Crazy? I was crazy once!

I've been reminded several times lately by my wife, my co-workers, my friends, and a few strangers who see me riding my scoot in the cold, of just how insane I must be to ride such a contraption in freezing to sub-freezing temperatures.

I suppose, to someone who does not share my perspective, that it may seem crazy, but allow me to explain my logic. It would be impossible to label me an eco-nut. I care about my local corner of nature and I try to do my best to maintain it in a reasonable manner. I try not to litter. I try to pick up other people's litter when I have a pair of rubber gloves in my pocket (yes, I have this thing about germs). I dispose of oil and stuff in an appropriate manner, and so on. I do not ride a scooter in order to save the environment.

I am not really worried about whether we are going to run out of oil. I'm sure that it is likely to happen eventually, but for now, it's the least of my concerns. I don't ride a scooter to help conserve the world's oil supply.

My wife was easy to convince that riding a scooter would save us money on gas, especially since gas had just hit $3.50 a gallon when I purchased my Vino. Just the same, that really wasn't my reason for getting a scooter either.

I purchased a scooter in part because I have wanted one for years, at least since I was a teenager. I could not convince my parents of the practicality of a scooter, so it didn't happen back then. I also like small vehicles, which definitely drew me to the scooter world.

Perhaps the reason I ride my scooter in most weather, is not one I had fully realized when I purchased my first scooter, and that reason is simply, a scooter is practical. Why should I drive a car to and from work, that consumes four to five times as much gas, when I'm the only one who needs to get there. If I need to run an errand and don't need to pick up anything huge, why should I take a vehicle that is too big for the job? Sure, I have to bundle up a bit against the cold, but so what. It takes less time to bundle up while my scooter's engine warms up than it does to warm up my car and get the windows defrosted (ice-scrapers never seem to work right for me with frost). The cold really isn't all that noticeable when you're properly attired, so that doesn't hold me back either.

So, the question is, am I the one who is crazy, or is it the other people, driving around, alone, in a vehicle designed to carry at least five people (plus cargo)?