scared to ride

robtaylor · Post by **robtaylor** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:26 pm

well i think i have gone a little too far with the horror stories about scooters and m/c's. now my wife is scared to ride. i had been telling her some anecdotes to either get her to wear her safety gear or to convince her i needed new safety gear

i guess i told her one too many of these stories because now everytime i suggest we go riding, even 10 or 20 miles she gets apprehensive. and i have to tell you that i've been thinking twice before i take off without helmet gloves and jacket now. so i guess the horor stories worked on me and not on her.

EP_scoot · Post by **EP_scoot** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:03 pm

Oops!
It is a fine balance between feeling educated about something to feeling scared. You might want to mention some of the latest posts here that attest that gear saves your skin and maybe go for short rides.
Baby steps, you know.

I can imagine she might be starting to freak out about your Cannonball as well.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:25 pm

I'm of the opinion that a little fear is a healthy thing for a scooterist. There's a balance to be struck. In the continuum between riding around ATGATT frozen in abject fear and cruising down the Interstate in sandals and no helmet without a worry in the world... somewhere in that continuum is every rider's happy zone. In my case, having eaten pavement before, I live pretty far toward the ATGATT fearing-for-my-life end of the spectrum, but that's just me.

P.S. If your wife is really terrified, it might be a better idea to skip riding for a while. No sense in pushing it, especially if she's really not having fun.

robtaylor · Post by **robtaylor** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:31 pm

jrsjr wrote:If your wife is really terrified, it might be a better idea to skip riding for a while. No sense in pushing it, especially if she's really not having fun.

i don't know if terrified is the word, but i do take your point.

robtaylor · Post by **robtaylor** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:32 pm

EP_scoot wrote:I can imagine she might be starting to freak out about your Cannonball as well.

yeah, i hadn't really thought about it that way, thanks

MonsterGirl · Post by **MonsterGirl** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:36 pm

Confidence is the key to avoiding the silly mistakes we make when nervous. Has she taken the MSF course? That would be a great confidence builder in a safe, constructive environment. Experienced riders even say they've learned a lot by taking it.

Scootnva · Post by **Scootnva** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:40 pm

I can appreciate your position. My wife rode motorcycles for several years and really enjoyed the experience. She then had 2 low-speed spills and just didn't want to climb back on the saddle ... she sold her bike a few month's after the last incident.

Last year she finally decided to get "back on the horse", only this time it's a 3-legged horse ... the Piaggio MP3. She absolutely loves this bike and feels 100% more confident when riding.

You never want to push any driver or passenger into riding unless are comfortable, confident and properly outfitted for the experience. Don't push - let your wife decide in her own manner and timeframe.

Ride on!

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:42 pm

jrsjr wrote:I'm of the opinion that a little fear is a healthy thing for a scooterist. There's a balance to be struck. In the continuum between riding around ATGATT frozen in abject fear and cruising down the Interstate in sandals and no helmet without a worry in the world... somewhere in that continuum is every rider's happy zone.

Yeah... I agree (not that my opinion counts for much as I've only been riding a few months!). Long before I got my scooter I did SO MUCH reading here that I was almost paralyzed to pull the trigger and get it. But I just hadn't yet thought through all of the consequences of riding, etc.

Now that I've been on the scooter a few months about 1200 miles, I learn every day about a new situation that I need to watch out for and while my confidence is growing, my healthy fear remains in a good way.

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:13 pm

is she afraid to RIDE or afraid to DRIVE?

I've been scootering for 12 years, and I'm still ALWAYS terrified to ride on the back with someone else, no matter how big/small or fast/slow the bike, it's an entirely different experience, I always feel out of control and uncomfortable, like I'm going to fall off or shift my weight wrong and make the driver crash.

I just really don't find it pleasant at all, and the Buddy is not a great 2-up scooter, so if that's what you're talking about, the solution is clearly that she needs her own scooter. : )

If she has one and she's afraid to ride it, I can't help ya.

Bb.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:25 pm

illnoise wrote:is she afraid to RIDE or afraid to DRIVE?

I've been scootering for 12 years, and I'm still ALWAYS terrified to ride on the back with someone else, no matter how big/small or fast/slow the bike, or how experienced the driver. It's an entirely different experience, I always feel out of control and uncomfortable, like I'm going to fall off or shift my weight wrong and make the driver crash.

I just really don't find it pleasant at all, and the Buddy is not a great 2-up scooter, so if that's what you're talking about, the solution is clearly that she needs her own scooter. : )

If she has one and she's afraid to ride it, I can't help ya.

Bb.

I second this thought. My SO was hesitant to have anything to do with scooters. An MSF course right at the start, her own scoot, lots of practice. and proceeding at her own speed and confidence level made all the difference.

(and no, I definitely don't like to ride on the back of other peoples scoots or mc's either)

Dibber · Post by **Dibber** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:29 pm

You know it is up to each rider on how well you protect yourself. I don't get rapped up on this because it is personal. Just like politics and religion. All to often people cut each other down for no reason except for your own and most people don't really care what I saw anyway. I know my two sons don't. They like so many will have to learn from the school of hard knocks (just like me...ha!ha!). So just go out and enjoy yourself and ride your scooter and let those who don't dress up enjoy themselves too. The world would be a very boring place if we all felt the same way.