Modern Buddy

I got my scooter back from the shop in April. Since then, I have driven the cage to work about 6 times.

So this morning, for the second morning this week, it was misty on the ride to work. I did not wear rain gear and only had the tops of my thighs slightly damp. Yes, the roads were wet, but not flooded out.

The people at work are well aware that I ride as a preference-always. They know that I have and use a scooter skirt and wear gear.

The girl who rides on the back of her husband's Harley but does not ride for herself thinks it is HILARIOUS! She loves to tease me about this or that. It is funny for the first 5 gazillion times.

But what is really getting old is the shock when I go walking in wearing my jacket or when someone has seen my scooter out in the parking lot and they are absolutely stunned-shocked-freakin' flabbergasted that I rode the scoot in to work that day!

My current answer to their, "did you ride the scooter today???" question is: "Yup, I got it to ride, not to decorate my driveway (or garage)."

It usually gets a laugh.

I am just SO sick of answering the same question every freaking day!

Don't people learn? Don't they get it? My reply is NOT that funny, definitely not so funny you would want to hear it 700 times!

So, please tell me how lucky I am, how easy I really have it and what kind of replies you guys use for idiots!

The mic is yours.

-v

My favorite is, "You rode your scooter all the way here? (35 miles) But...how did you get here? Isn't the interstate dangerous?"

Yes, I rode it...all the way...here. I took a road. Yes, but I didn't take THAT road. I took the roads I used to take when I rode my bicycle here. (That usually leaves them picking up their jaw and gives me a chance to escape.)

Nobody really says anything about me riding to work. The otherday however, I was joking around with an employee and said something like "I'll kick yer ass" in a joking manner, and another employee about 20 years old says, "yah he drives a scooter, I'd be scared..." in a smart ass way.
Mind you I'm his boss, so I calmly said, "Well I'm gonna ride my scooter to work tommorow, and you can have your mom drive you around looking for a job." and I walked away. the look on his face was priceless, and no, I did not fire the kid, but I could have

I did used to get the "YOU RODE YOUR BIKE (bicycle) TODAY!" in Chicago when I'd ride in the winter, and after the 10,000 time hearing it I wanted my reponse to be
"NO asshole, I put this rediculous neoprene outfit, giant bike bag, and helmet on, and my breath is frozen to my face, because I did not ride my effing bike to work today, like I do almost every effin day."

Never said it, but I know I wanted to. Take it in stride , and know your probably happier than every person that asks you.

Sometimes it's those snappy, witty rejoinders that keep them coming back for more. They're either amused by it or get some sort of mildly sadistic pleasure out of believing that they've gotten under your skin a bit.

I found that all of the office crap stopped soon after I just started answering inane questions with "Yup", and "Nope".

It's sorta like feeding forum trolls: once you stop, they lose interest and go look for someone else to bother.

It doesn't bother me yet.
Besides, I'm really hoping to talk someone into buying a Buddy!

I got that question for the first several months and then after they saw I ride everyday rain or shine they do not ask anymore.

I can't count how many times I got that question during the winter.

I would walk in the door after we had 10 inches of snow the previous night...

Q "did you ride your scooter in today?"
A "Not today."


I pry the frozen door open wearing athletic socks, ski socks, Sorel boots, regular underwear, thermal under wear, blue jeans, t shirt, long sleeve shirt, fleece sweat shirt, Columbia ski jacket, fleece hat and thinsulate ski gloves because the ambient temperature is -25 F and there is a 20mph wind.

Q "did you ride Buddy in today?"
A "nope, a little too cold today."
By the way, I'm not kidding about all the clothes or the temperature.


I show up at work during severe thunderstorms with tornado warnings.

Q "where's Buddy today?"
A "home in the basement, which is where I'd be if I was smart"


I show up at work on a perfectly sunny 75 F morning with a gentle westerly breezes. I am wearing a leather jacket, helmet, and gloves.

Q "did you ride in today?"
A "duh!"


The point is, they will ask the question no matter what. I think it looks like fun to them but they are too cowardly to be seen as a lowly scooterist.

