Notes from the Trail

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These days of ever-soaring gas prices bring quite a relief when I motor up to the pump on Ghost. Not only is my checking account breathing easier, but I feel like I’m doing the world a favor by not unquestionably consuming gallons and gallons of gas when there are other options. Except for some mild inconveniences, I highly recommend the $600-$800 investment into a moped. If you’re like most SUV-addicted U.S. families, you’ll pay for the moped in saved gas in 2-3 months.

Here are some of the inconveniences over the past year in driving a moped:

1. Bad weather means you stay at home or hitch a ride
2. Hitching rides too often makes you feel bad 
3. Bugs hurt like Hades at 35 mph
4. Tobacco-stained teeth sneers from pickup truck windows (of course, most times, there’s only 3-4 teeth in the mouth anyway)
5. Not much luggage room
6. Gravel on streets becomes a hazard when turning (you don’t think about those things in a car)
7. Bird poo has no roof to hit first
8. Takes a little longer to get places (but a whole new world of back-street and parking-lot shortcuts opens to you)
9. Soccer mom snickers (it seems that driving a mini-van is more cool than a moped, so now I’m apparently low-man on the cool totem pole)
10. The smell of roadkill is intense (but you’re less likely to do second-hand smush)