In huge contrast to my usual I’m here to sing praise to those I’ve long denigrated …. design engineers . They’ve earned a bit more respect from me as of late as I’ve been indulging a favored Colombian past time . I love spending the last hour of daylight before the sun recedes at 6 p.m. at a roadside table sipping beer and watching the very interesting traffic on those busy streets.
Those streets are filled with trucks from the 60s hauling their loads, very colorful open air buses packed with everything from construction materials , produce and humans. Small motorcycles and scooters are witnessed by the droves also carrying exotic cargo . I remember my first visit here when few had personal transportation, but true growth and improved economy has allowed a large portion of the population to indulge in 125 cc motorcycles and scooters .
I’ve witnessed these small machines transport some incredible items ….. but one particular item is by far a standout ….. women. You see the vehicle of choice among women in Colombia seems to be motor scooters and the streets are jammed with them . And hence the praise of my dear friend the design engineer . I’ll explain ….
The scooters are designed in such a way that the rider must sit upright with the slightly spread thighs perfectly horizontal . The position of the handle bars should also be construed as pure genius as they force the upright rider to bring the elbows so far back it forces a rather proud positioning of the chest. I can only conclude the designers of these fine machines share similar perversions to my own .
And so I have long given up being intrigued by 125 cc bikes hauling families of four, sacks of concrete and washing machines …. that is so boring .
