In 2016, 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.





Saturday, April 18, 2026

Time to revive this blog and let it evolve

I think it is time to revive this blog and maybe evolve it a bit.  I have gone through a lot of change since I last posted and I can smell more change in the air (you will have to wait for later posts to see how this next chapter plays out).

Later this year will mark ten years since I bought my Razor scooter.  The logos are all worn off.  The tires are quite bald.  The handlebars are currently a bit crooked - I should get out a wrench and try to fix that this weekend.  But my scooter has been my biggest constant over the past ten years and it still brings me such great joy as the wind flows through my hair on my daily commute.  If I stand on my tip-toes and throw my head back as I coast down a hill, I feel like I'm flying and barely even connected the ground.

Is it weird that as a 44 year old woman, I still cling to this childhood pursuit?  Scratch that question - I don't care.  It is a part of who I am.  And I'm going to enjoy it for as long as my balance holds strong and I have a commute where it makes sense.

I was 34 when this all started.  That seems a lifetime ago.  Since then, I've sold a house, moved over 700 miles away for warmer weather, survived two lengthy government shutdowns and COVID, and got divorced.  That last one still sits a little heavy.  I never expected that after 19 years, my now ex-husband would without warning or explanation throw the towel in.  But oh, how it was a blessing in disguise!  My life has done nothing but improve since the separation.

I still live in Birmingham.  I stayed in the same apartment complex although moved into a small studio that felt too small in the beginning but turned out to be absolutely perfect.  All my belongings have their place and it is so easy to clean.  My scooter has its place under my bed when I'm not out riding it.  Plus, I get to listen to the local music acts that play at the brewery next door and watch the trains that go by all day.  

I've really leaned into a more sustainable life with a smaller carbon-footprint.  That obviously started before the divorce when we chose to live downtown upon moving south.  Ever since moving here in 2019, I've prioritized walking and scootering for work, church, doctors, etc.  Since the divorce, I've also started doing all of my grocery shopping by walking the mile to the downtown grocery store (with a cart) and I've explored so many entertainment, eating, and drinking opportunities within my mile and a half walking distance.  Who knew that even a city like Birmingham could be walkable with a little effort?

I've switched to an electric car that I only drive every 4-6 weeks.  And I've planned travel that allowed me to leave on foot from my apartment to the local Amtrak station or to catch a shuttle to the Atlanta airport.

So as I revive this blog, I plan to not only share scooter stories but also stories about what it is like to live in a walkable community now as a single individual.
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