Throughout Asia it is impossible to walk more than 5 feet without seeing, hearing, smelling or nearly being run into by that most ubiquitous of transportation, the scooter. They come in all shapes, sizes, makes and models but they remain an affordable and simple way to get around crowded city streets. Our little scooter, Macy Grey, has recently found its way back to us. Even though I have only had her back for 4 short hours, I can already say that I really feel like my long lost child has come home at last.
Macy Grey is nothing short of a miracle.She is not so much a scooter as she is a wizened old soul, housed in her metal and plastic casing. She knows the streets of Taipei like the back of her tires and almost seems to guide her driver to his or her destination (or that could be the shaky steering column) Macy was given to us in 2006 by a friend who was leaving Taiwan. Macy had been given to our friend by a friend of hers, who had also had Macy given to her by another friend (original owner) Ms. Grey (Macy to her friends) had actually sat for about 6 months prior to our friend giving her to us. Our friend randomly decided to try to start Macy one day and she worked! When we became her owner, Macy was rough and ready...well-worn, but with a few miles to go. Or at least that's what we thought so we didn't sink any money into what seemed like a lost cause. Now, I'd like to say I took care of Macy but truth is, I didn't exactly rotate her tires and give her an oil change every 1,000km. Instead, she was pushed to her limits; speeding from light to light, slamming on the brakes, etc. Repairs were slapdash and involved a toolkit consisting of a roll or packing tape and scissors. If memory serves, the only real repair that involved a mechanic was an oil filter which likely hadn't been changed since Macy's birth.
Time rolled on and about a year after we'd come to call Macy our own, it was time for us to saddle up and move on from the beautiful isle. But, what to do with Macy? We couldn't just leave her there, shivering and rusting all alone on some lonely Taipei alley. Both of us felt we owed it to this little scooter who could (and as a matter of good karma) we passed Macy on to another friend of ours. We kept tabs on, thinking about her from time to time and all the fun we'd had racing through the streets of Taipei together.
More time passed and so did our friends' tenure in Taipei. To keep the karma flowing, she also passed Macy onto yet another friend. He had her for a short time before he too left Taiwan. Not wanting to break the karma chain, he passed it on to another friend. That friend also passed it on to yet another friend of ours, who really never took to Macy and driving in these crazy streets. So, Macy sat, waiting for someone to come and claim her.
Fast forward to august 2009; our triumphant return to Taipei and it wasn't long after that I inquired about Macy. I feared the worst for her, but turns out she was just downstairs collecting parking tickets. Our friend said Macy had been sitting once more for about 10 months and offered her to us again. At first, I was hesitant, but after a couple of months relying on public transit I gave in. So, today was the day. I got the keys and thought, what the hell? I'll see if she starts. Surprisingly, the battery still worked and Macy tried and tried to turn over, but just was too sleepy from her long rest. A quick push down the street to the local mechanic, 15 minutes and $500NT later (including helmet) Macy breathed life once again. I carefully put her through her paces and treated my thirsty girl to a new tank of gas. Tomorrow, I'm going to get a new muffler and possibly a new handbrake but shhh! Don't tell her...it's a surprise.
Here's a picture of the old girl...sure glad she's back in my life again. Here's to you Macy and the automotive adventures we'll be having.
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