I am really jealous, waiting people to ask me if I rode the scooter to work today. It rained all week in middle Tennessee and I did not get the chance to ride it. But it was nice this evening and I took my son for his first scooter ride.

I wear my helmet all the way to my office and just nod at people. They see a helmet, they assume you can't hear them. I also wear my helmet through out the day.

I'm wearing my helmet right now, actually. I feel safe when I'm in my helmet.

My wife says I need help. I just pretend I can't hear her... you know, cause of the helmet. She doesn't buy that anymore.

Lostmycage wrote:I wear my helmet all the way to my office and just nod at people. They see a helmet, they assume you can't hear them. I also wear my helmet through out the day.

I'm wearing my helmet right now, actually. I feel safe when I'm in my helmet.

My wife says I need help. I just pretend I can't hear her... you know, cause of the helmet. She doesn't buy that anymore.

You know you're screwed for excuses when they break out the pen and paper.

Cheshire wrote:You know you're screwed for excuses when they break out the pen and paper.

Nah. After a while of faking senility, you get really good at it.

Or genuinely loony...

Would you believe that I've convinced my wife that I can't read her hand-writing?

I've come up w/ a collection jar at work. Some people have them for swearing; 25 cents for every swear word or something (in which case, I'd owe the national debt.

See, my boss is a big V8 guy. Everything he has has a high HP V8 in it. I mention the word "scooter," he breaks out laughing. One day, a coworker of mine asked if I had a motorcycle, since I came into the office carrying my mesh jacket & my helmet. My boss overhears this, scurries over so as to join the fun. He says, "You've been telling her you have a motorcycle?" even before I had responded. I said, "The thing is a scooooooter. Scooter. NOT a motorcycle!"

Bad idea. They went on and on and on about it for a good SOLID TEN MINUTES.

The next day, I guess my boss realized that this chit is starting to get old. So he suggested well, why don't we put a jar out, and every time I mention anything negative related to scooters/scootering, I'll put $1 in there.

I said, how about make that $10 for ANY mention of scooter?!! Boss is like well, at $1, at least you'd get SOME money, but at $10, you're not likely to. I told him that I'm much more interested in the relative silence rather than the money!

Well, it's been several days. No money yet, but no mention either.

Once when asked by a coworker "Are you still riding your bike?" I answered casually, "No, I left it outside when I got here."

Lostmycage wrote:Nah. After a while of faking senility, you get really good at it.

Wouldn't work for me at my job. They have an actual Alzheimer's ward there, and they'd stop telling me the code to get out.

I park my Stella right next to the Harley's, Ducati's and others that come to work everyday..........they tried to give me shit in the beginning, but I made it clear that I didn't really care, and reminded them that I make more than them, and if I wanted something like what they have, I would have bought one...........but I still get the dumb questions like the person from Wisconsin....just not as often because we have better weather here........lol.

I also got the question the day after we were closed for a snowstorm. I just grit my teeth and said, "no, not today."

I loved being asked by a supervisor if I had let my children (ages 10 and 13, at the time) ride my scooter yet. I bit back the reply I wanted with every fiber of my being to say and instead just told her that I am not in the habit of allowing unlicensed individuals to operate my motor vehicles. She just blinked at me a few times and walked away.

-v

I get the 'did you ride your scooter today' everyday...even when I say that I cannot due to a flat tire...over and over. Even give them the date it will be fixed, still they ask. NSR - my wife is from South Africa and seriously was asked how long it took to drive here.

Rbuddy wrote:I get the 'did you ride your scooter today' everyday...even when I say that I cannot due to a flat tire...over and over. Even give them the date it will be fixed, still they ask. NSR - my wife is from South Africa and seriously was asked how long it took to drive here.

I had mentioned that someday I would like to go to Bermuda and ride scooters there. Someone actually asked me if I would ride my scooter to get there. I just shook my head and walked away.

-v

Scooter/motorcycle parking is right by the employee entrance so everyone sees it when they come in. Last winter I would have peolpe ask me "You rode your scooter in today?" ... I would answere "Noooo, it's way to cold for that so I just pushed it here."

