Adventures in Scooting

[Disclaimer: Mom and Dad, you may want to skip this entry and wait for the next one. For those whose minds immediately go to the gutter... NO, nothing like that will be found here. But parent types may not want to think about the adventures I'll describe below, in the same vein as not wanting to know that I have gotten going up to 45 mph on my bike a time or two. Duly warned...]

There are several ways to get around here in Florence. So far, my methods have been mostly on foot or on bus, both of which work fine. I have mentioned in past posts that bicycles are also quite popular and I'm still fascinated by the range of people who pedal around. But by far the most prevalent and intriguing method is the scooter.

This is definitely a European thing, not sure if it's as prevalent in other countries as here but in Florence they are everywhere. It makes sense, this is a very old city with vast numbers of narrow, winding streets that would make the American SUV driver shudder with fear. Plus there are far too many cars in a city that doesn't even allow them in the center zone so parking is next to impossible from what I understand. Obviously, then, the most efficient and expedient way to move around is on two wheels that have a nice big motor attached.

For a long time, I viewed these machines with a mixture of incredulity and envy. I couldn't believe how many people whipped around on these things, passing cars on either side, sneaking between them at red lights to vie for better position, etc. But I was also dying to ride on one, it looked like a total blast and better yet, riding on a scooter would at least temporarily make me look like a native. Or at least I'd blend in better.

I'll never forget my first scooter ride with Stefano. I couldn't stop smiling as the sights I'd walked by dozens of times were morphed into a gaussian blur (nod to my designer friends). It was everything I'd hoped for and more. Those days of riding the yellow Fuji in circles on the lawn in Grafton and Belfast are a distant memory and had nothing on this. Not only was it really fun, it also made me realize how small the city can be when you go more than 4 miles per hour. The trip home from the city center took about 5 minutes instead of 20-25.

"Scoot" forward to now when being a scooter passenger is old hat for me. That might be overstating it but the initial novelty of just being on the back of one has now passed and as we start taking rides a little farther afield, I have become firsthand witness to some of the insanity that is scooting in Florence.

I fully admit that I have done a few daring/crazy/stupid things while riding my bike which should have better prepared me for this thrill ride. However once you throw a motor and some speed into the equation, all bets are off. I try to look cool and casual as we dodge in and out of traffic, threading the needle between giant tour buses stopped at a red light, pass cars on right and left, etc., but I'm sure my facial expression reveals the truth. As do my white knuckles.

To be clear, Stefano is not a bad, crazy, out of control scooter driver. He drives like all the other scooter drivers around here. And given the fact that I'm a Boston driver, this should not even give me the slightest sense of unease. Maybe it's because I'm not the one doing the driving that makes it harder?

I guess I'll have to drive one and find out. (Just kidding, Mom and Dad...)

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