If the rain comes they run and hide their heads.
sdaeh rieht edih dna nur yeht semoc niar eht fI.
(Rain) Lennon-McCartney

I was listening to the radio again, listening to WNYC again, this time this NPR piece about record rainfall in Seattle. No cause to recant the song and dance about unrelenting winter riding, it was, on the contrary (even though I got soaked today), only a reminder of what I might have mentioned in the first place. Everyone knows Seattle gets tremendous amounts of rain but what you might not know is that it also plays host to many hundreds of happy Vespisti, among them stalwart members of such organizations as the Belladonnas, the venerable Emerald City Flying Monkeys, nottomention the well established Vespa Club of Seattle. Maybe that even makes you want to pay the great scooter city a visit so don't forget about the deal at the Hotel Monaco -- Vespa rental rolled into the bill for a lovely suite. If the excellent offer hasn't been extended or if you plan to stay with family anyway (hi Mom!), you can go directly to ScootAbout for hourly, daily, and weekly rentals.

I can show you. I can show you.

I have heard that Hollywood party bags can be pretty good when attending events, but imagine getting a Vespa! Granted it appears to only be a 3 months loaner.. but still it's sweet, way to go marketing folks at Vespa :)

Presenters at the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards will get the chance to speed off on a trendy Vespa motorcycle as part of the backstage gift bag.

Vespa bosses are giving the stars a free three-month lease option on the scooters in the hope that SAG Awards guests will enjoy the ride so much, they'll buy a bike.

Story

I always say that scooters are for all ages, but this story definately breaks the mold!

Fifteen months and 1,800 miles ago, Iva Jewel Tucker, a copy editor at The Alabama Baptist, drew laughs from colleagues when she told them she was buying a scooter.

The funny part was, Tucker, now 79, wasn't kidding.

"Iva Jewel is an outgoing person who has always been interested in doing new things," said Johnie Sentell, then associate editor of The Alabama Baptist newspaper. "She is a delight."

Sentell's language skills notwithstanding, his initial reaction was, "Good grief. Surely not."

Friends tried to talk her out of the notion. Some fretted over her safety. Others questioned her sanity. Relatives were appalled, including a cleric who bluntly inquired: What's next? Tattoos?

"I already have one across my chest," Tucker countered. "`Do not resuscitate.'"

Giving new meaning to "Easy Rider," Tucker navigates the streets of greater Birmingham atop a 2003 Honda Metropolitan motorcycle. The seasoned wordsmith foregoes that "unappealing" term in favor of "scooter."

Once she bought it in July 2004, Tucker used a black Sharpie to letter 'Scooter' on the shiny yellow finish of the vehicle she christened Buttercup.

The Forest Park resident traces her fascination with scooter-riding to the 1953 movie "Roman Holiday."

"I admired Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck as they tooled around Rome on a Vespa," Tucker said. "I tucked the scenes away until early 2004."

Go here for the rest!

'Tis the season to be swallowed up by a giant puddle -- supposedly. San Francisco just celebrated another Big Wet One scooter rally that this time really was a big wet one. My pal in Los Angeles reported a record rainy season for LA but that was December. Recent weather checks reveal relatively mild climes for the times. As testament to the record high temperatures New York has been having, the Vespa that never moves from its parking place down the block was away today. My theory is that my Brooklyn Heights neighbor was away during the transit strike and the holidays -- away in some warm place where one can rent a Vespa, like Bermuda or Costa Rica -- and the very day they got back they hopped on the ol' ET4 for a leisurely January spin.

Yesterday I heard a spot on WNYC featuring an expert horticulturalist taking telephone questions from a few of New York City's innumerable home gardeners. The focus of the show was what to do in the way of plant maintenance during the winter months, whether indoors or out. The point was that, just because it's January, that doesn't mean the flora are dead. Tips were given for soaking up light at the bottom of a light well and mulching for soil that is heavy with alkaline from all the concrete. Nothing was said about gardening in the city being unusual. As I see it, city life cries out for growing things.

People write in asking about scootering in the city. Interestingly, they have not been asking about riding in the rain for quite a while. On the contrary, more people than ever have been saying they are thinking about getting a Vespa very soon, regardless of what time of year it is. I guess the masses are catching on to a proven practice, thanks indeed to a manufacturer which continues to delight but also to all the happy customers who can't shut up about it (it's not just me). The ones still shopping keep asking us, however, about the dangers of contending with downtown traffic, and they keep asking about best methods for beginning from scratch; what the learning curve is. As to just starting out, the new automatics make it a cinch. Furthermore, blogmate Barton has mentioned many times what a boon we have in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. The courses they offer not only provide a smooth transition from pedestrian to fully licenced scooterist, they are recommended for seasoned riders as well. Speaking of blogmates, our sister site Vespaquest is doing much to enlighten the first-timers especially. As to living in the city, I say all the more reason. [insert famous photo of Gene Kelly on a Vespa here]

Hello Vespa Club Los Gatos! Scooter rides on the first Sunday of the month. Meet: 10 a.m. in front of Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co., 101 W Main St., Los Gatos. Leave: 11 a.m. Ride determined at meet. Visit them online.

If you know of other scooter clubs or events around the country, send me an email.