VESPA-ING THE FOG

As stated in my first entry ever in the blog, I've been riding a motor scooter to cut down on my emissions (thus reducing my personal carbon foot print and contribution to global warming) and to use a heck of lot less gas - even less than the so-called 'high milage cars'.

Part of that process is to continue to make my scooter - currently the 2007 Vespa LX150 - my main ride. It takes discipline and the willingness to go or do things I normally reserve for a car.

Today was case in point. I had to travel to Bowling Green State University today on a personal business. The trip from my house is about 22 miles -half of which is on Ohio Route 25.

I had contemplated riding down there before, but felt it was too daunting and I had concerns I'd get blown off the road by a semi passing me at high-speed (the LX150 only weighs 240 lbs).

In addition, when I originally began to scooter-ride I was on a 2005 Yamaha 125 and I told myself I'd never leave the confines of city or town riding on scooter. And I kept to that promise to myself while I owned the the Vino.

But when I got the Vespa last July, something changed in me and I felt I could now attempt cross-county rides. I did so last August when by planned route on back country roads I made it out to the border of Williams County - about 60 miles away. Since then I've rode to Waterville (2x) - a distance of 20 miles via River Road; rode out to Archbold and Sauder's Farm and Craft Village - about 60 miles (again by planned route on country road) and I even managed to ride to Bowling Green on back roads too - this past Memorial Day.

But those were all recreational rides.

However, with this particular trip, I broke cherry - so-to-speak. I went vespa-ing in the fog while on personal business - a medical appointment - straight down Ohio 25. It took me about an hour from home to get there and I can't say I wasn't scared at some points and was taken aback to find out how quickly moisture from the fog gathered on my goggles (I couldn't even keep the face-shield on my full-face helmet closed as the fog soon turned it opaque with moisture).

I had to stop two or three times on the tiny shoulder of Route 25 to wipe the googles clear (making me concerned that somebody doing the 'cell-phone clinch' in their car would plow into me at 60 mph), but it all worked out - everyone saw me and decided to go in the left lane - leaving the right to me. I arrived in Bowling Green without incident.

This convinces me that commuting a long distance, even on the LX150 with 150 cc engine (max
speed I get, per GPS, is about 55 mph with wind at my back) is possible.

Of course the Interstate system will always be off limits unless I buy a touring scooter someday (250 cc or better). But I think that unlikely because that type of scooter would likely get under 50 mpg in the city (I currently get 55 mpg - 61 on the open road with throttle wide-open).

But if I plan the trip and am willing to take an extra hour or two (with more frequent gasoline stops) I imagine I can travel pretty much anywhere I want on the Vespa except up super steep hills.

And of course I'm limited by weather: no riding in heavy rain, lightening/thunder, snow/ice or temperatures below freezing.

But by and large today's accomplishment shows me that you my fellow Americans can do the same. But are you willing? I don't think so.

Today, on my way to B.G. while waiting to turn off the Trail in Maumee I counted the number of single passenger gas guzzlers that went by. In the short 1 to 1 1/2 minutes I counted about 10 - a mixture of SUV's, minivans and even a Hummer. All headed toward downtown Toledo - where I can probably win a bet that every one of those folks works behind a desk and has no real reason to move their vehicles for lunch - except not wanting to be limited to carrying lunch with them or not being limited to the downtown hash houses for the same.

I can, in my imagination, see everyone of those people riding scooters (or the TARTA bus on bad weather days) to work. Yes, I can imagine it, but for those people (and for most) it is not even a glimmer in the back of their minds. Most likely some of those ten people were probably even trying the gas saving method of ‘windmilling' as outlined on Channel 11 recently.

Oil closed today $122.29 - a $13 drop since Memorial Day - which translates to a possible 30 cent drop in the price of gas. I bought it today for $3.869 in BG (which is 33 cents less than the high of $4.19 I paid on the Friday before Memorial Day). Today's price was still higher than two weeks ago when I filled my car (its once a month fill-up) at $3.759.

I and all of you out there brought it down, according to Bloomberg, by using 4.7% less fuel on Memorial Day. But you - the gas guzzler owners - were the chief movers and shakers here, I believe. You CAN do it, but I don't think you'll sustain it. Why?

Case in point - yesterday I attended a meeting of the Northwest Ohio Geocachers (I'm into the hobby of geocaching). As I was leaving one of my fellow geocachers noted I rode there on my Vespa. He asked what my gas millage was and I told him. He, who was just about to get into his huge pick-up truck, responded in very matter of fact manner that he'd gotten 10 mpg on Memorial Day 'cause he had to haul his big boat to Mochian State Park. He then said vacations are going to be expensive.

All I could do was smile and, inside myself, shake my head - for I realized you, my people, have a very, very, very long way to go before real change happens. None of you is yet willing to let the car culture go - and most of you saw the busting of the $4.00 per gallon as just a thing you can gut out. Too bad oil went down - for our own sakes it needs to go up and stay up for a quite while.

Oh, well - hurricane season arrived early this year with Tropical Storm Arthur on May 31st - having a sex-change from Tropical Storm Alma on the western coast of Central America - a very rare event (the official day, by the way, is June 1st). Most predictors have slated a slamming season. We've lucked out for the last two, but I don't think the law of averages is going to let us get away with it much longer. Hopefully a combo of a hurricane or two right up the Gulf of Mexico (where Katrina slammed our gasoline alley there in 2005) and add to it some geo-political trouble in the Middle East plus continued skyrocketing consumption of the Chinese and Indians and I think that will do to the price of gasoline what market forces cannot seem to do - raise up 'em and keep 'em there - and finally send a message to most of you, my fellow citizens, that major change is needed in your lives. It's tragically unfortunate that it means reality has to take a great big wet bite out of your ass to convince ya.