Scooter Girl In Distress
I've talked about my scooter history before but recently, I've had even more trouble with them.
Hiya blog, it's been a while. It's not that I've not had ideas or thoughts that I needed to get down but more so that I just haven't gotten around to actually sitting down with my fingers poised over the keyboard and just bleed. I'll try to get back into it because I know I'll regret not writing things down as I'll inevitably forget them but on here they can live forever.
Now back to my story, if I had done as I promised myself and written about the day I fought to get my scooter to the mechanics, then this story would be more coherent. Let me instead do a recap of that, I'll try to keep it brief but knowing me, I won't be able to.
Ever since I came home for exchange, my scooter has given up on life. It was almost impossible to start, the chocker was completely dead but the kick-starter refused to take hold as well. I deemed this to be because it's been just sitting in a cold shed for months on end, as my brother never got around to getting a license and borrowing it while I was away. About a week after I got back, I was enthused enough and actually managed to kick it to life, but whenever I slowed down at a crossing it would die and it would take me up to five minutes to get it going. I got it going and subsquently had it die on me three times but after that third time I couldn't get it to start again. No matter how much I huffed and puffed.
So I pulled out my phone and saw my mechanic was 2,2 kilometres away. I could pull it that, I thought to myself. I had become increasingly agitated after just stomping on the damn kick-starter. Partly because it was tiring physically but mostly because it was out in public and I felt like everyone was judging me for my scooter trouble (obviously, this is a stupid notion as people are genuinely kind and helpful, more on that later).
On top of not wanting to start, the wheels on the scooter had locked up. Pulling a 90 kg vehicle with partly locked wheels for 2,2 kilometres was such a struggle. I could only pull it anywhere between 50-100 metres before I had to pause to catch my breath. I know it sound exaggerated but it's not.
I finally managed to get it all the way there and probably wondered a dozen times I could get for a VGA Digita in scrap value. I got it handed in and told the horrible news that the mechanic wouldn't be able to look at it until in two weeks time. I accepted regardless because at that moment I just wanted to be away from that piece of crap (the anger was still very fresh, in hindsight it's only my own fault - a scooter can't be held responsible).
Fast forward, two and a half weeks (two days ago for present time me) and I get the text that my scooter is ready. Mind you this has been the week where I've gone back to university, attending my two courses, got back in the swing of my old receptionist job, taken on a new job teaching the year below me and trying (and failing) to pick a topic for my final BA project. I'll discuss all that in another post and I'll kick myself to remember to actually write it.
I drive with my dad to pick up the scooter as I had borrowed his car for the day and just picked him up from work. We get there and have to wait about ten minutes before our number is called, by then my dad is already impatient even more than I. They go out to get my scooter and drive it into the store, great that actually proves it's running. My dad pays the 400+ DKK and we're on our merry way, Dad by car and me by scooter.
Or not so much the latter...
I attempt to start my scooter by its chocker and it doesn't start. The bloody thing just makes a clicking noise and I kind of feel like laughing hysterically. My dad just stares dumb-folded at me, saying I'll have to pick if I just want to start it by the kick-starter and live with that or take it back. Honestly, it's a good thing I felt in a productive mood that afternoon because given that choice I mostly just felt like driving off on it. I had been without it for a long time and taking it back in, knowing that probably would result in a longer period without it, wasn't appealing to me. But I thought, enough must be enough and I dragged it back in. *pats self on the back for choosing the scary option*
Turns out the guys in the shop couldn't get the chocker to start either and I know for a fact it was working when I handed it in. It wasn't really cooperating but at least it wasn't just clicking and not taking hold. They had removed some of the coating for the wire leading up to the chocker, so they did do something to it.
The guy we talked to thankfully wasn't very pleased with the situation either and accepted it back and said he'd overbook the mechanic in an attempt to get it looked at as soon as possible. However, the first real open slot he had was on the 3rd of March. He also agreed to give me a rental scooter free of charge for the trouble.
