Episode 33 - East Coast Modern Vespa Workshop (voicemail 206-888-6174)

SHOWNOTES: This weekend I have spent most of my time at the East
Coast Modern Vespa Workshop here in Richmond. I have made a few new
scooter friends and developed a whole new perspective on the modern
Vespa scooters. Have you ever heard of Curt, Lucky, Greasy or
Vickie? Maybe not, but you probably have heard about the Modern
Vespa Website, especially if you own one of the new Vespasian. I
have been an occasional lurker on the site for the past few months,
but have to admit that being a classic Vespa owner; I had a hard
time finding many posts that I was interested in. I have to admit,
that I was probably a bit of a classic Vespa snob, thinking that
the fondness for these new bikes must be a reflection on the
neophytes who rode these scoots. Before all you Modern Vespa Riders
send me emails and leave me x-rated phone messages let me say that
I am here to ask you for forgiveness. I am even willing to share a
little secret, that I have been bitten by the Modern Vespa bug.
Just to illustrate, I even started wondering what I could get for
one of my classics, as a way to jump start my way towards a Modern
Vespa, OH MY GOD! That is blasphemy! The East Coast version of the
San Francisco Modern Vespa Workshop was held at Scoot Richmond this
weekend and I decided a few weeks ago, that maybe I needed to get a
little more education. Like any group meeting, it started off
awkwardly enough with hand shakes and name tags, but then I heard
something that always takes me by surprise, hey are you Dave from
the SCTRCST Podcast? I don't know why, but despite all the emails,
voice mails, website stats and download reports, I have a hard time
anyone is really out there listening to me prattle on about my
musings. But I have learned over many years to override saying what
I first think, which in this case was "you listen, why?" and
instead I said "thank you" and come to find out it was Shawn, the
fellow who's voice mail I played last week in anticipation of
workshop. It just got better from there as I watched a group of
scooter enthusiast from all over the east coast and the south
reveled in their common love for their bikes and the excitement
that they had been sharing on the Modern Vespa website forum.
Modern Vespa owners from all over the east and south came to
Richmond. This included members from Pennsylvania, New York,
Washington DC, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and
even New Orleans. So what am I saying about all this? First, a big
thanks to all the Modern Vespa members. They even let me ride by
P200 on the Saturday city ride. But really, thank you for including
an outsider like myself and be proud that you really have a great
Vespa community going there. As frequent listeners know, I am
always amazed by how scooters bring all kinds of people together
and even in my case, you may have gained another believer,
especially now that I understand that I don't have to give up my
old ways to be a part of the new scooter scene.