Modern Vespa

0630 commute to work. Predawn but not for long. The sun is about to wake up but it's still more dark than light. Zip up my gear, strap on my helmet, and off I go. Normally the Vespa is a good way to start the day but as it turns out not so much today.
15 miles to go.
Man it's foggy out here I can barely see. Gauges are fogged, mirrors are fogged, helmet trying to fog. Wiping the helmet doesn't help much. Wish my Rain X would have come in on time. Maybe if I crack the visor open that will help with the fog? Man it's hard to see. Weather says it's going to rain, I hope it holds.
14 miles to go.
Glance in the mirror, I can't really make anything out through the fog but I see some lights in the distance. I see a vehicle getting closer now, sure is coming up fast. Great, it's already hard enough to see without blinding lights in my mirrors, maybe they'll zip on by. On me now. Damn it has got some bright lights. Must be them new fandangle Xenon. Shit they're bright. What is that a truck, an SUV? Lights right at mirror height. I can't see, please pass me.
13 miles to go.
What is that shadow on the shoulder? What is that moving? I can't quite make it out, those lights are blinding. What is that a deer? Yeah deer, great three of them. Hope they don't do anything stupid. Shit I can't see man, just pass. The one saving grace? The foggy mirrors are helping dampen the reflecting light.
12 miles to go.
Great a rain drop. Just as sure if there's smoke there's fire, if there is one rain drop there is going to be many. I didn't want to ride in the rain but I had no choice. With one working vehicle and new baby I needed to leave the car with my wife in case of emergency. Living so far out in the country isn't all sunshine and rainbows. More rain, just as predicted. Glad I put on my rain jacket. Ooo ouch, is this hail? No, maybe, I don't know but there is big rain drops, a lot of them. Gotta shut the visor because the rain is spraying in. Why is that guy so close? Helmet fogging inside and rain with no wipers on the outside. I can't f**kin' see man, just pass! Oh good, good he's backing off that's great. Oh high beams now? Awesome! Thanks for trying to help. If you really wanted to help just pass man, just f**kin' pass.
11 miles to go.
A little closer to dawn now but still dark still stormy. What is that more deer? Why do they travel in packs of three? Why is this guy getting closer again? Back off man! Just f**kin' pass me man, come on. Backing off again? What is this closer farther closer farther shit? Are you texting? I bet you're texting. Put your phone down and just f**kin' pass.
10 miles to go.
No place to stop, no place to pull over. I can't see. Oncoming traffic. Their lights seem as bright as the fool behind me. F**k I can't see. Why didn't you pass when you had the chance? Are you afraid to pass because I am serving and twitchy? Are you afraid you are going to run me off the road? Well I'm afraid too. I am serving the potholes and rain puddles and I am afraid to take my hand of the bar to wipe my helmet. Maybe if I slowed down I could just reach up just for a second but now's not the right time. Can't slow down you're too close. F**k I can't see, just f**kin' pass.
9 miles to go.
Good a straight away, no oncoming traffic. Now's your time man pass me, pass me, pass me. I believe in you. I bet that line of cars behind you wants you to pass too. Just like I'm holding you up, you're holding them up. I bet they're all in a hurry just like you. I want to stop, I want to pull over but there's no place to go. On the other side of that white line in about a 6 inch drop off then a 4 or 5 foot ditch. I am over as far as I can man, please pass me. I am scared the adrenaline is pumping now. Riding the white line so close makes me nervous. There is a lot of critters on these back country roads. Lot of roadkill. Great death, just what I need to think about now. Fear is setting in. Tree branches hang down is the road and kudzu will jump out and get you. People leave their trashcans too close to the road and the mail box doors open. I need to get away from this line but I can't. Panic has set in. F**kin' pass me man PLEASE! You missed the passing zone? I don't care. Pass on the double yellow, just f**kin' pass.
8 miles to go.
Still on the straight away. Good flash your high beams that will make me speed up. I know you can tell I'm on a scooter. If I have been going a constant 45 this whole time what makes you think I got anymore to give? I am wide open here. F**k I can't see, just f**kin' pass! You must be Dale Earnhardt reincarnate because you are intimidating me. Panic, panic, panic! Now I can't get away from the line. I can't see, I can't move. I am never going to ride again!
7 miles to go.
Where's the road? Man it's raining hard. I know the county line is coming up. They got that new blacktop. Makes me nervous. I can't see it, it's so dark. It's a new road. Black, shiny, slick. What's going to happen when I transition from this junky pothole-ridden road to that glass smooth surface in the rain? How slick is that road? How are my tires? Wait I bought this bike used. With the low mileage I bet these are the original tires. Are 8 year old tires still good? How's the air pressure? I know the back has a slow leak. When's the last time I checked the air? Shit, I hope this is going to work out. I need to slow do for this. I can't, you're too close. Your lights are too bright. I can't see, I can't see, I can't see! JUST F**KIN' PASS!
6 miles to go.
Rain is slowing down, getting lighter out. Maybe I can unclench and unpucker a bit now. It's still hard to see, you really need to pass. If you are in such a hurry and are this impatient why haven't you passed? Before you judge me too much for having a slow scooter so far out in the sticks know this. I bought it used, low mileage, and good condition. I paid cash. With tax, title, and license less the 3K OTD (out to door). Insurance? Sure, I pay less than $70 a year. I bet that fancy, bright-light, something extension you're trying to run me off the road with probably has an insurance payment of over 3K a year. Don't forget about your monthly payments, mine are $0! I bet you will blame me for making you late but remember this, women dig it because they see me as bad boy. Hippies dig it because they think I am saving the environment. Blue-collar, F-one-fiddy driving 'Mericans dig it because they can make fun of me. They say it's not American, it's not a Harley. Laugh all you want but I say there's nothing 'fruity' about a consistent average gas mileage of 80 mpg. Also, if you still want to snicker Google 'Vespa women' and 'Harley women'. You tell me, one looks like a nice edition to my back seat, the other looks like a saddle bag. I think the haters laugh so they don't cry.
5 miles to go.
Wait! What's happening? Are you passing me? Hey s**thead what are you doing? I am in this lane, how about using the other lane to pass me, not just giving me 3 inches! Of course you are passing in a no passing zone. Figures. Where are you going? We were just starting to have fun. I hope the cars behind you don't pull a DB move like you did and ride my ass the rest of the way. Nope they're not, they are passing like normal people do. Phew!
4 miles to go.
Just me, just the Vespa, just the road. Pulse is slowing, breathing returning to normal, anger diminishing. Fear lingering but panic gone. Life is good. Aside from my rain gear not really working, today is going to be a good day. Can't wait for the ride home.
Rest of ride uneventful.
Of course posting this here I am preaching to the choir. It seems foolish to post this in a moto blog because we all get it, we've all been here numerous times. It would seem to really get this message out to the mases I should post this where cagers read. Mybe an F one-fiddy blog, or Miata blog. Maybe even a douchebag anonymous. Nonetheless, all BS aside, I made it. A little shaken up but it was a good ride. I made it in one piece.