By then my dad was edging to go to fitness, so I sent him away. That of course resulted in me having to sign my name on a renting contract where my dad is put as the client. I don't want to overthink the legality of that.
The rental scooter is also a VGA but a different model and it's out of power for its chocker, so it can only start by kick-starter. Great?! (I don't mind kick-starter as I always have to use it during the winter months anyway but come on!)
I got on it and got it home. The following day I drove it to university. It was cold as heck and I had forgotten just how much it feels like the front of my upper legs get frostbite when I drive in weather like this. After a meeting with my BA project writing partner, teaching a class and attending one, I decided to go for an early sushi dinner with one of my friends.
I wave her off as she goes to get on the Metro to get to the place and then I get ready to start my scooter. Standing outside with no shelter of any kind is not something any scooters like and for the life of me I can't get kicked it to live. This stresses me out, especially because I was in public and it was busy. Social anxiety kicks in pretty quick.
I half blame my heeled booths, which I've found are terrible at hitting the kick-starter precisely and half the fact that it's an unfamiliar scooter. I got it kicked to life that same morning though, so it should be possible. It haven't been at it more than a minute or so (though it feels like an eternity) when a young guy comes up to me and ask if I have trouble.
I'm stubborn but I decided to swallow my pride and ask for help. My first instinct was to deny the fact that I had trouble, though his question obviously had been a rhetorical one and he was indirectly and politely asking if I needed help. Upon my request, he immediately helped me get it started and I felt relief when it roared to life. I thanked him immensely, feeling both a bit embarrassed but also just happy for the kindness of a stranger. It probably spared me minutes of huffing and puffing.
I get to the sushi place and anxiously look for a place to park my scooter. I hadn't been to this place before and just driven there with the help of my GPS. I always get anxious when going new places, when I'm with public transport I worry about getting on the right bus/train and getting off at the right stop or when I'm driving either by car or scooter, I worry where I'll be able to park. I prefer the scooter to a car as I feel like I can just stick that in a random place if need be. Don't get me started about parking a car in Copenhagen, I'll try to avoid that at all cost. I only like going by car if I know exactly where to park and know it likely won't be full.
I find a place to park the scooter amongst dozen of bikes and double check that it's locked, on both locks. It would be perfect if I managed to get my rental scooter stolen.
I have a nice dinner with my friend and then when we have to go, I watch her get on a bus and then proceeds to attempt to start the scooter. It won't start. At this point, I feel a bit like the universe is against me. However, again I'm blessed with a kind stranger, so maybe the universe was just forcing stranger interaction upon me yesterday. I've only been at it a minute or so, in a very, very crowded street when I pull my scooter from the biking road where I put it to start. I pull it onto the pavement when an older man asks if it doesn't want to start.
I smile at him and explain that no, it doesn't and I go right out to ask him for help. It worked so wonderfully just two hours prior and it does again. This man even starts chatting about how he has a scooter, though it's much bigger than mine, which engine also acts up sometimes. It turned out that I hadn't turned the key in the ignition though, so this second one is entirely my fault. Ensure an even more embarrassed me. I thank him immensely and drive on my way, anxious gassing up at stops to make sure it doesn't stall (a bad habit I think will be difficult to shake after my traumatic experience of driving/dragging my scooter to the mechanic's three weeks ago).
This post got so freaking long and rambly but aren't all of my posts like that? I do tend to just sit at the keyboard and bleed when I have something to say.
I had a point with this story though, other than just recounting my unlucky recent experience with scooters. I got put so far out of my comfort zone, being stressed/feeling stuck in public, but it turned out perfectly fine. Strangers helped me out of the kindness of their hearts and I had the courage to accept their help. We have an expression in Danish that says "held i uheld", which doesn't really translate well (experiencing luck in unlucky times) but that's how I felt.
It might not seem like much, especially when in both instances it was the strangers that approached me, not the other way around, but it was a big step for me. It's probably nothing for other people but it was so difficult for me. However, it was easier the second time. Practice makes perfect?
I just want to send a cosmic thank you out into the universe to those two men for stopping and helping the odd scooter girl, who probably looked both clumsy and aggressive. Thank you!
