough.

Sartorelli has had his scooter since 2005, when he resurrected the dusty bike from his girlfriend's grandmother's basement. It gets about 90 mpg and costs just $2.85 to fill up, which Sartorelli does only twice a week.

He said his scooter is lightweight, easy to maneuver, convenient for parking, and "incredible amounts of fun." And not all the attention is negative, he said. What started as gentle ribbing from friends and stares from fellow drivers has turned into enthusiasm and inquiries about the scooter's effectiveness.

"You get more honks and waves on that thing than you would in a Porsche or a Ferrari," he said.

When Sartorelli bought a second scooter last summer for $200, he was able to resell it a couple months later for $300 to a teenager. Instead of a first car, the boy got a first scooter because he doesn't have the money for gas, Sartorelli said.

That was when he noticed "the scooter craze," he said.

"I probably could go three or four days without seeing a scooter at the beginning of summer, but now you see them everywhere," he added.

At Freedom Cycle, the former Concord Motorcycle shop on Sheep Davis Road, Manager Rob Kisel said they've been sold out of all 2007 and 2008 scooters for weeks. It's the same for other dealers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with whom the shop works. They can't even turn to the manufacturers - they're struggling to keep up with demand also, Kisler said.

"We're all in the same boat," he said. "There's just nothing available."

Kisler said the scooter craze started at the end of April and was in full swing by mid-May. The shop sold 45 scooters, its entire inventory, in three weeks.

They now have a waiting list of six people, with a few more undecided, who have put down a deposit and are waiting for the next scooter to arrive. Kisler said customers are willing to wait for the longevity and cost savings that a scooter provides.

The shop carries Hondas, Yamahas and Suzukis, and most models are small and slow enough that a rider doesn't need a motorcycle license under state law. The smallest models -- engines 50 cubic centimeters or smaller -- can get between 100 and 125 miles per gallon and cost between $800 and $2,000.

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