xooter

Scoot experience

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Scooting over to work from the South San Francisco Caltrain station, having only my trusty phone for a map, was an, uh, adventure. The distance wasn't so long, actually. I'm glad I used the scooter instead of walking. It was fun, too (if you ignore the winds). The bridge was fun, and in one very small space, there was nature!

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Now, on the way over, I saw a road that, according to the map, was a more efficient way to travel. Always on the lookout for a more efficient route, I took the other way back to the train station.

And learned the "note to self" lesson of "What looks easier in two dimensions, is not necessarily easier in three."

Hoo boy.

The road I took went up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down. The ups were long and arduous. The downs were quick and steep, so it's not like I could hoof it up the hill and glide down it. Oh, no.

When I stopped to ask a guy if I was going in the right direction for the Caltrain station, he directed me back a quarter mile to the shuttle bus station. I kept thinking, "Dude, if I wanted the shuttle bus, I wouldn't be on the freakin' scooter, would I?"

So, I wasn't so happy with the ride home.

The station is way too industrial for me to feel particularly safe, but I made it to the station in time for my train. Score one for pedal power!

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First scoot scoot!

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Having bought an "adult" scooter a few months ago, I hadn't really had a chance to ride it yet. Since my car service light went on, I figured I'd take the opportunity to scoot scoot home from the train station after taking the train down from the station close to the dealership.

One of the first items in the Caution! section of the scooter instruction manual is the suggestion to push off one foot for 10 or so steps, then switch feet to push 10 or so steps from the other foot. I tried this, and quickly discovered that, without a doubt, I am goofy footed. All those times I suggested during snowboarding that I could ride either way? No. I'm goofy all the way.

Though, with enough scooting, that could change, I guess.

I managed to go the wrong way down a path, and circle around along the Stevens Creek trail. I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to put a beautiful trail under the thundering concrete of a freeway, but said person was a moron. That has to be one of the most nervewracking trails ever built. EVER.

I did manage to scoot home in about 30 minutes. Not quite the 50% savings in time that Beth manages with her scooter, but, well, for a first time out, a 33% savings isn't so bad.

The bonus? I didn't crash.

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Annie gets it. Bella doesn't.

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Since the layoffs happened at a client's office, I've been trying to figure out how to get from the train to the client's office without having to bother Doyle. I usually try to catch a ride from Doyle or a coworker of his, on their way to work. Given the said coworker was laid off, I need to come up with a different solution.

Wanting to inconvenience people as little as possible, I figure I can walk or bike from the train station. Walking would take too long, yet biking requires a cumbersome-on-a-train bike.

Think.

Think.

Think.

I emailed Beth to ask her opinion of her scooter. With her glowing review, I decided to purchase a Xootr. It arrived a couple nights ago, so I took it out for a spin.

I couldn't think of a better reason to go out on a scooter than to walk the dog. No way could I manage two dogs, but one dog might be okay. I leashed up Annie, hopped on the the scooter and off we went.

After the first tug, Annie seemed to understand I was on a scooter and moving quickly. She ran in front of me, running as fast as I was scooting, sometimes a little faster tugging the leash and pulling me along, sometimes more slowly but not enough for me to catch up very much. We zipped down to the corner lickety split, turned around, and zipped back to the house.

High on Annie's success, I unleashed her in the house, then clipped Bella in for my next scoot. We turned left in front of the house and started moving. Instead of intelligently running out, way out, in front of the scooter, Bella decided to zig in front of me, fewer than three feet in front of the front wheel. I lurched on the handbrake, stopping quickly while accidently yanking the dog back.
Okay, that was just one misstep. We tried again. I started moving on the scooter again. Bella decided to zag, all of two feet in front of me. I stopped again, and tried again.

After maybe 80 feet, I decided that, yes, Annie gets it, but Bella? Hell no. That dog does NOT understand scooter and get the heck out of the way dog!

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