I made it official and surrendered my $5 a month bus pass for a yearly motorcycle parking permit that costs $24 annually. I have been commuting by Vespa through the winter but was resisting giving up the pass. That meant parking in town and walking to my office—a hike of almost a mile. It was probably good exercise but I got tired of the rush so now I can park right next to my office.
There are only three motorcycle spaces and because I get to work early I have displaced one of the other commuters. I saw one of the Harley riders pull up next to my scooter and look it over. I wondered if he has planning to toss it aside to make room for a real machine….
There were thunderstorms through the night and I had decided that a ride in a heavy rain would be good for the soul. Everything was wet at 5:30AM but when I left the house at 7AM there was a clear sky and the mist was giving way to an absolutely beautiful morning. I stopped along the way to shoot this photo with Mount Nittany in the background.
By the time I left work it was raining hard. I had my raingear and the ride was fun. I was dry and careful and there was not a lot of traffic. About halfway home the rain stopped and the sun came out. Just a great day to commute!
I love those mornings when the sun comes out and dries away a storm. The air is cleaned up and it speaks of promise.
As for the Harley rider, the real machine was already there. The elaborate prop had to park elsewhere!
Hi Steve
Love your blog! I came across it googling for information about the LX 150 (I’m thinking about getting one). A quick question: how far do you actually commute to work each day?
The direct route is about six miles one-way. Often I take a more meandering route that is about 10 miles. The Vespa easily handles that distance. The only real limitation would be time or how early I felt like getting up…
steve
Tango,
Thanks for the kind words about the blog. The Vespa LX150 is a solid machine and has real utilitarian uses commuting just being one of them.
steve