Buddy_wannabe wrote:Scooter/motorcycle parking is right by the employee entrance so everyone sees it when they come in. Last winter I would have peolpe ask me "You rode your scooter in today?" ... I would answere "Noooo, it's way to cold for that so I just pushed it here."

I might steal that answer someday.

I deal with the opposite. On the rare occasion I drive the car, I get, "why didn't you ride today?" All the guys REALLY want to ride it but I only let people I really like ride it. polianarchy, alienmeatsack, my ex-husband and my dad

I've gotten more crap from co-workers for NOT riding my scooter. I'll ride in the cold but I will generally avoid riding if rain or snow are in the forecast.

Sometimes I don't ride because rain is forecasted but then it doesn't rain and people give me crap. But hey, this is Colorado, and you just never know what kind of weather you'll get. Last year I rode to work on a perfectly warm day and by lunch there was a tornado touching down about 15 miles from where I worked. There was a brief break in the storm and I scooted home real quick and drove my cage back.

Very occasionally I'll drive if I have to pick up something heavy or large on the way home from work. I almost always get the "oh, you didn't ride today?" question.

I like to think that people's stupid comments are a way to try to connect or relate. They don't have anything better to say so they make a random comment about something they know means a lot to me- my scooter!

Yes, it's called small talk and it's a social norm.

Similar to asking people you see, "Hi, how you doing?"

You don't really want to know, and they (usually) don't want to tell you, but it's an acknowledgement of their existence. So when people ask if I rode in to work when it's already over a hundred degrees at 8:00am, I'll say "Yep", or "sure". It's a minimal response to a nearly rhetorical question, but that is the stuff of community.

(The second time you see a person in a day really shows how well you know that person or how good friends you are.)

so I have this dumbass co-worker who though she'd be cute and take a picture of a pink scooter with the rider wearing a pink helmet, and photoshop a caption saying it was me riding my scoot around N. Arlington. Regardless, I'm a dude, with a black scoot, and black halfshell helmet. What really chaps my ass is that... 1) I'm not BUDDIES with her, or on any sort of joking around level, and 2) she has no form of motorized bike... motorcycle, scooter, dirtbike, moped, sportbike, or even a bicycle. She rides her fat ass 3 miles to work in a monstrosity SUV. I pointed out that she has no business talking shit if we're not BUDDIES like that, and especially that her fat ass hides in an SUV. Granted I could've called her out on it in private and not in front of everyone in the firehouse. She didn't quite like the fact that I speak my mind face to face and not behind a facebook page. I also threw in a comment that she can piss off. Another cute side note, her fiance was there and witnessed the whole thing. I'm the designated driver for his bachelor party!

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:so I have this dumbass co-worker.... I also threw in a comment that she can piss off. Another cute side note, her fiance was there and witnessed the whole thing. I'm the designated driver for his bachelor party!

Have fun at the wedding BootScootin'FireFighter.

Yeah I kind of agree w/Syd, I think for the most part its actually people making an effort to acknowledge you at a more personal level than just saying "good morning", or "greetings coworker." At my job, I work w/people with cognitive disabilities doing job training. Last year one of my interns asked me almost every morning "you scoot it today?" The question was part fascination w/my odd mode of conveyance, but mostly it was a script that was being followed. I think this is probably true in most situations.

As for the Harley rider's wife/girlfriend, she's just pointing out that her significant other is more masculine than you are, which helps validate her choices in life.

O man, I LOVE being asked that question! I leap at any chance to talk about my scooters. It used to be I got a lot of weather-related questions, which I would answer by explaining I'd get a lot wetter, colder, etc., waiting for the effin' bus. Now that I got a Stella, I get to pontificate about why I chose one over the other on that particular day. I love talking about my gear, and how I lock up, and all that other boring crapola.

lmyers wrote:All the guys REALLY want to ride it but I only let people I really like ride it. polianarchy, alienmeatsack, my ex-husband and my dad

Wow, I'm in some good company there! Wish I'd gotten pictures.

polianarchy wrote:Wow, I'm in some good company there! Wish I'd gotten pictures.

San Antonio, baby!

