Thursday, June 30, 2011

Why, Back In My Day...

Thugs were real thugs. Bikers were real bikers, and the bikes they rode were real bikes. Any biker caught riding a 50cc scooter would be drummed out of his society, stripped of his colors, forced to get a shave, a haircut, a suit, and become an accountant or something.
A child was shot in a Dorchester park Monday night, and motorized dirt bikes emerged as the villain, with the city moving swiftly to ban the buzzing vehicles, which the mayor and police commissioner blamed for fostering mayhem.
So the city council in Dorchester (suburb of Boston) is proposing banning scooters. Looking at the accompanying picture, if I had to guess, I'd say the thugs had a small industry in the stolen motorbike business going on. I suppose it's easier to fence an unlisenced scooter than it is a lisenced and titled real motorcycle, and the things are bringing pretty good money nowadays.

It's just that I'd be embarrassed to be seen on one. Plus I'm too old to be changing careers to become an accountant.

4 comments:

jed said...

If I had the spare change to buy one, and a place to keep it, I'd buy a scooter. Wouldn't phase me at all to be seen riding one. It'd be the perfect thing for when I want to drop on over to your place to get some machine work done.

Billll said...

For short hops around town they have a lot to recommend. Among the bike clubs, they may represent a violation of the club dress code.

I understand there's a rather large organization of scooter riders in Denver. They just haven't adopted the cutoff denim jacket yet.

jed said...

No, but plenty of them wear cutoff denim shorts. Of course, that isn't unique to scooters. Presumably, the appropriate dress code will sort itself out eventually. e.g., you don't wear Teva sandals with chaps.

I have yet to see a Bajaj tattoo, but I suppose it's inevitable.

Live to scoot!

Billll said...

An artist friend of mine once put together a leather jacket decorated in "biker" fashion. It features a screaming skull with crossed bones, dripping green slime, wearing a Nazi helmet with the number 666 on the front. The club name, in proper serif font was the "Bothersome Pests".A wonderful parody of the biker types who market themselves in the most ominous terms they can come up with.

Sounds like a swell name for an outlaw scooter group. Traveling from coffee shop to wine bar and sneering intimidatingly at any one who doesn't order a triple shot of espresso or who drinks Merlot.

Throw in some loose ladies, and I'd be right there myself.