Hoot and wave

It was my first day back on two wheels when I was met at an intersection by two of my scooter riding colleagues.

After riding the rest of the route to our Witpoortjie office together, we jokingly called out “Wild Hogs” and admired the sight of our three scooters lined up in front of the office.

We are not a group of school kids however, but rather three grown men. What drove us to riding scooters at this stage of our lives? Life itself.

Generally I’m very positive and don’t complain about much – apart from stupidity as a whole – but I see life realistically.

I used to ride a superbike and for a journalist it is the perfect vehicle for getting to stories before anyone else does.

I bought this downgrade on the superbike (second-hand from an old school friend) last week as I literary had no other options left.

A vehicle of any sort is a liability. Don’t think that once you get to an age when you are lucky enough to earn R10 000 a month, you automatically can get a grand car for R8 000 a month.

On that salary – taking maintenance, fuel prices, insurance, a tracking device et cetera into account – I would be surprised if you could afford a car within the R3 000 per month price range.

After my fiancée moved in, I got rid of the superbike, fixed up the old cash-bought car and drove it until it was a write-off. We got an old canary-yellow Golf after that. This little beauty got stolen in front of the office shortly after. So began our three-month search for another vehicle. After much consideration we found a scooter to be the best option for us. With the pressure from all sides of society and the economy, I can’t see myself driving a car to work and back every day as, apart from rent, travelling costs are the second biggest expense for most of us. We are yet to purchase a car, but sadly with our crime rates, the car will have to remain at home until we need to travel outside of the West Rand.

So if you see us en route to work on our scooters, please don’t pity us. We have made this decision so that we can afford the costs of working and living in South Africa. Just hoot and wave Roodepoort, hoot and wave.

Have a lovely week and travel safely.