TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — When Merat Behnam first gathered enough courage to ride her yellow scooter through the gridlocked streets of Iran ‘s capital to the coffee shop she runs, traffic wasn’t her main worry.

She instead girded herself for disapproving looks, verbal abuse and even being stopped by the police for being a women riding a motorbike in Tehran, something long frowned upon by hard-liners and conservative clerics in Iran.

But Behnam, 38, found herself broadly accepted on the road — and part of a wider reconsideration by women about societal expectations in Iran.

It’s not all encompassing, particularly as hard-line politicians call for laws on the hijab or headscarf to be enforced as Iran cracks down on intellectuals in the wake of the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June — but it does represent a change.

  • SteevyT@beehaw.org
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    1 day ago

    (US only specifics for Ebikes)

    Class 1 is pedal assist only, max 20mph, max 750W motor.

    Class 2 is pedal assist or throttle, max 20mph, max 750w motor.

    Class 3 is pedal assist only, max 28mph, max 750w motor.

    Anything else technically is an emoped or even a motorcycle if powerful and fast enough.

    Most of Europe only allows up to 15ish mph before shifting classification to some sort of moped/motorcycle if my memory serves correctly.