Hiya blog, it's been a while. It's not that I've not had ideas or thoughts that I needed to get down but more so that I just haven't gotten around to actually sitting down with my fingers poised over the keyboard and just bleed. I'll try to get back into it because I know I'll regret not writing things down as I'll inevitably forget them but on here they can live forever.
Now back to my story, if I had done as I promised myself and written about the day I fought to get my scooter to the mechanics, then this story would be more coherent. Let me instead do a recap of that, I'll try to keep it brief but knowing me, I won't be able to.
Ever since I came home for exchange, my scooter has given up on life. It was almost impossible to start, the chocker was completely dead but the kick-starter refused to take hold as well. I deemed this to be because it's been just sitting in a cold shed for months on end, as my brother never got around to getting a license and borrowing it while I was away. About a week after I got back, I was enthused enough and actually managed to kick it to life, but whenever I slowed down at a crossing it would die and it would take me up to five minutes to get it going. I got it going and subsquently had it die on me three times but after that third time I couldn't get it to start again. No matter how much I huffed and puffed.
So I pulled out my phone and saw my mechanic was 2,2 kilometres away. I could pull it that, I thought to myself. I had become increasingly agitated after just stomping on the damn kick-starter. Partly because it was tiring physically but mostly because it was out in public and I felt like everyone was judging me for my scooter trouble (obviously, this is a stupid notion as people are genuinely kind and helpful, more on that later).
On top of not wanting to start, the wheels on the scooter had locked up. Pulling a 90 kg vehicle with partly locked wheels for 2,2 kilometres was such a struggle. I could only pull it anywhere between 50-100 metres before I had to pause to catch my breath. I know it sound exaggerated but it's not.
I finally managed to get it all the way there and probably wondered a dozen times I could get for a VGA Digita in scrap value. I got it handed in and told the horrible news that the mechanic wouldn't be able to look at it until in two weeks time. I accepted regardless because at that moment I just wanted to be away from that piece of crap (the anger was still very fresh, in hindsight it's only my own fault - a scooter can't be held responsible).
Fast forward, two and a half weeks (two days ago for present time me) and I get the text that my scooter is ready. Mind you this has been the week where I've gone back to university, attending my two courses, got back in the swing of my old receptionist job, taken on a new job teaching the year below me and trying (and failing) to pick a topic for my final BA project. I'll discuss all that in another post and I'll kick myself to remember to actually write it.
I drive with my dad to pick up the scooter as I had borrowed his car for the day and just picked him up from work. We get there and have to wait about ten minutes before our number is called, by then my dad is already impatient even more than I. They go out to get my scooter and drive it into the store, great that actually proves it's running. My dad pays the 400+ DKK and we're on our merry way, Dad by car and me by scooter.
Or not so much the latter...
I attempt to start my scooter by its chocker and it doesn't start. The bloody thing just makes a clicking noise and I kind of feel like laughing hysterically. My dad just stares dumb-folded at me, saying I'll have to pick if I just want to start it by the kick-starter and live with that or take it back. Honestly, it's a good thing I felt in a productive mood that afternoon because given that choice I mostly just felt like driving off on it. I had been without it for a long time and taking it back in, knowing that probably would result in a longer period without it, wasn't appealing to me. But I thought, enough must be enough and I dragged it back in. *pats self on the back for choosing the scary option*
Turns out the guys in the shop couldn't get the chocker to start either and I know for a fact it was working when I handed it in. It wasn't really cooperating but at least it wasn't just clicking and not taking hold. They had removed some of the coating for the wire leading up to the chocker, so they did do something to it.
The guy we talked to thankfully wasn't very pleased with the situation either and accepted it back and said he'd overbook the mechanic in an attempt to get it looked at as soon as possible. However, the first real open slot he had was on the 3rd of March. He also agreed to give me a rental scooter free of charge for the trouble.
By then my dad was edging to go to fitness, so I sent him away. That of course resulted in me having to sign my name on a renting contract where my dad is put as the client. I don't want to overthink the legality of that.