WE have all been there. But honestly, if you are going to ride a lot, you need to prepare. It's dangerous enough ride in rush hour traffic and lousy weather, but don't handicap yourself with a fogged up face shield, mirrors or wind shield. Wear reflective gear, stay alert and ride safe brother.

Great read! I don't usually read really long posts, but your story is so relatable. Glad you made it to your destination safely.

I think I would have pulled over.

Where? Not all roads have room. Besides which, even pulling over IN the lane requires slowing down, and when a car is within a quarter second of your backside (happens to me rather frequently on the highway), well that's not a great time to slow down.

^^^ This. All of the inclement conditions you reference (in your excellent write up) add up to a stressed out, distracted rider. This to me is perhaps the most dangerous part.

Do you know these roads well enough to have picked an upcoming driveway or side road you could have tuned off onto?

I wasn't there, and I'm sure you did what you felt was best.

Interesting read, well written - but hard to accept that in the course of eleven miles of a country road complete with numerous mailboxes and trash cans, there was no place to pull or turn off the road. How do those folks who live in those houses get home?

Early retirement to you. I don't miss that shit at all.

I found another pot hole if you want to change subject.

Some ordeal you went through. Extremely thick fog might be the most dangerous on two wheels. Vehicles could come right up behind you and bang. I would have turned around immediately and went home. At least in a cage car you can survive a hit.

Bob Copeland
Not much fog in Minnesota

Pinlock and pull over. Stop the drama.

Same with rdhood. Pinlock forever.

TLDR?

