Two years ago, I started a new job which meant a new commute. My previous commute was a 12 minute walk which I enjoyed year-round, in any weather (rain, snow, cold, heat, etc.). I knew my new commute would be quite different but I was determined to find a way to avoid getting in my car and to include some time in nature each day.

Hence, this is where the scooter came into play. So after some research online, I bought a Razor A5 Lux in blue and began playing with it. Fortunately I had a few weeks in between jobs to test it out and pick out my ideal routes.

My commute then included a 1.7 mile scooter ride in the morning through my quiet neighborhood and then down a beautiful bike path full of wild life to where I catch the county bus to work. In the afternoon, I alternated between taking the county bus followed by that same 1.7 scooter ride from the morning or taking the coach bus to the park and ride followed by a 2.5 mile scooter ride on the sidewalk along a busier road. They both had their advantages and I liked the flexibility.

Now you may ask yourself, how much of the year could I really scooter in such a cold weather state? The answer is most of it. The cold didn't stop me. It never has. Snow covered trails would stop me though but fortunately my city plowed the bike paths, so they don't stay snow covered for long. And I don't scooter on wet pavement in the morning as the spray up turns the back of my dress a bit muddy. (In the evenings when I can go home, clean up and change, I don't mind the rain or wet pavement.)

In November of 2018, I moved to a new city, Birmingham, AL in a much warmer climate, where my commute is now 7 blocks. It is amazing to now have a 4 minute commute to work! Such a change from my one-way hour commute in Milwaukee!

Let me tell you how I came up with the name for this blog, "The Scooter Lady". I was downtown Milwaukee afterwork one day riding my scooter. (I don't even remember why I was hanging out downtown that day.) I stopped in the local mall and was carrying my scooter when someone yelled out, "hey there's the scooter lady!" When I told a colleague at work this story, he told me I needed to create a webpage for The Scooter Lady. So without further ado, read on for my experiences commuting by scooter.





Monday, August 28, 2023

I forded a river today.

Towards the end of my day I chatted with a colleague in her office when we noticed the clouds darken the sky.  The question wasn't whether it would rain but when.  My colleague looked down at my practical sandals and then at her leather wedge sandals.  She remarked that clearly I was ready and she was not as she pondered whether she dared make the run to her car barefoot.

I returned to my office to log off and pack up my work laptop.  Fortunately, I keep a poncho in the backpack that I use for my laptop so that I always have one on days like this.

I carried my scooter, poncho, and backpack down the stairs to the ground floor where I unfolded the scooter and donned the poncho.  I can only imagine what a sight I was to see as I passed an attorney from my office on my way out the door.  

Through the streets of my city, I navigated puddles, traffic, and the occasional pedestrian.  When I arrived at my favorite park, the place was so empty the two resident ducks were exploring the usually very busy path now filled with puddles to play in.  They were surprised to watch me zip by.  

The rain had gotten even heavier by now.  Puddles were getting harder and harder to avoid.  My scooter momentarily slipped on some wood boards of a path, nicking me in the ankle as I clumsily stepped off - one of the hazards of riding a scooter.

Then I reached the final block which had a river running down the middle of the road.  There was no way to avoid this puddle so I forded through it, feeling the entire board of my scooter get fully submersed at times until I reached higher ground.

I admit, I smiled throughout the entire journey as the rain washed over me, refreshing me, and cooling me after days of weather that at times reached triple digits.

I reached the main building of my apartment complex.  As I stood under an overhang, I folded up my scooter and then took off my poncho and shook off as much rain as I could.  Aside from my bangs and my legs/feet, I had actually stayed pretty dry.

I entered the building to see the eyes of the office staff on me.  "I don't mind the rain.  I don't melt." I said before continuing on to pick up the mail and head to my apartment.

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