The rental scooter is also a VGA but a different model and it's out of power for its chocker, so it can only start by kick-starter. Great?! (I don't mind kick-starter as I always have to use it during the winter months anyway but come on!)
I got on it and got it home. The following day I drove it to university. It was cold as heck and I had forgotten just how much it feels like the front of my upper legs get frostbite when I drive in weather like this. After a meeting with my BA project writing partner, teaching a class and attending one, I decided to go for an early sushi dinner with one of my friends.
I wave her off as she goes to get on the Metro to get to the place and then I get ready to start my scooter. Standing outside with no shelter of any kind is not something any scooters like and for the life of me I can't get kicked it to live. This stresses me out, especially because I was in public and it was busy. Social anxiety kicks in pretty quick.
I half blame my heeled booths, which I've found are terrible at hitting the kick-starter precisely and half the fact that it's an unfamiliar scooter. I got it kicked to life that same morning though, so it should be possible. It haven't been at it more than a minute or so (though it feels like an eternity) when a young guy comes up to me and ask if I have trouble.
I'm stubborn but I decided to swallow my pride and ask for help. My first instinct was to deny the fact that I had trouble, though his question obviously had been a rhetorical one and he was indirectly and politely asking if I needed help. Upon my request, he immediately helped me get it started and I felt relief when it roared to life. I thanked him immensely, feeling both a bit embarrassed but also just happy for the kindness of a stranger. It probably spared me minutes of huffing and puffing.
I get to the sushi place and anxiously look for a place to park my scooter. I hadn't been to this place before and just driven there with the help of my GPS. I always get anxious when going new places, when I'm with public transport I worry about getting on the right bus/train and getting off at the right stop or when I'm driving either by car or scooter, I worry where I'll be able to park. I prefer the scooter to a car as I feel like I can just stick that in a random place if need be. Don't get me started about parking a car in Copenhagen, I'll try to avoid that at all cost. I only like going by car if I know exactly where to park and know it likely won't be full.
I find a place to park the scooter amongst dozen of bikes and double check that it's locked, on both locks. It would be perfect if I managed to get my rental scooter stolen.
I have a nice dinner with my friend and then when we have to go, I watch her get on a bus and then proceeds to attempt to start the scooter. It won't start. At this point, I feel a bit like the universe is against me. However, again I'm blessed with a kind stranger, so maybe the universe was just forcing stranger interaction upon me yesterday. I've only been at it a minute or so, in a very, very crowded street when I pull my scooter from the biking road where I put it to start. I pull it onto the pavement when an older man asks if it doesn't want to start.
I smile at him and explain that no, it doesn't and I go right out to ask him for help. It worked so wonderfully just two hours prior and it does again. This man even starts chatting about how he has a scooter, though it's much bigger than mine, which engine also acts up sometimes. It turned out that I hadn't turned the key in the ignition though, so this second one is entirely my fault. Ensure an even more embarrassed me. I thank him immensely and drive on my way, anxious gassing up at stops to make sure it doesn't stall (a bad habit I think will be difficult to shake after my traumatic experience of driving/dragging my scooter to the mechanic's three weeks ago).
This post got so freaking long and rambly but aren't all of my posts like that? I do tend to just sit at the keyboard and bleed when I have something to say.
I had a point with this story though, other than just recounting my unlucky recent experience with scooters. I got put so far out of my comfort zone, being stressed/feeling stuck in public, but it turned out perfectly fine. Strangers helped me out of the kindness of their hearts and I had the courage to accept their help. We have an expression in Danish that says "held i uheld", which doesn't really translate well (experiencing luck in unlucky times) but that's how I felt.
It might not seem like much, especially when in both instances it was the strangers that approached me, not the other way around, but it was a big step for me. It's probably nothing for other people but it was so difficult for me. However, it was easier the second time. Practice makes perfect?
I just want to send a cosmic thank you out into the universe to those two men for stopping and helping the odd scooter girl, who probably looked both clumsy and aggressive. Thank you!
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