August 2008 Archives

I got pulled over by the cops last night, NYPD Blue-style.

I've only been pulled over once - when I was sixteen. It's funny, how it happened last night, because I thought I was getting out of the way so they could pursue the real criminal who had triggered those flashing lights and sirens. Oh - that would be me?

Occasionally I find myself poring over the scooter classifieds for some ungodly reason; perhaps I like to torture myself. I enjoy trying on different personalities as I imagine acquiring each lustworthy scooter. My outdoorsy, rugged Pacific Northwest alter-ego on a Big Ruckus loaded with gear for a weekend getaway. Or the meticulously restored, pink and white 1962 Vespa Super that I ride to my ladies' luncheon at an outdoor cafe. Or the venom yellow rat bike Rally perfect for drag racing in my black Corazzo hoodie.

I enjoy accessorizing.

Both of my Cupcakes are toying with the idea of getting their very own two wheels. As fabulous as it is to ride pillion on Aphrodite, sooner or later, everyone gets bit by the scooter bug. I indulge my vicarious thrills by shopping for them.

Maybe it's the Vespa paraphernalia plastered all over my cubicle at work, or the helmet on my desk, or my close encounters with coworkers in the parking garage. It could even be the fact that I frequently arrive in the morning soaking wet. But everyone at my day job knows I'm way into scooters.

If I come in on Monday with a sunburned nose, they ask if I rode a lot over the weekend. After stopping for gas on the way in, they tell me they were considering a scooter. People I've never met stop by to ask for my advice on the feasibility of commuting on two wheels. "I heard you're the Scooter Girl," they say in a hushed tone. "Can you hook me up with the 411?"

I heartily endorse the acquisition of a scooter, and I intersperse every sentence with, "Take the safety course." If it's your first scooter, get an automatic. Take the safety course. Parking can be much easier on a scooter. Take the safety course. I'd recommend a 150cc if you live in the 'burbs. Take the safety course. Oh, and - take the safety course.

Bodhi, Hairy LaPinch, Safety Ed, Victoria and RogerTango throwing
the Westenders gang sign and hanging tough in West Seattle.

I'm not sure my friend Victoria knew what she was getting herself into, moving to the West Coast. Or, more specifically, moving in with me. Let's not blame Seattle at large for my borderless insanity.

Big People Scooters was named "Best Number to Have Tucked Into Your Italian-made Leather Jacket" by Seattle Weekly.

I would argue that AAA is a better number, since they're open 24-hours.

But Big People's is a good back-up. Read the full report here.

I haven't updated because I've been riding non-stop, as evidenced by my gas consumption for the past two weeks. When the sun is out in Seattle, one does not lollygag in front of a computer, my friends.

I've put nearly 3,000 miles on the GTS now so I made my appointment for the next scheduled service. I'm told it's a quickie - fuel filter, I think, and some other things. Seems I'd be needing a rear tire around now but they look good as new to me. It's a good thing I scheduled the service ahead of time - I had to book out three weeks because they're so busy. Tis the season.

This gas update is brought to you by the new MPG Calculator at Scooterworks.com. Those kids. Always trying to make stuff easier on me.

My love of two-wheeled machines is surpassed only by my love of four-legged creatures. I have the privilege of sharing my home with Princess Nevadelia Lotus Blossom. I've been her servant for almost four years. She is a ridiculously beautiful lynx-point Himalyan mix cat with a feather-duster tail. Despite the fact that her enormous blue eyes are crossed, she is a formidable moth slayer. Nevadelia adopted me from the local animal shelter and turned me into a certified cat worshipper.

You can imagine my insane delight when I discovered the Flickr group, Cats on Scooters. Their subtitle is, "Cats are taking over the world - and they're using scooters!"

While Nevadelia enjoys lounging on the sunny veranda of our residence, The Aloha Cabana, her reign is limited to the confines of the property because a free-roaming city cat is a dead cat. So I was stumped on how exactly I was going to participate in my new Flickr obsession with the cat on one side of the fence and my scooter on the other. Oh yeah... PhotoShop!

Cities need to start looking for places to tuck scooter-friendly parking spots where cars can't fit. Then nobody loses. Cars have all their allotted spaces, and scooters are making good use of real estate that would otherwise be wasted. I've never heard a scooterist complain about being given the leftovers - we're usually thrilled just to have a safe place to stow our scoots.

This space I found in the QFC parking lot on 15th is a perfect example. I'm not sure what it's intended for, but it's a perfect scooter spot with little barriers and everything!

The other place that would be good to sneak scooter spots are the sloped edges of parallel street parking. In Seattle, many of the curbs are "cut out" so the beginning and end of them are angled and cars can't fit. Usually they're painted red or white to let you know you can't park there. But they're perfect scooter spots. You can often squeeze two scooters in.

For example, on University Way (or "the Ave" for you locals), I see a lot of cycles tucked into these corners. We could easily fit 6 scooters per block if we were allowed to park there, without affecting the availability of car parking at all. Presently, many of those spots are painted as no parking zones, as I mentioned in a previous post. I know at least two other people besides myself who have recently gotten tickets for parking in those areas, painted or not.

It's all about getting creative. Maybe it's the blue-collar Yankee Ingenuity I was raised with, but I'm all about making do and making use of the resources at your disposal. We probably don't need to engage the city in expensive, red-tape laden parking revolutions. We just need a little less yellow paint and a receipt for our meter stickers.

This photo is from the Sustainable West Seattle fair. A couple of people asked me about the magnetic poetry yesterday's article in the West Seattle Herald referenced. Here it is!

Aphrodite was covered head to tail light in Sexual Innuendo Magnetic Poetry. It was fun for a few months and then i removed it because it was scratching my paint. Last week I found one lonely word lying on the floor of the garage, and stuck it to Celeste.