OK, I'm usually polite when the people say gee whiz things to me like
"Bet that gets good gas mileage."
-meh, I guess so, I don't keep track...
"Aren't you cold?"
-Naah. you just have to wear the right gear.
"Aren't you afraid of getting hit by a car?"
- mostly when I walk around in my neighborhood.
But this jack in the stripmall parking lot takes the cake:
"bet you feel kinda stupid 'cause gas prices went down after you bought that thing"
Seriously! !
I just replied, "That's not why I bought the bike."
I've had people ask me "What are you going to do with your scooter now that gas is cheap again?"
I suppose I should be upset, even feel violated, but I'm not. No, in fact, I think this is a friendly message, like "Hey, wanna play?" and yes I want to play. I really really do.
We have had the first few nips of winter here in Ohio, and my scooter has been inoperable since October.
Last week when there was a glaze of "black ice" underneath a thin layer of snow, roads were closed because of their condition or because motorists had driven into each other, and we had wind chills well below 0 and high wind warnings.
I still had 3 idiots at work ask me if I rode the scooter in to work that morning.
I just told them that even if my scooter was working I am not suicidal.
I've had people ask why I'm still riding my scooter now that gas prices have fallen so much. I tell them I ride it because it's fun, but more important it's because I'm trying to do the right thing. Setting aside the environmental benefits, I don't want to contribute to our dependence on foreign oil. All it has ever caused us is grief. We're now going broke in large part to paying unfriendlies for oil. The irony of the situation is absurd. I'm doing my part, are you?
I suppose a polite but pointed response would be:
If I wanted to be ...
driving my car...
riding a/my motorcycle...
sticking a fork in my thigh...
...I would be.
I do get a lot of "I bet that's good for gas." Usually though, they follow up with more questions, where, how much, etc. I'm seeing more electric bicycles and mopeds even with gas prices coming down.
I'm looking forward to ignoring the first jackass comment.
"I own 7 personal cars, all which are nicer than that thing you are driving and they all have very low mileage. Maybe I should of driven the SL today".
The guys I work with like to bust me about my scooter, but they bust everybody about anything they can think of. I don't take it personally.
On the street, I have never had anybody say anything but good things to me about the scooter. I have people ask me about it pretty often, too.
Your own happiness with what you ride is the best revenge against idiots who don't know how to keep their mouth shut when they don't have something useful to say.
yeah rabbitgod I have only had friendly questions and comments on my scoot too. Tucson is a pretty chill town though and very scooter friendly. A lot of people are still interested in scoots because the green movement is so big out here and also folks don't believe the gas prices will stay this way (I sure don't).
So just wait a little while LisaLisa til you meet that same guy at the gas station and you can say "I bet you feel stupid for buying that big SUV when gas prices were low...well I'm done fueling up, I feel silly charging less than five dollars to my card, but it's -so- much work to go back in and get change."
Becktastic wrote:yeah rabbitgod I have only had friendly questions and comments on my scoot too. Tucson is a pretty chill town though and very scooter friendly. A lot of people are still interested in scoots because the green movement is so big out here and also folks don't believe the gas prices will stay this way (I sure don't).
So just wait a little while LisaLisa til you meet that same guy at the gas station and you can say "I bet you feel stupid for buying that big SUV when gas prices were low...well I'm done fueling up, I feel silly charging less than five dollars to my card, but it's -so- much work to go back in and get change."
I STILL say "I win!" when I'm gassing up next to an SUV, and my pump stops at $2 and some change.....
I've heard a few stupid comments. I get the ones that we all get now, you know the "well you don't have to ride now that gas is so low" to which I simply say "yeah, but now when I ride to work, where it used to cost $2 a day there and back, now it costs about $.70."
The best though was from a colleague who was genuinely intrigued and interested but with no motorcycle/scooter experience whatsoever and asked me casually if I had been hit at all, as if she expected it to be a regular experience on such a vehicle.
Lastly, told my mother at Thanksgiving that I got a scooter. She was actually excited about it. Said "that's a lot better than your motorcycle" implying that the scooter was much much safer than a motorcycle. My dad, my husband, and I just threw each other looks and of course did not contradict her.
bluebuddygirl wrote:I've heard a few stupid comments. I get the ones that we all get now, you know the "well you don't have to ride now that gas is so low" to which I simply say "yeah, but now when I ride to work, where it used to cost $2 a day there and back, now it costs about $.70."
The best though was from a colleague who was genuinely intrigued and interested but with no motorcycle/scooter experience whatsoever and asked me casually if I had been hit at all, as if she expected it to be a regular experience on such a vehicle.
Lastly, told my mother at Thanksgiving that I got a scooter. She was actually excited about it. Said "that's a lot better than your motorcycle" implying that the scooter was much much safer than a motorcycle. My dad, my husband, and I just threw each other looks and of course did not contradict her.
Yeah, my mom was worried that my scooter would be "too slow to get out of traffic" I assured her that it would infact top 85, and could hold 75 without problems.
jfrost2 wrote:I remember the first time I went to a gas station on my scooter, I had my helmet and and gloves still on at the cashier outside, he asked me
"Why you only buy 3 dollars worth of gas? Thats like 1 gallon..."
That was back when gas was average 3-4 dollars a gallon.
