Memories in the Mist
Every dog I’ve owned for the past 25 years has peed on this tree. I’ve walked past it hundreds, if not thousands, of times and it seems unchanged. I can’t say the same myself. Riding to work on another foggy morning the Vespa seems to have a mind of its own — turning and taking me where it will. It’s especially strong with a scooter in fog.
Fog.
It’s not an ideal riding environment. Perhaps dangerous. Definitely presents more risk that any rider, scooter or motorcycle, should consider.
Fog and Traffic
I believe there’s no single right decision regarding riding in fog. Or rain, darkness or wind for that matter. Some riding skill books suggest only riding in warm weather during daylight hours with nothing affecting traction or visibility. That path has the least risk. One could go further and add no rush hour traffic, no heavy traffic, no high speed, no ill cared-for roads. The list of risks is long.
Very long.
I was talking with a friend yesterday who moved from central Pennsylvania to a place north of New York City. He described the difference in riding as one of anxiety producing risk where speed limits are ignored and everyone is in a competition to get ahead. Literally.
Different risk. Different choices.
Standing along the busiest route to work on a foggy morning I realize there are unique aspects of my riding environment that allows me to mitigate my risk more than my friend in New York. For those considering riding in fog here are some things in play for me:
- Other drivers are largely non-aggressive. If I slow down for the fog they do as well and not pressure or tailgate.
- There are plenty of opportunities for me to pull over and allow traffic to pass and then get back on the road. This isn’t possible in other parts of the country, especially in more urban areas where traffic never breaks.
- There are many ways to get where I’m going. Often roads with little to no traffic.
Scooter in Fog
I can’t resist. The visual stories are too strong. My imagination overpowers reason and I find myself in magical realms. When I grow up perhaps it will be different.
There’s fog on the mountains this morning. The clock counts down to a trip to the chiropractor and then a day of script writing. The fog sirens are loud though.
Great fog pics!
Luckily, your local drivers are apparently courteous, in the big cities, they’re pretty much idiots.
So I’ve heard.
Well captured, Steve. I am so with you on riding in the fog. However, one is not very likely to find a lot of courteous drivers in my neck of the woods, so defensive riding, and pulling out to get out of the way is quite mandatory.
I ride defensively here too. You can never been too careful. Fog the past few days. Rain tomorrow. I’ll see if I continue on in that mess.
I have also found that the majority of the drivers in my area are pretty courteous. Though there are always exceptions. I think that I’ve been tailgated by more bikes than any other vehicle….
I’ve never been tailgated by a motorcycle. At least not that I remember. Maybe they’re just trying to get a closer look at your rig!
Since moving to New York, I have come to appreciate the generally good road surfaces in Pennsylvania. Around here, they definitely don’t have two-wheeled vehicles in mind when patching roads. I was told it’s because tax money goes to New York city projects. Although, this was from a man on a rant.
Men on rants are pretty unreliable. NYC probably is a scapegoat for practically every ill in New York. Crappy patching is definitely a money issue though. Pennsylvania invests heavily in roads. Amazes me sometimes how many roads they pave.
I need to ride up your way soon.
Steve: Firstly, the photos…so wonderful. The proverbial 1000 words in each one, and then some.
Next: as an ex-New Yorker (next March marks my official second year since moving across the river to Asbury Park), and as a long-time cyclist in said city, I can say that the driving habits of your typical NYC resident, or out-of-town commuter, while not particularly civil, is rarely outright hostile – the state of Gotham’s streets and highways has become a pretty effective inhibitor for any quasi-homicidal antics. It is fairly rough for two-wheel folk, though, motorized or not. I was in town Thursday for (1) some freelance IT work for a good client, and (2) picking up some 20lbs or flash-frozen wild Sockeye salmon for Significant Other to bring back after finishing my work. To get from Asbury to Gotham and back means doing the park-and-ride thing, requiring a six-mile ride on Melody to Long Branch to catch a NJ Transit train (there’s a station in Asbury, but more trains depart from Long Branch, as it’s a transfer hub). From there I take a mostly-pleasant 90-minute-or-so ride to Penn Station in the heart of Manhattan, then take my chances with the MTA subway which, while a lifetime of riding the system leaves me knowing of like the back of my hand, almost always manages to throw me a curveball – in Thursday’s case, the L train being knocked out of service for practically the whole day. As I walked along in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to retrieve the desired box of frozen fish, I was witness to seriously slow, seriously snarled traffic from every direction: from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that loomed overhead to the streets below, everyone was getting nowhere fumingly fast. I watched one guy on a Triumph Street Triple dart around stuck cars and trucks, coming to a halt at a stop light, then, at the first glimmer of green, rev and rocket and snick-snick his way ahead of the pack, only to be forced to make a quick stop some 70 yards later. As I watched him, I thought, hell, Melody couldn’t get off the line quite that quick, but it’s certainly quick enough…and fat lot of good the Triple’s extra spunk did that guy.
