Blasted Scooter

One of the first posts I ever wrote on this blog was about my scooter... then I told you about the time someone tried to steal it... and now I'm writing to tell you we sold it.  (sad face)  Sold it, gave it away, were ripped off, I'm not really sure how to word it.  After someone tried to steal the scooter, we were bummed, and not exactly in the mood to pay for the repairs (and of course some how the damage didn't fall under insurance).  But when summer rolled around we decided to go ahead, do minor repairs, and then get rid of it.  The minor repairs were necessary to sell it, but those repairs turned out to cost €95.  In order to actually get the scooter running properly they wanted and additional €240.  There was no way we were going to pay that just to sell it, we left the scooter at the shop for a couple weeks while we debated what to do.  My husband was ready to give up, he said we should just give the scooter to the shop (they resell 2nd hand scooters) and call it even.  We'd make nothing and lose nothing.  This was hard to accept (we paid a lot for the scooter) so I went in search for an alternative.  I came across what I thought was a great website/service, ikwilvanmijnscooteraf.nl  (Wow, was I wrong!)

This company helps you sell your scooters to dealers/garages instead of privately, they promised us €150 for the old beat-up scooter.  It wasn't much, but it would cover our costs and we'd make a little profit.  We picked up our scooter from the shop and anxiously awaited for the appointment the middleman had arranged.  Unfortunately, everything after that went wrong.  Turned out we didn't have part of the registration we needed, which costs us an extra €35 and on top of that it was really difficult to get a hold of the buyer (Garage Schneider from Schiedam).  According to the contract with the middleman we had to make an appointment within 2 days with the buyer and we were also required to follow through with the sale, a breach of contract would cost us €300.  Of course I started growing nervous when it was difficult to make the appointment, I didn't want to break the contract.  Eventually the documents were in order and the garage was on its way to pay cash for the scooter.  But when they finally turned up, they claimed the scooter was in worse condition than the middleman had described and they were only willing to give me €50 instead of €150.  This left us with no option, if we decided not to sell it would be a breach of contract, so basically they ripped us off.  Both companies only profited, it inevitably costs us €80.  We would have been better off just calling it even with the first shop.  Of course I filed a complaint at ikwilvanmijnscooteraf.nl they put us in a horrible situation, and you know what, they never even bothered to respond to the complaint!  I would never recommend either company to anyone, they willingly set us up and didn't follow through with their promises.  I was sick to my stomach by the end of it, but at least the scooter is out of the way and we no longer have to pay insurance on something we're not even using.

Wordless Wednesday #55

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Scooter O' Scooter

As you might have read in an old post, we have a scooter (moped, whatever you want to call it).  But we let it sit for so long we could no longer get it started.  After many talks we decided to take it to a garage and get it serviced.  While helping a friend move, my husband and his friends dropped by our apartment and loaded the old scooter into the truck and headed to the garage.  Within a few days we were able to pick it up; when I heard how little we had to pay I knew it hadn't been serviced, but merely jump started (possibly even a new battery).  I wasn't there so it was out of my control.  No matter what, it worked; even though it was quite rusty, had mildew in the trunk, not all of the lights worked, and had pieces hanging off it.  Everyday we started it to keep it running but we knew we needed to actually use it. 

So one day while our daughter was at her aunt's we decided to take it for a spin for old times sake.  Before our daughter was born we often would just go for a ride around town or the parks, enjoy the weather, and each others company.  We stopped off at a couple stores, one of which being the pet shop.  Knowing we'd most likely be buying the puppy the next day we went ahead and picked up the things she needed.  You should have seen us trying to drive back home to drop off the massive box with the dog cage inside.  In front of the grocery store the scooter decided not to work anymore, we were close to home so walking it back wasn't going to be so bad.  But luckily for us it started just before we gave up.  Despite the drizzling rain and the risk of it copping out again we headed to the park.  We sat next to the canal chatting, taking funny pictures & movies, and snacking.  It was a fun afternoon, and looked forward to getting the scooter fully serviced for future afternoon jaunts.

But life had something else in mind, we woke up Friday morning to find out someone tried to steal our scooter in the middle of the night!  My husband called on the way to work and said he thought he saw our scooter parked in the space next to his within our private parking lot.  I darted outside and sure enough the scooter was not at the bottom of the terrace stairs.  When I reached the parking lot I saw our scooter near the gate; I was glad they didn't take it but I wasn't sure what kind of damage they had done.  I pulled out my phone and took photos for the police and insurance company, not daring disturb the crime scene.  Quickly I realized the entire ignition was missing, and I was sure to add that to my conversation with the police. 
The police said that didn't send officers by for scooter thefts and that I'd have to fill out a report online.  Not wanting to upset the neighbors by leaving the scooter in their parking spot I went to move it.  But as I latched on to the handle bars, it computed that the thieves had managed to remove the ignition in order to start it, but when they couldn't get the steering column out of the locked position they gave up.  So there I stood, the steering column locked and turned to the left, without being able to use the key I could only push it in circles.  It was early in the morning and I didn't have it in me to work the scooter back up to our terrace.  I lifted it a few times, first the back then the front (they're surprisingly heavy) until it was in my husbands spot and there I left it until he arrived home.  I spent the next hour, filing an online police report, informing insurance, and putting up a note in the apartment hallway to warn the neighbors.  In the end we found out it's our own problem.  The police aren't going to do a thing, apparently insurance only covers an accident not theft, and the apartment committee said they'd do nothing and I should inform the neighbors myself.  So we had the scooter up and working for less than two weeks.  Now we have to pay the garage to come & pick it up, put in a new ignition, and do a general service, great!

Born To Be Wild

♫ Get your motor runnin', Head out on the highway, Lookin' for adventure, And whatever comes our way, BORN TO BE WIIIIILD♫  Everybody knows the song, right?!  It's one of the best motorcycle songs, according to people on the internet.  Anyway, just wanted a catchy opening to today's blog about my scooter (bromfiets as the Dutch would say).  When we moved from Best to Eindhoven six years ago we bought a scooter so that I could get to work.  (Here's a photo of me and my darling dark blue Yamaha Neo's when it was brand spankin' new)

For those that know me well, know that I am not the most coordinated person; walking, driving, sports, etc.  (It's in the family, you know who you are, ha-ha!)  So needless to say I put this poor scooter through hell and back.  Multiple flat tires, new exhaust system, multiple minor accidents, and one larger accident.  Since my scooter didn't go faster than 25km (15 mph) I was allowed to drive on the bike path and I wasn't required to wear a helmet but I probably should have.  Sometimes the bike path is seperate from the road and sometimes it shares a lane with the cars, but it didn't matter, I found a way to ding up my scooter no matter what.  I clipped more car mirrors with my mirror than a gardener clips hedges.  I even managed to drive into the forks of a forklift and rip open the bottom of my scooter.  But my scooter drudged on!  Since we live in an apartment and our storage room is up three steps the poor scooter had to sit outside, day in, day out, rain or snow, for years.  Surprisingly enough it wasn't my lack of coordination that ended the scooter, it's the lack of use.  Once my daughter came along my scooter days were over, not out of fear, but just because I didn't need it.  Apparently using it once a year isn't enough and it died.  It seems simple enough, take it to a garage and buy a new battery, but for what, it'll still just sit there.  It's now become a parking lot decoration, a home to spiders, and possibly even a science experiment for anyone studying rust.  It's hard to part with, all the memories, from Sunday afternoon cruising around Eindhoven with my husband to toting overly stuffed grocery bags stacked on top of each other home.  What to do, what to do??  Before parting for the day I'll leave you with an up-to-date photo of my poor darling scooter.