Why Driving a Scooter is Sexy, Not Silly
9,000 miles of soul
Being economical is sexy.
A man on a street corner in Laguna Beach once told me driving a scooter is silly. He was only half addressing me, as he held his phone and wore his sunglasses under his slicked back hair. I had walked by him with a smile, minding my business, coffee in hand, happy to be alive in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, breathing in ocean air. It’s amazing how difficult some people find it to be happy at the beach.
In hindsight, it would have been awesome if I had burst out in song: “Leave me alone, let me live my life. Leave me alone, let me live it up.” Major Lazer never fails to come through when a mood lift is in order. I just made a mental note about this idea. Can you freaking imagine?! I can so see it. Another option is that I could have turned to him and smiled, as I flipped him the bird. But what I said instead was, “Thanks for the advice. I hope you have a great day.” Curse my awkwardness!
I hopped on my scooter and drove southbound. I stopped to get gas as I got closer to my place. I pulled up to the gas pump and parked the scooter. I grabbed my debit card and was about to insert it into the reader when I noticed the numbers from the previous sale. I couldn’t help but giggle in triumph. You think driving a scooter is silly, Slick? How about paying this much for gas every week?! I snapped some before and after photographs to celebrate my silliness.
Being focused is sexy.
When was the last time you totally focused on driving? I mean, ONLY driving? It’s quite the experience! When I got the Vespa, it was my first time driving a motorbike, so I was acutely aware of my need to be alert. I needed to pay attention for myself, and for everyone else on the road. I needed to drive defensively, constantly.
As I got more used to driving, I realized there would never come a point when I would drive it fully on autopilot, nor did I want to. I also realized I didn’t want to get an earpiece for my phone or anything like that. The only thing I ever added to the experience, on occasion, was music.
I actually really enjoyed the driving experience, on its own. I enjoyed feeling the wind on my face and body. I enjoyed paying closer attention to everything around me. I enjoyed feeling more connected to the earth and the people I drove with. And I’m no expert, but I think being focused on one thing like driving might do our brains good. It certainly helped clear some things that needed clearing from my mind.
Being free is sexy.
It’s difficult to fully grasp until you do it yourself, as with everything in life. There is something so damn liberating about driving a two-wheeled vehicle. Looking around is easier. Finding parking is simpler. Navigating traffic is less frustrating. Heck, sometimes you get to skip ahead. As a woman, I got to let my hair go wild and have a fantastic excuse for it. (Ok, I do this anyway, but still.)
After only driving the scooter for two years, I finally got myself into a car. It’s one I very much enjoy and picked carefully. I opted for a manual transmission because I enjoy driving them more than automatics — and, driving stick helps one stay connected to the driving experience more. I am absolutely in love with my new car. No doubt about it. But I noticed something interesting within the first month of driving.
I was driving somewhere, talking on the carphone system thing — didn’t take me long to think I could multitask, did it? — when I got frustrated. The person in the car next to me apparently forgot how to drive in that exact moment because I was cursing their inability to commit. GASP! Road rage! I had completely forgotten about this phenomenon!
I tell you the truth, in all my time driving the scooter, I never once felt road rage. I felt free of all the typical driving frustrations. Sure, sometimes I found it funny when someone would speed around me to immediately stop at a red light, but I never got angry. I was too light and free to get angry. It’s like my brother said when I first got the scooter: “Four wheels move the body, but two wheels move the soul.”
All images © Lindsay Lonai Linegar 2019
