TheScooterScoop

TWO FOR THE ROAD / An Avalon, sure, but a scooter? Yes!

The tale of why a girl, 60 years young, decided to get a scooter to compliment her Toyota Avalon. Here’s a excerpt:

And the scooter? As I approached the age of 60, I knew it was now or never. How long will I have the necessary reflexes for this? I wondered.

Never having driven a scooter in my life (It just looks like so much fun!) I signed up for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s basic course. I had requested a scooter — they told me they only had one — and was assured I would have it for the course. When I got there, there was no scooter in sight, so I climbed onto a motorcycle. To my surprise, I managed all right and even felt pretty proud of myself for making it through the first day of the training. But that night I thought this is not going to work, especially since the motorcycle just felt very heavy.

I had to constantly squeeze my left hand on the motorcycle’s handlebar clutch and I thought this endlessly repetitive motion might eventually harm my left hand. Anyway, I wanted a scooter, not a motorcycle. I felt I was over the hill for motorcycles, but not for scooters. I returned for Day 2, requested, and was given their scooter. I’m sure that’s the only way I was able to pass the test. And after a motorcycle — hey — this was easy! I passed the test and later got the M1 endorsement on my driver’s license, allowing me to drive my scooter on state roads.

I found my scooter, with all of 8,340 miles on the odometer, on Craigslist and immediately named it Blanche because it is white… Blanche has been completely reliable during the course of this first year on the road. The great thing about riding a scooter — aside from getting 100 mpg — is the sensory experience of moving through space with the air and the light all around you. And there’s the pleasure of zipping around corners and gliding down a hill.

Sounds pleasant, doesn’t it? Are you ready to make the switch to a scoot (if you haven’t already, of course)?