Scooters: The Great Equalizers

Since the 70s I've loved the sight of Volkswagen Beetles on the roads. They always seemed to have an "I really don't care" attitude about their appearances on highways full of cars, many of which are supposed to be status symbols. All of the traditional status cars are kind of brought down a notch or two in having to share the road with the humble Beetle, and I like that because I don't have much use for snobs of any sort, even the mechanical variety.

Besides that, I'm s sucker for cute little things - like scooters, for example. I'm apt to coo, "Awwww, isn't it adorable," when I see a small bike that I haven't seen before. Sometimes I miss the Fly for its cuteness factor among other things like forcing me to slow down and savor the things past which I ride.

This remains one of my favorite shots of the little bugger, poised in the parkade overlooking part of the downtown skyscape. It almost looks as if it's ready to soar above the rooftops, and that's the feeling it gave me many times while it carried me around the valley through familiar scenes and parts till then unknown.

I've become somewhat of a scooter preacher, encouraging anybody who expresses the slightest interest in getting a scooter to go ahead and do it. I took my first ride at age 49 and will regret for many years to come that I didn't do it much sooner. There's such a sense of freedom in being on two wheels that I'll never be able to describe though I might try here from time to time to put it into words. And, I must admit that I enjoy that feeling of forcing the luxury vehicles to share the road with my humble scooter. Their drivers might have their heated seats, individual sound controls, and real wood trim, but they'll never experience quite the same feeling of being alive that I have on my two small wheels.