Meanwhile, back across the river…getting off the train in Long Branch that evening, back on Melody, messenger bag sagging with the weight of that box of frozen fish (among other stuff), I took closer notice of the drivers I encountered on the six-mile return trip home. Jersey drivers don’t have the greatest rep in the world, either, but for the most part people in these parts are relatively civilized. Yes, there are always the few clueless idiots “in their screens” while attempting to do what they should be concentrating on, but from my cycling experience I’ve gotten pretty good at sussing them out from a distance and literally steering as clear as possible from them as possible. I make a point of never following too close, and, amazingly enough, four out of five drivers out here return the favor. (As far as that fifth driver goes, if and when conditions allow, I just pull over and let ’em pass; my biggest problem on secondary roads is with drivers who insist on driving well below the posted speed limit.) From my experience as a car passenger in PA, drivers there are at least a bit more civilized than even here, but I’ll know a bit better when I start riding there….hopefully soon, before it gets too cold.
Thanks for the kind words about the photographs. I find, more and more, I’m seeking stories in them. Not always sure what the story is but something presents itself that causes me to pick up the camera.
I suppose drivers are a reflection of the community as a whole and as you say you’ll find them mostly civil with the occasional outlier. I try to maintain a healthy respect for the masses of moving metal, keep expectations to a minimum, and generally engage is a thorough review and evaluation of what’s going on. It’s funny, when I move into more rural or forested areas my perspective changes to embrace the frequent deer, porcupines and other mammals that seem to find themselves on the road — quite suddenly at times. While it’s probably irrational, I’ve always thought if I have an accident a mammal will be involved — four legged….
Best of luck getting onto Pennsylvania roads before it’s too cold. 44F and windy here this morning. Will make for a bracing ride.
Hi Steve – once again you have captured the spirit of riding, the feeling of freedom and the beauty of nature! Thanks for your great blog and beautiful photos.
Thank you Sandi for your comments about the Scooter in Fog post. I’m glad to know that some of the feelings I have during the ride make it through to the screen…
Speaking of ‘the screen’… I’m ready to pop on wind screen . Bike being a Ves/200 -2002 . Have you found you fairly short screen heigth to meet most situations ? For this and misc. parts including front luggage rack, your favorite supplier ? Mine came with a painted to match bike,fairly spacious Vespa lockable box at rear.. and it’s cavernous design offer’s a welcome load capacity .. If i had a front rack.. I’d be looking for just the right all weather (important word) gear to place upon it… thinking of using Orleib bike gear since it’s so well proven in the bike arena . Roll top totally aqua proof . Your thoughts ?
My windscreen is short and basically removes the wind blast from my chest. Useful to me only in cold weather. I don’t like the taller ones because I don’t want to have to look through a screen.
As far as suppliers — I got my screen and front rack from eBay. Used, but like new, and very inexpensive. I’ve also purchased stuff from my local dealer and from Scooterwest in San Diego, California.
I have some aqua proof bags that I used for canoe trips. They work great to strap stuff on the front rack. I use one for a sleeping bag and other gear I want to keep dry.
Thinking as long as the fog surrounds you,
and you are not the cause of the fog all will be well.
As to other vehicles; the weather conditions
make no difference to the antics of motorized
veicles. It is as if outside
conditions do not have any effect on the movement of traffic.
As with swarms of critters, all move at the same pace
until encountering anything not movable.
The posted limit may be 100 km/h. The actual limit is
anything beyond said posted limit, and that can mean “anything!”
You’re right about speed limit signs not meaning much to some drivers. Perhaps they just represent a benchmark for the driver to calculate fines for speeding.
Winter around here reveals a lot more about driver skill and attitude than the warmer months. It surprises me always to see how fast people with 4WD will drive with snow on the road thinking that it provides them some outstanding advantage in terms of stopping or maneuvering. I see far more SUVs spun out off the road than conventional vehicles.
It’s a strange world we live in…
Great photos! Very eerie but I love them! Thanks for the share!