Gotta Scoot!
A few weeks ago, I subbed for Kati on a Sunday morning, and, feeling the need for some exercise after devouring a few too many fundraiser goodies, I decided to ride my bicycle to work. Kati often commutes by bike herself, as do Jonathan and Mark. The ride in was very easy despite the darkness; there were hardly any cars on the road at that hour (5:30am on a Sunday!) and the weather was fine. My trip home was a bit more difficult, largely due to a wrong turn that meant I’d accidentally committed myself to riding a rather lengthy stretch of Northern Speedway – er, Parkway. Still, I felt pretty safe throughout most of the journey.
Much as I admire my “biker” colleagues, I don’t see myself cycling to work on a regular basis for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty of making grocery runs, heavy late afternoon traffic, and my typical work wardrobe. Skirts and dresses aren’t usually the best biking attire, or at least I haven’t figured out how to make them work for such activities. So, perhaps I could find another fabulously retro mode of two-wheeled transportation? Indeed I could!
Meet my new scooter, La Gatta Nera. I just got her last week and have only had the chance to ride her once (darn busy weekends!) but I already adore her. I’ve been a fan of vintage and vintage-inspired scooters all my life and the thought of getting up to 117mpg didn’t make this 50cc beauty any less attractive. Weather permitting, I’ll commute to work on her tomorrow, but don’t be concerned that I’ve met a horrible fate if you don’t hear me on the air at 10am. I’m doing Judith’s show this Friday, so won’t hit the airwaves until 3pm. If you see me scooting around Baltimore (my silver glitter helmet, a/k/a The Disco Ball, will help confirm my identity) please wave, and of course, stay tuned!
Tags:commute, commuting, driving, environment, gas mileage, helmet, new york, public transit, safety, scooter, subway
