Safe Snow
I fly out the door on the Vespa scooter when I see fog or snow. Earlier in the week, I made it to the end of the street before I realized what I considered “safe” snow was anything but. And that I best get home while I still could. Those large, flying flakes were actually starting to ice up on the road. It occurred to me that it was stupid to be riding in the snow, perhaps even riding at all, if a bump or fall could add me to the already nervous medical staff of the local Emergency Room.
Sudden Changes
This evening Governor Thomas Wolfe issued a “Stay at Home” order for my area of Pennsylvania in an attempt to diminish the rapid rise in COVID-19 infections. That order does not allow for recreational or non-essential motorcycle or scooter riding and will remain in place until April 6th. Perhaps longer if things don’t improve.
Over a week ago I had already started to wonder about the wisdom of riding when even a minor accident or injury could put added stress on an already worried medical system and for someone like me with a compromised immune system, a trip to the ER could prove deadly. I had no good reason for riding other than my selfish desire. Regardless of how well I manage risk or employ sound riding strategy the downside of things has changed dramatically.
Before the Governor announced the new restrictions I had already decided not to ride until the the stress on the medical system abated.
It’s a Free Country
Myriad rationalizations surfaced to protect my precious riding ritual. Everything from “it’s dangerous to get in the bathtub so…” to “riding is critical to my mental and emotional health.” And everything in between. But an honest look in the mirror saw me looking at someone who could easily be self-centered and selfish. That’s not the guy I want to be right now.
Still, it’s easy to delude myself into thinking I’m entitled, it’s legal, it’s a free country, and on and on.
But I’m living in a strange new world. Things are different. The country and our way of life is under attack by an unfeeling virus. I feel helpless. I can’t develop a vaccine or devise a faster way to manufacture N95 masks or build hospital ventilators.
So what can I do?
I can sacrifice. I can place riding on a hiatus. I can find other things to do to care for my mental and emotional well being if that’s really a concern.
Riding isn’t that important right now. I want to do my part. And that is both selfish and an act of personal sacrifice for the greater could of our society. Granted a very small act, but one that will remove one potential and unnecessary stress from our medical community.
I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I’ll work to accept whatever reality I wake to in the morning and move on from there.
Not riding now is a small sacrifice.
At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice, unique to me. For others it may be entirely different.
In the meantime I still have material to post and thoughts to share. Photos and a variety of things to keep me busy and keep Scooter in the Sticks alive.
Best wishes to each of you as you struggle with your own situations and challenges.
Will you continue to ride during the COVID-19 outbreak?
Probably not after that post.
Sorry about that. I debated whether I should share those thoughts. But then I thought it’s just another facet of riding at the moment. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Be well Ken.
I was planning on a ride shortly after sunrise. You may be right Steve. To ride now might be selfish on my part and God forbid I end up in the hospital because of my own determination to “get out” any way that I can.
Already I miss riding. The thought of it will haunt me for a while but it will pass as I find other avenues for exploration.
Like you, the thought of ending up in the hospital isn’t as simple as I once believed. I don’t feel the risk of an accident has increased and likely decreased because of the dramatic reduction of traffic around here. But there still is a risk that for me has become unacceptable right now.
Be safe whatever you decide.
I’m going to leave the scooter in storage and break out the electric bicycle. It’ll provide some exercise while keeping me below 15 MPH. A compromise for these times.
Sounds like you have a plan. These times are strange for sure. I keep thinking of what I’ll do when things return to normal but who knows when that will be.
I’m not planning on doing recreational riding. That being said I have been doing and will continue to do essential riding – go to supermarket/administrative stuff… so that will keep it limited to very infrequent and short rides in known territory. Yesterday I had to go out to run some essential errands and it was an awesome ride to be honest – hardly any cars anywhere: for the first time I could actually ride at my own slow pace on main roads, keep at/under speed limits, not feeling hunted by big oversized cars… which I think makes riding actually safer than usual. Also, while I have been taking out my bicycle more now, there is nothing that compares to a ride on the scooter – the mental impact and the post-ride feeling is not to be underestimated. Essential riding is not banned over here, and recreational bicycling is still allowed. People have accidents on bicycles as well, even more on electric bicycles, without any or much protection, and yet you see them in huge groups right now… From a scientific point of view, riding does not increase the risk of spreading the virus, assuming you ride alone and don’t stop with human contact anywhere. So, I will stick to what’s allowed for now.
Hard to find the right balance on how you spend what could be your last days alive and looking at the greater good.
I try to stay away from too much thought about my last days alive. Just trying to make sound decisions based on the evidence in front of me.
I’ve parked the scooter and the motorcycle since I’m unlikely to go out at all for any reason now other than walking. Groceries and medications are delivered and every appointment has been canceled or takes place via the phone or ZOOM. So my world has constricted a bit. It’s ok though. Just returned from a walk with one of the dogs and I’m amazed at how much new I see — wonderfully painted chunks of asphalt in a pile, some strange lichens on a tree, and a man holding a firearm getting into his truck. I photographed the first two.
As far as my riding goes — it’s solitary and I make no contact with other people. My decision to stop riding for a while was not wanting to end up in a hospital right now. Even though I’ve never had an accident, something could happen. There are still plenty of deer running across the roads.
Be safe on the road and hope you find yourself healthy and happy!
We’ll see how things turn out. My rides were limited to Saturday or Sundays anyway, which they now will be as well, just for groceries nearby… The rest of the week I’m at home, talking walks in the woods in the morning as usual.
