patrick.net

Gotta scooter for around town errands.

Scooter? Is it safe?

Neighbor’s got a RR (used, very reasonable price), a Lamborghini SUV, two Range Rovers, and 2 classic American cars.

I think RR's are really cool because they weigh as much as a large SUV but they are as fast as sport sedens.

Range Rovers? I thought they are in the shop more often than on the road. Perhaps this is why they need two? ;)

I love his RR. We take it when we “double date”. Incredible machine.

I like the look of Silver Spur. What model is his?

In Marin, there is a one-hour “window of opportunity” at about 10:40AM each day when you might actually be able to DRIVE the car as it is meant to be driven. The rest of the time, you just hope it looks cool in jams…

LOL...yeah--so much for getting that extra 40hp and using it! I'm mostly puttering in the traffic on SFD, but there's days when I drive out to Pt. Reyes and open it up. ;)

I think RR’s are really cool because they weigh as much as a large SUV but they are as fast as sport sedens.

Perhaps the new BMW-owned versions, but the oldies were serious dogs if I remember correctly, 0-60s in the 11sec range?

Scooter? Is it safe?

I have a scooter too, a Aprillia Scarabeo. It is only as safe as I can be defensive, but it is hella cool to ride and will run for about a month on $5 of gas. I bought it when I lived on the Peninsula and used it to commute up and down El Camino Real. I don't drive it on the freeways, even tho it's freeway legal. Big wide roads with lots of room to swerve out of the way of clueless seniors, distracted moms (and dads) in SUVs, and teenagers are reasonably safe. Driving on side-streets scares the hell out of me. You have to assume that every single person in the world is trying to kill you; other than that, it's safe and fun.

(I still drive it alot, just harder to find safe routes in Marin)

but not quite as much as I enjoyed the Yammy TMax in Nice.

You didn't find driving in Nice terrifying? I go to Mougins every year, just NE of Nice. You couldn't pay me to scoot there; too many drunk frenchman on the roads.

"LOL…yeah–so much for getting that extra 40hp and using it!"

I believe in the Bay Area, extra horsepower and superior handling can be justified as necessary for maneuvering out of the way of bad drivers. :-)

Maybe those who buy SUVs and trucks (not the tiny Ford Ranger types BTW) for status symbols really have small dicks…..

I think it's safe to say I don't have this problem.

You have to assume that every single person in the world is trying to kill you.

That is my driving philosophy. Good to be safe.

SW of Nice though, not NE, no? West of Canne, by Grasse?

But of course. West, a bit South, off N85. I was confusing Antibes with Nice in my confused mind, anyway (even though it's still West of Antibes). Closer to Cannes than Grasse, although we always drive up to Grasse and hang out.

After you get used to it, it’s a great way to get around the city. For day trips and inland travel, we’ll take the Puegot rental car.

Driving in France? I gues it should be easier than driving in China or India.

"Driving in France? I gues it should be easier than driving in China or India. "

Or even Italy. Rome and Florence are the only places I've ever gotten hopelessly lost and frustrated while driving and wasn't sure we'd survive. The names of the roads change like every four blocks.

I think the French are basically good drivers. They just like to honk their horns a lot.

"The names of the roads change like every four blocks."

In the city centers, I meant.

"Maybe those who buy SUVs and trucks (not the tiny Ford Ranger types BTW) for status symbols really have small dicks…..

I think it’s safe to say I don’t have this problem."

LOL, Sacto, that puts my mind at ease.

But then maybe you have “small dick envy”? …amd what does it say about those who drive Mini Coopers?

Huh? How about semi-truck drivers? Or monster truck stuntmen?

But then maybe you have “small dick envy”? …amd what does it say about those who drive Mini Coopers?

Lol

Now we'll just call it Mini Cooper envy.

My new dream car is a Loomis Fargo armored truck conversion. :)

"Now, if you wanna talk about excitement on a scooter, let’s talk about Rome. I have gone out of my way just to scooter there for a couple of days. "

How about Naples? I saw a scooter pulling a donkey there, people hauling their small children and babies around on scooters...Who knew a scooter could be the family vehicle? :-) Very interesting city.

"Who is more superficial, the person who drives a BMW or Honda they can hardly afford, or the person with the Hummer who could afford a new one every year?"

Is this one of those unanswerable questions, like the chicken or the egg?

"After Athens was Turkey and the Greek Islands. "

Hey, we did a Med cruise too! Same stops, but in a different order. That's how we ended up in Naples without a car (thank God). I loved that whole region.

"I snapped the camera around a fraction of a second before they turned a corner."

LOL, cool picture. I should have gotten a shot of the scooter/donkey combo. Priceless.

What comes first the “stuff” or the storage? Accumulating “stuff” seems directly proportional to the storage or space you have for it.

Good point. Stuff also accumulates in direct proportion to how much the grandparents buy for the grandkids.

Jack

I was never offended by any rants against SUV's. I get the anti-SUV rant because in many cases it makes sense. I've noticed a lot of Hummers and Escalades in my neck of the woods, and I know they're all for show. We worked up to an SUV in stages. Gradually working up in size as we had more children and incrementally gathered more stuff.

Personally, I've come to like the convenience and since virtually every other car around here is an SUV, I don't need to apologize or explain. I do feel the need to explain to people here on the blog because there seems to be an overall sentiment that abhors excess and the SUV does symbolize overkill pretty well.

"Stuff also accumulates in direct proportion to how much the grandparents buy for the grandkids."

Truer words have not been spoken. I think if they had to come to my house and pick the crap up off the floor twenty times a day, they wouldn't buy so much of it. ;-)

"What comes first the “stuff” or the storage?"

Another chicken or the egg question.

Truer words have not been spoken. I think if they had to come to my house and pick the crap up off the floor twenty times a day, they wouldn’t buy so much of it.

I've had to create the "you buy it, you store it" rule for the grandparents. It was getting out of control. I love that they're so generous, but what do you do with a bazillion stuffed animals? I've had to start sneaking them out to give them to goodwill. (my daughter will keep everthing if I let her) I suppose it's a good problem to have though....

“What comes first the “stuff” or the storage?”

I vote that stuff comes first. But then, if you have the space you tend to fill it...... Ok, chicken or the egg.

"I’ve had to start sneaking them out to give them to goodwill. (my daughter will keep everthing if I let her)"

LOL. Ditto. My son is still wondering what happened to a tiny plastic Mickey Mouse toy he had when he was two. Umm, gosh honey, I don't know! Hate to lie to him, but it was just one of hundreds of toys I've had to haul away on the down-low.