We became engaged in conversation about California, then the move, and that led to means of travel, and I told her I was interested in getting a scooter. As it turned out, she herself was a scooter owner (a brand new Vino someone had won in a contest, but didn't know how to ride, so sold it very very cheaply). She told me that if she were going to purchase one, however, that she would get a Genuine Buddy.
She wrote down the utterly unfamiliar name for me, and I slipped it in my pocket. There wasn't a Buddy dealer in San Jose, so I pretty much put it out of my mind. My second day in the new town I went to the local Yamaha shop, and told the man I was interested in a Vino 50, and that I'd never ridden a scooter before. The reply was, in short, rather cold. He informed me they didn't have 50s in, and would likely only order the 150s. No information about scooters in general, nothing. I was out the door 30 seconds later, feeling a little foolish and more than a little concerned over what I had planned to be my only means of transportation.
Luckily, I found a place to rent the following day, which afforded me a little longer to scooter-hunt. By chance I remembered the advice the woman in Bristol had given me, and checked out Genuine again. There was a Buddy dealer in SF, but everything would have to work PERFECTLY to actually get a Buddy. I took the train into the City, and walked to the San Francisco Scooter Centre. There I met Barry, and let me tell you- the whole situation could not have been more of a complete opposite to my experience with Yamaha. Barry not only took the time to educate me on the scooter I should get (the 125 over the 50), but also worked a great deal, AND offered to bring the bike down to San Jose, on his own time no less. Many posters here know the SFSC, and I'm sure they can echo my feelings about the place.
So there you have it. My Buddy-in was a soapmaker at a renaissance fair!
Actually, I think I first came across it at the 
