The classic scooterists club magazine

The sands of time

Like our machines, we’re getting older every year and it’s reflected in our scooter lifestyle. Machines can be easily repaired, but human problems aren’t so simple and we have to adapt to suit personal needs. What’s right for one person may not be right for another and this observation leads me into my comment for this issue.

I’m always a little disappointed to hear those old adages ‘he came in a car’, or ‘he rides an auto – he shouldn’t be allowed at a classic scooter rally’ (overlooking the fact that autos have been around since the early 1900s – and I suspect some of those spouting this gem would be at the front of the queue if Innocenti still produced Lambrettas today).

In the 1960s a ‘mod’ would be looking to embrace anything new or up-to-date and a then-modern auto produced by Vespa or Lambretta would have resulted in a frenzied rush to be one of the first owners of the ‘new machines’.

I remember this same scenario applying to reflective number plates (expensive and hard to come by then). Everyone wanted them at the time, but fast forward to now and they are treated like the plague by classic bike owners who think black number plates are an essential.

We’re all scooter riders enjoying various aspects of the scene in our own way, so why not accept that everyone’s approach is a personal choice, possibly affected by medical conditions or other issues? We need to embrace and protect our unique lifestyle (subject to normal scooterist banter of course), not try to force divisions between each other.

Mau