I hope it turns out ok in the US but I fear the worst. We were pretty prepared in Belgium and have a pretty good health care system for everyone but will probably be hitting our limits in the next weeks if numbers continue to increase… but looking at what’s already happening in New York it looks like it’s already too late and on its way to be a disaster.
Stay safe!
Let’s hope things work out for the best and what’s already in place is enough to blunt any medical system disaster.
Hope.
Steve,
My desire to ride almost overwhelmed my common sense this weekend as well. With the nice weather it is difficult to keep the steed in the barn.
Your previous post made me aware of what should have been obvious to me in the first place- what if I was involved in an accident and ended up in the hospital?
Definitely not a place I would care to be even without a pandemic floating around.
Stay safe.
Yeah, I hear that. A hospital looks a lot different to me now. That could be irrational on my part but I’ll stick with the feeling for now.
Thoughtful post, Steve. Hubby and I are not riding, either…the idea of being in an accident and adding to the stress of the local hospital when they’re already stressed was our main deciding factor. Plus, I prefer not to ride in the rain anymore – and I don’t have to at this stage in my life (smile!) I am looking forward to your posts on any topic!
Thanks for the kind words about the post. I hope everyone at least thinks about it. I’ve found in my life that it’s never a good thing to be on autopilot for too long. I miss much and can make inadvertent bad decisions.
Have plenty more post materials in my head. And pictures too.
I agree that non-essential and recreational riding is inappropriate at this time especially in the conditions pictured. And that would apply to any vehicle these days including cars and bicycles. But a flat-out ban on two-wheeled transportation, not so…
A ban of any type will challenge the sensibility and ego of many of us. There are all sorts of recreational activities that are inherently more dangerous than walking or running. Skateboarding, skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking… the list is long. I can’t make decisions for anyone but myself with respect to my own specific set of circumstances. I hope others are mindful of what they’re doing so that the hit we take from this pandemic is as soft as possible. I really do hope we’re overreacting. That’s what my hopeful mind is saying. The more logical part fears we’ve underreacted and wasted too much time.
I would say stay safe up in Alaska but I think you’re in Texas now. Where ever you are, take care!
I had convinced myself that to ride was in keeping with the spirit of the Stay-At-Home order in Ohio. A lone rider would be completely isolated from other people, and not risk the spread of the virus. I’d be wearing a full face mask to boot. However, this discussion has helped me decide to not ride, partly for the reason of not risking a hospital even though that possibility seems remote. I also do not want to explain to friends and neighbors why I think I’m exempt from the rules when others aren’t. This discussion was instrumental in helping me reach this conclusion.
Initially, I felt the same way as you did. Riding alone was solitary and the places I ride distant from other people. A perfect activity. But then I started thinking about the what-ifs. What if I ended up in a hospital. And like you say, even though the possibility was remote, I didn’t want to risk a double whammy of injury AND infection.
We’ll all be ok taking a break from riding.
Be well.
Here is what I posted to my friend Peter’s blog:
“I have been asking myself that very question Peter.
My rationalization is that I would ride to the downtown core and take video of the state of Toronto’s shutdown and post that as a contribution to encourage Torontonians and other urban folk to stay at home.
So I guess that the sheer hypocrisy of that motivation becomes self-evident as soon as you write it out.
So I guess I’m not riding anytime soon.”
Writing has a way of illuminating folly. At least for me.
Be safe David!
Go for a walk with a camera. I find the glass eye gives me the meditative moments you always chunter on about when riding. Glad you finally figured out to stop. The ER is now where a broken bone turns into the plague.
I’ve been wandering on foot with a camera for a long, long time. I continue to do so now and like you say it does provide meditative moments. Different than the feelings while riding but just as potent. I hope some warm morning in the future I can push the scooter out into the world once again. Until that time I’ll do some maintenance and pursue other avenues of adventure.
I’ve been enjoying your images from the Keys. Your photography gets better and better all the time. Or maybe as Kim sometimes suggests, the Keys are a place you fall in love with.
Steve ,I think I found Scooter in the Sticks in 2015 so getting your posts have been a highlight for me ever sense. Wow never thought I would read some are ordered not to ride due to this deadly bug. Our governor here in Texas hasn’t put that in place yet ,and the county I live in thankfully has no reported cases. So until then our weather is nice and riding as normal…Thanks for all the sane suggestions from you and fellow riders,really for me one day at a time is all I ever have virus or not…Blessings to all😎
Don, I appreciate your kind words about the things I post here. They have been and continue to be a labor of love for me. I hope the interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the hiatus on riding opens a door to produce some other sort of content that you’ll find enjoyable or useful.
One day at a time. A fine thought. The challenge is what to do with that day!
Hello Steve,
Tu as raison, il faut rester chez soi. Evitons de prendre des risques inutiles. Moi auusi, je laisse la vespa au garage.
Je ersterai bien chez moi mais étant policier, je suis obligé d’aller au travail mais j’y vais en voiture.
Restons chez nous. Pensons aux autres…
Hello Steve,
You’re right, you have to stay at home. Let’s avoid taking unnecessary risks. Me too, I leave the vespa in the garage.
I will stay at home but being a police officer, I have to go to work but I go there by car.
Stay with us. Think of the others …
Laurent.
Restez en sécurité Laurent. Et merci pour le service que vous rendez à la société.
Pour l’instant, ma Vespa et ma moto resteront au garage!
Stay safe Laurent. And thank you for the service you perform for society.
For now, my Vespa and motorcycle will stay in the garage!