I was able to purchase the Burgman 400 in my last entry from Sky Powersports here in Lakeland, at a base sticker price that was below the dealer’s cost. Because I did not want to put a pay-off lien on the new scoot, rather than trading in the Vino 125, “Little Brother” now has a “Big Brother” in the garage. I sped (as if you could on a 125cc scooter) up to the dealer on Saturday, depositing the first portion of my severance package at the ATM on the way, dropped off the Vino for its 24,000(!)-mile service and a new set of front brakes, and rode home on the new Burgman, paid for in full. Wasn’t sure how I was going to handle going from a 229-pound scooter to a 480-plus pound maxi-scooter, but it is actually far more comfortable and confident to ride and easier to just relax and enjoy the trip while not having anxiety over every nook and cranny in the road. The increased wind resistance from traveling at 65 MPH versus 45 MPH will take some getting used to. It will go faster, but 65 is about my maximum comfort zone as I adjust to the larger bike.

However, the time came yesterday when I had to go pick up the Vino from its service, and with my wife now working, no means to get there except the Burgman, which I obviously could not ride back along with the Vino.

So, I did something I hadn’t done since I left southern California 7½ years ago: I took the local public transportation system (known here as theCitrus Connection) from the south side of Lakeland up to Kathleen on the northwestern end of the city. Of course, it required me to walk a few miles from the house all the way to Christina to find a northbound bus stop across from the nearby Home Depot (not recalling that I could have walked a mile or two less to the Wal-Mart in Mulberry) in the 95° heat and humidity (which is when carrying a large bottle of Gatorade® comes in handy), to realize the first fact about this system, that it tends to run late at certain stops, like the one that I was waiting at (the 4:08 arrived at 4:29). However, I did get to the central transportation hub early, where the drivers pulled in and waited for the remaining busses to arrive so everyone could make their needed transfers before the second-to-last route of the day left the station. A very fun and pleasant experience, actually, that brought back memories of riding the OCTA all over the place when I didn’t have a car in the early 90s. The busses were spotless; the other riders (mostly young black people and elderly people) were well-behaved and pleasant to be around and sometimes chat with, contrary to the image produced by the still-very-prejudiced South. It surprises me at times how much people miss out on because of prejudices and stereotypes. One can gain so much ministry experience simply laying those things aside and being willing to listen to people talk.

Taking the local public transit also offers a chance to watch life—reality—happening. The blond-haired professional woman closing a deal on her cell phone at the transit terminal. The elderly couple sitting up front chatting about how the city’s changed over the years with an elderly woman seated across from them. The black high school student catching up on her assignments as she heads home for the day. The black man behind me trying to catch a glimpse of my iPhone from two rows back while I’m following the bus’ progress on Google Maps so I know when to pull the signal cable to be let off at the next location. Looking out the windows to watch people driving by, unwinding from their days, chatting on their cell phones, trying to put on make-up for a dinner date. The occasional die-hard biker slung back on his raked-out chopper enjoying the breeze. It’s stuff you just don’t get to see when you’re having to pay attention to the traffic around you.

So I arrived at the dealer and rode the Vino 125 to its semi-retirement home in our garage, where it will still see some use, but not nearly as much as it has seen over the past 24,000 miles. I’m looking forward to the open road again once the weather begins to dry up for the winter and the temperatures become a little more comfortable. The larger engine also means that I at last get to join my F.A.I.T.H. Riders friends on their ministry trips, something I am most looking forward to.

Keeping the rubber side down and the shiny side up…