15 miles of riding and no place to pull over? BS

Welcome to 'Murica my friend. It's not a heck of a lot better in a small car. SUVs are a crime against humanity. Trucks keep getting bigger and bigger, yet their beds hold less. It's enough to make me want to emigrate to Europe.

My Subaru Impreza weighs something like 3200 lbs. It is about the size of a car that would have been classified as a mid-size in the 1980s. But now, it's a sub-compact. You mentioned the F-150. Look at how huge those things they sell now are next to one from 40 years ago. It's obscene.

We live in a ME ME ME kind of society. The greater good, the good of your neighbor, the society is no longer of any concern at all in the USA (if it ever was). I hate to tell you, but you are going to continue to have experiences like that in the US.

Personally, riding a Primavera 150 has actually helped me with my anger management. I KNOW I cannot get too mad, get even or anything like that. My bike weighs literally less than 1/10th of a sub-compact car. 1/20th of some SUVs. Physics doesn't care how you feel or how correct you are. You have to become a zen master of calm. Try not to get mad.

You said you were riding the white line. Don't do that. That encourages a-holes to pass too closely (which they did). Stay in your lane. When it's clear for them to pass, I have on occasion waved them by. But don't give up your space, they'll try to squeeze between you and the oncoming car, and that is NOT a good situation.

Be careful out there and stay zen brother!

I wouldn't be so sure. I've been on roads in the southeastern US that have no shoulder for many many miles.

In California, the law says that if three people are stacked up behind you, you are obligated to find a place to pull off and let them pass. I wish that was a national law.

I feel like that's one of those laws that is right up there with it being illegal to put tomatoes in clam chowder in Massachusetts.

Tomatoes in clam chowder?



Who in "tarnation" needs a law for that one?

I'm pretty sure that's five vehicles, not three.

It works well - but then turnout places are fairly frequent and well signposted.

The people in Manhattan.
O.S.

I ride in a large invisible box, and I look at it as my job to do what is necessary to keep that box empty, while keeping my blood pressure low and without prejudice to other idiots on the road. In 15 miles I'd have found a drama way free to usher them out of my box.life's too short to stress on this stuff.

What if you're going 5-10 miles over the limit? In this case, tailgaters are mental masterbaters.

I am somewhat certain, Minnesota indicates yield to faster traffic and move to the right lane. The sign on the expressway says yield to faster traffic. No indication of speed.

I have, like many of you, experienced vehicles driving the exact speed limit in the left lane with cars stacked up behind them. This is either, no situational awareness, old and infirm, or sanctimoniously playing cop and enforcing the speed limit. Individual personalities are played out on the roadways. So, if 10% of the population are "Nut Cases" they are on the road beside you. Be Safe!

So, get back on your meds and move over.

Bob Copeland

I've been on many country roads where there is no shoulder, narrow lanes, no side roads or driveways. It isn't always possible and sounds like this is one of those roads.

To OP, make sure the RainX you ordered is safe for visors. The basic RainX isn't and can cause your face shield to fog up. Pledge spray furniture polish is safe and effective. Visor with pin lock will help with fogging up inside. I like the Ardmore LED top case lights or light at with turn signal to improve visibility from the rear. As others mentioned adding reflectivity to your gear and reflective pinstripes or stickers to your scoot can help. I've been impressed how bright the reflective piping is on my husband's riding jacket.

Sadly there is little you can do about tailgating assholes. Heck, I've had them tailgate driving an F-150 4x4 at 10 miles over the posted speed limit.

Just slow down, especially when there's room for them to overtake. It's the advised way to safely deal with them.

Once I got to 8 year old tires I bailed. Seriously, you're going to ride in the wet knowing that?

I've just changed some Pilot City tyres for a friend that date from 2008, with only 2000 miles on them. They still *look* great, but I wouldn't want to ride hard on them whatever the weather or road condition!

There must be loads of low mileage scoots out there with ancient tyres on them.

The 11 year old tires on my SH, snapped and cracked when I spooned them off.

Still impeding.

Are you talking about the left lane?
I'm Talking about 3 lanes of heavy traffic. Some ahole bouncing from bumper to bumper when the flow is 10 MPH over the limit.
When I leave the Condo, I'm 100 feet from 45 MPH or die.

I would have slowed way down and waved everyone around me. Just saying.