Cool Guy On a Moped

I saw a really cool guy on a moped today. Cigarette hanging out of his mouth, rockin' a freebie t-shirt - the best! And I started thinking to myself, why am I so disdainful of folks on scooters? I just automatically associate them with DUIs or other losses of driving privileges. I never think that the individual has consciously chosen that mode of transport as a sound fiscal alternative in these times of rising gas prices and economic turmoil. I must admit to being even more critical of moped riders who travel in tandem. I cannot even explain what this is indicative of or why I possess this bias. I only know that my thoughts are some thing along the lines of "Would you look at that?" - and not in the way you think it when viewing some handy new gadget for opening stubborn jars. More in the way you would think it when you see someone you never liked and she has gotten really fat. Almost triumphant and certainly superior. Not nicely.

Now, if I lived in some hip European city like Amsterdam, for example, I believe I would have a wholly different attitude towards those of the scooter-driving ilk. The narrow, hectic streets would be anathema to all but the most compact of cars. There is something dashing about the image of a young man with a silken scarf flung about his neck driving a shiny Vespa through Venice or Heidelberg. Mopeds are perfectly adapted to the environment and have an ability to leave the old world charm of any city intact. There is nothing about viewing a moped in these kind of circumstances that would leave me anything but pleased. The ancient stone walls and cobbled streets absorb and muffle the buzzing motor sound into insignificance. Perfect.

Maybe the next time I see someone on  a moped - or a small scooter gang- I'll think twice before condemning them wholesale. I might even think - Hey, look at that forward thinking individual traveling so far ahead of the trend. It may remain difficult as long as I keep one moped related image in mind:

A heavy-set gentleman with a stubbly bald head, weaving in and out of traffic to circumnavigate a light. Obligatory cigarette hanging out of his mouth and, best of all, a Guitar Hero guitar strapped troubadour- style across his back. Hallelujah!