>> scooters in seattle

Seattle, do you remember when...

I first joined the Seattle scooter scene about nine years ago - mostly riding "tandem". Not driving actually has had many benefits, such as never having to be "responsible" and getting good views of the other scooters in motion. I had always been impressed with the look of scooters but didn't know anything about the people who rode them. It didn't take long though to get to know the local scooter folk as there seemed to be a party or ride almost every weekend.

Some of those rides in "the early days" included some less than legal exploits. One of my favorites was going to Warren Magnuson park in the middle of the night and riding around on the walking trails. We would turn off our lights, so as not to be seen, and ride the trails to The Sound Garden (yeah, that's where the band got it's name). It was a bit scary riding around in the dark with no lights, but it was so incredibly fun and exciting.

The rally that I remember most vividly from those days was Insanity 8. After breakfast and riding around, we went to a wierd park on the Duwamish that was totally covered in goose-poo. That was a strange moment. Then, after the show and shine, a bunch of people were involved in a ceremonial Honda scooter trashing. I remember people attaching it to their own scooters with a rope and dragging it down the road. Sugarbear even backed his van on top of it, got under the van and acted like he'd been hit while driving it. You probably had to be there - but it was hilarious!

Most Sundays during the summers back when, there were informal barbeques held at the house that I shared with other scooterists. Most of the time we didn't even have to invite anyone, they just knew to show up at noon! We would drink "a tiny bit" of Black Label and play croquet or lawn darts (sometimes a combination of the two) or play with our clown-shaped sprinkler "Monsieur Bidet". Later, we'd often head to Kincora for dancing while Buster (a.k.a. "DJ Buster Drawers") spun great ska and soul music.

It seems that a lot of the scooterists in Seattle have matured with the passing of time. A lot of solid clubs have formed and things seem to be a lot more established. Don't get me wrong though, Seattle still has it's fair share of rides, boisterous parties, general disobedience, and the rallies are ALWAYS a hoot! I think our scene has found just the right balance to include many different tastes and lifestyles. (And these days I have my own Vespa - a Vespa 150!)

Thanks to Anne Kohl for sharing about some of the good days gone by.

Seattle - send us your pictures and stories!