Remember Ben's buddy? Now he's mine! I can say that now, after two *mostly* successful weeks of scooting to work. After that first failed attempt to drive the scooter, I was perfectly content sitting in back, with my arms around Ben's waist. But there comes a time when a girl just needs to get back on the horse.
So, I spent two weekends making lap after lap around the park by our house before finally gearing up the courage to go beyond our neighborhood, to take a trial run to my office, and even fill up at a gas station. I took a wrong turn on that last bit and ended up on a busier road than I intended, resulting in an experience not unlike the 1st minute and 20th second of this. Even still, I was determined to be a scooter commuter.
Now that I'm a professional, let me share a few tips with you:
1) Handlebars are NOT like coat racks. Do not put a bag across them because that's where your gas "pedal" is, and the chances of the straps of your bag keeping your throttle engaged is highly likely. And it will probably take you a few blocks to realize why your breaks aren't working as well. And you might even have to manually stop the scooter at one point by hopping off your seat and straddling the thing because otherwise you would have rear ended the car in front of you.
2) Headbands are not comfortable when one is wearing a helmet. Nor are barrettes, buns, braids, or ponytails. Get used to wearing your hair down. And get used to the windblown, straggly look, because no matter what condition you leave your house in, this is how you will arrive at your destination.
3) If you want to look fashionable while scooting, work your way up. Don't start with the stilettos. Balance and kick stands can be quite tricky, so practice with those kitten heels first.
4) Don't assume that knee-length skirts are safe. Two words: wind gusts.
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