You know what I think it is? People are generally TERRIFIED of other people who have confidence enough to do their own thing. It doesn't matter if you drive scooter, Harley, VW bus, if you have a whacked-out hairdo, whatever it is. Just have the knowledge that you are who you are; no amount of teasing will ever change that (or change the fact that cars suck ).

I don't get too much of the questions any more. For years I commuted by bicycle and was told I would be squashed soon. Then it changed to "you sure are in decent shape for your age" as heart attacks and other aggravating little experiences in life reared their heads.
Once I started riding scooters to work the manly men made their usual comments but soon stopped when they realized I ignored the weather for the most part and they refused to ride if the weather report didn't promise completely clear skies for the entire southeast region of the country. Also they got a bit peeved when I told them it takes a real man to ride a scooter.
Now the only question I get is "What did you ride today?" or "Why didn't you ride today?"
I have heard that I am considered "hard core", but gee, I just like to ride and my clothes might get wet, but God made me water proof. It runs right off.
I think I'll start riding my bike again off and on as soon as this new hip gets settled in.

I worked with a guy who gave me shit about riding a scooter because it wasn't a real bike, he road a Harley. One day I asked him why he didn't ride to work. He said it took to much time to clean it up after a ride, so he only joy rode on the weekends in nice weather. Now when he says anything I say "riders ride" and ask him about his garage which I call the "Harley Museum".

"Riders Ride". I think that's a great answer to just about any silly "did you ride..." question. Keep giving the same answer every time you're asked one of "those" questions and the people will eventually stop asking...

Q: Did you ride to work today?
A: Riders Ride

Q: Ride in the rain today?
A: Riders Ride

Q: Pretty cold riding today huh?
A: Riders Ride

Q: You ride your scooter to where?
A: Riders Ride

Well the term "fair weather" comes to mind whether it be friends or riders. Some folks let weather get in the way of fun. In the friend dept I think it refers to people don't like to hang around with little black rains clouds (as I've known myself to be a time or two) but yeah, some folks can't get outside their own heads to imagine how someone else thinks.

You're not a fair weather rider, you're an all weather rider. Don't let those who don't get that get you down.

jijifer wrote:but yeah, some folks can't get outside their own heads to imagine how someone else thinks.

You've just put your finger on the one thing that I find the most frustrating in life. (Aside from the way mosquitoes buzz in your ear when you're trying to sleep.)

Judging from all the responses, my co workers at the school are an unusual lot. The majority of comments this old guy received when I started riding my Buddy 150 to work six months ago wer "Cool!", "Neat!" "I'm thinking of getting one." "How fast will it go." and, at the end of one school day when I was folding up the cover that hid it from prying eyes, the security guys came up in their golf cart and said, "We were wanting to take a look at it." From students and staff alike, I've gotten nothing but respect.

I get a lot of that this time of year, though I notice the "Did you ride that here today?" questions are usually more tinged with awe than with scorn.

All in all 99% if the time is very positive, and they usually follow up with the usual, "But isn't it kinda slow.... Or whats it get for gas milage, like 35?" so they're more interested than anything.

The guys in the office even have a running pool to guess what type of weather it'll take to keep me from riding, last I checked there was $50 in it, and nobody had won yet

I received a lot of teasing when I began riding a scooter to work. Now, I only get grief when I don't ride, things like "what, too cold for you [insert pejorative here]."

Buddy_wannabe wrote:Scooter/motorcycle parking is right by the employee entrance so everyone sees it when they come in. Last winter I would have peolpe ask me "You rode your scooter in today?" ... I would answere "Noooo, it's way to cold for that so I just pushed it here."

I love that one! My typical response is "of course I did - It's too freakin cold to walk that far

Gosh, lives there a scooter or motorcycle rider anywhere that doesn't enjoy a little attention regarding his/her ride. Enjoy the fact that folks notice and call it good!

Hey, new here and just got my Buddy 125.

It's interesting to read comments like this because I live right dab smack in the middle of the city of San Francisco and ride my scooter to work every day. In fact it's hard to find parking since there are so many scooters taking up the motorcyle parking spots.