I have successfully scootered to work!

[sciatrix]

T and I only have the one car between us, and since I work on campus which only has expensive and inconvenient parking, T generally takes the car. Unfortunately, that means I'm very dependent on Austin's crummy public transit, which generally doubles to triples the time any given trip takes me. I also live a mile and a half from the nearest bus stop, which doesn't help. So T and I are constantly coordinating with one another about rides add going places, and I get frustrated about that sometimes.

Also unfortunately, I have airways narrow enough to startle and horrify the ENT I visited last year, narrow enough that when I asked "what can I do to make exercise something I can engage in without constantly shorting out my breathing?" he awkwardly hemmed and hawed before suggesting I try dieting. And my balance is crappy. And I haaaaaaate bikes.

But there are little rentable electric scooters all over town right now, and buying your own is actually affordable. So I'm looking at whether or not I can train myself to use the rented kind with an eye to maybe buying one to use as a commuter vehicle.

Previous attempts to try biking have foundered on me not being strong enough to lift a bike onto the bus rack and finding bikes terrifying when I get freaked out practicing and have to stop. With the scooter, I started and stopped a lot--the ride was projected to take 10m and wound up taking 30m--but I wasn't as scared because bailing didn't feel like so much of a transition. And I did the whole ride on my own. Victory!

My ankles are bruised all to hell and I still can't breathe through the phlegm very well, but I'm cautiously going to label this a success. Hopefully I'll continue having some luck with this approach. We'll see.

Comments

[notasupervillain]

Yay!

[sebenikela]

Nice! That sounds like a good transportation solution.

I feel totally the opposite about bike vs scooter scariness though lol

[sciatrix]

I think it's a combination of being relatively easy to jump on and off--and I did that a lot--and also, feeling better with the electric scooter when I don't need to also be powering it. I can shift my weight around on my feet, which is not inconsiderable when I'm carrying a fair bit of semi-balanced weight as I ride.

I did definitely need to practice braking before I bailed, but if I panicked and bailed, I could get right back on again and I didn't fall at all. That was really soothing, bailing and getting back and knowing I could.

[greensword]

I hate biking too! I'm okay on bike trails but still a little nervous and put me near a Death Machine car and I basically cease to function. I walk a lot for exercise/commuting but it's definitely the slowest way to travel. Maybe I'll try a scooter too.

[jayeless]

Ah, that is cool! I've often been tempted by the idea of getting an electric scooter myself, for similar reasons to you, but the laws here conflate them with motorbikes and the whole licensing process ends up feeling like too much hassle. Still, I'm glad you've had this success!