Sun 8 Jun 2008
A few weeks ago I bought a scooter, much to the amusement of friends and family. It’s true, I look rediculous. I already have an abnormally large head, so when I cap it off with a full-sized helmet, the whole look is particularly comical, as if a bobble-head doll is motoring along. I also wear gloves, sunglasses and large florescent orange backpack. Not for fashion, it’s so I get noticed by motorists. I do get noticed, and they laugh sometimes. Laughing is better than being run over by them.
I’ve driven the scooter nearly five hundred miles since purchasing it; I’ve driven to Provo, to Salt Lake City, out to Utah Lake. Though the scooter goes 65mph, I prefer taking the backroads. Going at a slower speed means I notice things more. It’s very calming and peaceful. Also, I pull over a lot to take pictures with my pocket-sized Canon digital camera. Life is good.
Life is not good for everyone, however. Friend William bought a scooter recently as well, and just days later I received a dazed phone call from him as he sat in the back of an ambulance. Going through a construction zone, a truck cut him off and William, swerving to miss the truck, crashed his scooter and bloodied his knee and hands. Lesson learned? You must be much more careful on a scooter than in a car. Also, wear gloves. Also, slow down. Seriously William, slow down.
With oil at $139 a barrel, and four dollars a gallon for unleaded gasoline (a record high), there’s something very satisfying about getting 100 miles a gallon. I don’t look so silly on my scooter now, do I?
How you like them apples?
June 9th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Can we get an enlarged image of that facial expression, Ryan Byrd? Love it!
June 9th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Don’t forget the three days of memory loss, mental breakdowns, and of course passing out multiple times at the scene. It was an experience I throughly enjoyed and wish upon no one else. Take it from me, readers, be careful when riding.