Youthful ignorance. Took that up with the track team in high school. No training or coaching — just hand you a pole and hope the upper classmen show you how it’s done. No airbags then — just sand, saw dust, or if you were lucky, shredded foam rubber in the landing pit. And the first pole I used was aluminum — not much flex and a real jolt to the back if you didn’t do things right when planting the pole. That’s how I injured my back. There was one fiberglas Browning Skypole (think that’s what it was called) and it had a little more flex. I abandoned pole vaulting after the injury for the relative safety of high jumping and triple jump. I stunk at both…

Hmm…pole-vaulting? I’m practically cringing at the thought…

I’ve been lucky so far that no one has caused me harm on the road. Or damaged the scooter through any direct actions while it was parked. And thinking about all my other vehicular enterprises, I’ve had one accident in a car back in 1976 (my fault), one unfortunate scrape on the VW Campmobile in a muddy field the day I passed my driver’s test in 1970, and nothing on bicycles since the 1960s. I have more sports related injuries than anything else. Those were a combination of self-inflicted (pole vaulting) and inflicted by others (football). Never really liked sports. Still don’t actually — playing or watching. I’m too lazy I guess.

Anyways, the GTS is fine to ride. The alignment is cosmetic. I’ll get to it eventually.

There have been any number of totaled front bicycle wheels, plus one bent frame, accompanied by lots of assorted bruises and contusions, from both head-on and broadside crashes over the years, all but one of which was caused by carelessness on the part of The Other Guy (yes, always a guy). In the cycling world, of course, it takes all kinds, whereas in the motorized world, ostensibly one must demonstrate a minimum level of competence before you’re let loose with a pair, or set, of wheels; how one displays said competence is, of course, another matter.

Hope your GTS mends nicely, and quickly. And, yes…watch those “shortcuts.”

Hah. I need an orthopedic surgeon for this fix. Cosmetically the Vespa is lovely. I may wait a bit and have it done when I need the oil changed…

Nothing a good ‘plastic surgeon’ can’t deal with.

No damage to me other than my pride. Scooter can be fixed. But like you say, things can happen unexpectedly leading to big results. I’ve learned and am moving along.

Paul is a philosopher.

Exactly. Those little actions will get you.

Definitely shaking it off and still moving.