My Scooter Stalled Out At The Stop Sign

My scooter stalled out at the stop sign.

This was embarrassing, because I had to signal the driver behind me to pull around.

This was also embarrassing because the driver behind me was riding a motorcycle.

Motorcyclists and scooter riders have a fraught relationship.

There’s an inferiority complex.

Most cyclists have a secret “low” wave that we give one another when we pass.

Except I don’t give the “low” wave to motorcyclists.

Why? Because when I first got my scooter (like 10 years ago, O.G.) I would do the “low” wave at motorcyclists and they wouldn’t return it back.

Rules of the road, noted.

It’s also especially bad because I’ve had motorcyclists race around me even when I was doing at or above the speed limit on smaller roads. They’re riding broadband and I’m dialing up. I get it.

It started up again and then stopped like 200 yards down the road. But I was going like 40mph and was able to coast into the gas station and around to the sign.

My scooter has been losing gas a lot lately.

After I got more gas, I went to the coffee shop and had the largest headphones in the coffee shop.

But a few days later, my tank was low again.

Something’s not right.

After riding it around a bit, I noticed gas was leaking when it got hot.

That’s not good.

And I’m kind of sad.

I’ve had this scooter off and on for ten years.

I bought it in Atlanta in 2006. It’s a Kymco People 50. This seemed to be the height of the modern scooter resurgence, which I think is now in a scooter fallow period, but what do I know. It’s a light blue thing and I have a picture of it somewhere, I guess I should find one….

(Looks for picture)

So I can’t find one and I’m too lazy to walk outside and take a photo, but here’s one I found online. This is what it looks like:

I need to take it to the scooter store, but I’m not sure when.

This could be the end.

I’ve held both of my daughters on this scooter.

I’ve been through a hail storm.

I thought I had frostbite.

I rode it to a job interview and it started raining on me. I got the job anyway.

I once spun out leaving work and fell on the street and then people asked me if I was okay.

Once at my old house, I left through our driveway gate and apparently it didn’t latch and my dogs chased me across four lanes of 5 o’clock traffic.

They didn’t die.

They don’t live with us anymore.

But one dog has died since then and then I just found out last night the other one has a tumor with his new owner.

Now the scooter.

But maybe that’s okay, I think I got my money’s worth and it’s 10 years old and look, I’m too lazy to go outside and take a picture of it, so how much will I care? I mean I shouldn’t try and objectify the scooter and make the scooter into a “symbol” or something, I guess.

Like yesterday I had to run a few errands in the neighborhood and it was a nice day and I could’ve take the scooter, but I didn’t, well because I just wanted a “normal” driving experience for a second.

That’s okay too right?