Yesterday I was riding on my Vespa from Pasadena to the area in Griffith Park known as Fern Dell to do some yoga in the park with fellow yogis (tres LA). The area gets its name for its lush green hiking trail overflowing with ferns. The day, as you can imagine, was sunny and warm. It was still fairly early in the day so the traffic was still pretty light. The two wheeled traffic, however, was noticeably heavy. There was no doubt that motorcycle riders were taking advantage of just another gorgeous weekend in LA. What has come to be more common lately is the number of scooters out on the road. Red ones, blue ones, green ones, yellow ones, and riders from all walks of life, from hipsters to portly old men. Scooters and their riders come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Gas prices, of course, is the driving force behind the scooter explosion, but the beauty is that these scooter newbies are finding out that there is no better way to see LA than from the cushy seat of a scooter. The world is wide open when you see it from outside of a cage. Places you have passed countless times before somehow seem to come alive when you cruize by on a scooter. Besides the aesthetic appeal they also bring smiles to many faces. On a scooter you are actually spreading joy, and God only knows that LA needs more of that. If all of that isn’t enough to convince you that LA is a better scene from scooter-back, consider that insurance on one those little babies is about $300 a year, and at the gas pump… it’s criminal… $7.00 to fill a tank that will go for abut 120 miles.
Quick, run to the nearest dealer! But don’t be surprised if they are temporarily sold out. Everyone seems to be jumping on the scooter train. While you’re waiting for your scooter to arrive you can take a motorcycle safety course because you’re going to need skills to navigate LA’s busy streets. Don’t let them scare you, just pay attention.