I used to take my helmet and gloves off when I gassed up. It occured to me that I could do the actual pumping in less time. When the receipt doesn't print I still don't take it off. I just strut on in with my helmet on. And I'm still out in less time than the SUVs.
i haven't received these idiotic comments yet, i hope not because sh!it will go down!
just kidding.
but anyway, the only comments i've had recently are "oh your scooter is just so cute", "oh that scooter is so cute", "what a cute scooter you have there"
r0sa wrote:the only comments i've had recently are "oh your scooter is just so cute", "oh that scooter is so cute", "what a cute scooter you have there"
OHMYGOODNESS, please stop calling her cute!
Get a new Blackjack and wear all-black, spike-studded leathers. The cute comments will stop.
r0sa wrote:i haven't received these idiotic comments yet, i hope not because sh!it will go down!
just kidding.
but anyway, the only comments i've had recently are "oh your scooter is just so cute", "oh that scooter is so cute", "what a cute scooter you have there"
OHMYGOODNESS, please stop calling her cute!
hee hee a lady was swooning over my scoot when I left the grocery store the other day. She said "I've never seen one like that! It's so feminine!"
r0sa wrote:...the only comments i've had recently are "oh your scooter is just so cute", "oh that scooter is so cute", "what a cute scooter you have there"
r0sa wrote:...the only comments i've had recently are "oh your scooter is just so cute", "oh that scooter is so cute", "what a cute scooter you have there"
OHMYGOODNESS, please stop calling her cute!
Well, golly. It IS cute.
oh yes, scooters/buddies in general are all cute in my eyes, but there's just so many cute comments you can handle in a day
I sell cars so I get ribbed all the time at work. I ask them how many of them can get their weed-wacker engine to go 60? So far nobody else can You should hear them when I ride the Ghostrider3 to work, oh boy...
nissanman wrote:I sell cars so I get ribbed all the time at work. I ask them how many of them can get their weed-wacker engine to go 60? So far nobody else can You should hear them when I ride the Ghostrider3 to work, oh boy...
Then they ask you how you get it to catch fire and ride up the sides of buildings like that??
lol, forgot about that flick... my Ghostrider3 is built by Electra Bikes, it's a stretched out beach cruiser with a 3 speed hub and coaster brakes only. Safe to say it's rare around these parts.
So I ran to the store for some icecream and a movie(Pulp Fiction) and the checker said, "You better hurry home. I hear it's gonna rain, you don't wanna get stuck.", I just looked at her and said, "why's that." she replied, "I hear those bike things don't go when they get wet."
Kaos wrote: "You better hurry home. I hear it's gonna rain, you don't wanna get stuck.", I just looked at her and said, "why's that." she replied, "I hear those bike things don't go when they get wet."
I bought a lighter jacket for down here in FLorida a week ago. The only one that fit had Honda writing all over it. My right sleeve reads Honda Racing. I was unchaining my scooter when this guy comes walking by and yells out "I hope you have a really big Honda at home." Like I wasn't supposed to wear that jacket. Jerk had goofy shorts on with these long dirty socls and he's tweeking me?
One was from some smart ass kid that must have been 16 or 17. He was with a bunch of friends and I was coming out of a restaurant. I sat down on my scoot and they incited a conversation with me.
It was alright at first and then I could see they were making fun of me.
The conversation ended with me saying "Sorry that I bought a scooter. It's too bad you and your four buddies have to still ride around in that piece of shit car...especially with all that rust on the back. Take care guys."
To which i sped away laughing to myself.
They were pretty dumbfounded and the driver looked somewhat embarrassed.
99% of the time, I get very positive, even envious comments. Only once did someone ask me, "Why, at your age, are you riding around on that?" I replied, "It's a hell of a lot easier to park than my Bentley."
jeremymiller wrote:I think because I'm in my early twenties, it's easier for kids around my age to give me crap.
You old guys and gals have it good!
until you hit menopause.
but i think you have something there. people do seem to either keep their mouth shut or treat you like you've given them something to look forward to.
jeremymiller wrote:I think because I'm in my early twenties, it's easier for kids around my age to give me crap.
You old guys and gals have it good!
until you hit menopause.
but i think you have something there. people do seem to either keep their mouth shut or treat you like you've given them something to look forward to.
Or maybe you hit an age where you just don't care what other people say!
jeremymiller wrote:I think because I'm in my early twenties, it's easier for kids around my age to give me crap.
You old guys and gals have it good!
until you hit menopause.
but i think you have something there. people do seem to either keep their mouth shut or treat you like you've given them something to look forward to.
Or maybe you hit an age where you just don't care what other people say!
Well, I definitely got over 'other people' while in my first of second year in highschool. I love my life, love my job, and love my scoot. I have a car, etc etc etc. If someone wants to make fun of my for my scooty, they can feel free! They're outnumbered by people who love them and love to ask me all about them!
I haven't had stupid comments. I think San Diego is pretty scooter friendly. I mostly get women , of all ages, drooling over my pink Buddy. I've also noticed homeless men and guys on big Harleys love my scooter. The fact I have a pink and black jacket and a pink helmet might help too.
I like it most when my boyfriend wears all my pink stuff and rides around on my scooter. Love a man who is secure enough to drive a pink scooter.
Angela wrote:I haven't had stupid comments. I think San Diego is pretty scooter friendly. I mostly get women , of all ages, drooling over my pink Buddy. I've also noticed homeless men and guys on big Harleys love my scooter. The fact I have a pink and black jacket and a pink helmet might help too.
I like it most when my boyfriend wears all my pink stuff and rides around on my scooter. Love a man who is secure enough to drive a pink scooter.
Well, I think girlies on a scoot get treated different than guys.
!
You should hear them when I ride the Ghostrider3 to work, oh boy...
