Driving at night

Since the motorcycle learner's permit lasts for 2 years, people have asked me why I worried about getting my full license after only 4 months. The answer to that is the title of this post - driving at night. When you have a learner's permit, you can only ride during daylight. Also, you can't have any passengers. That is another nice thing to be able to do (once we get helmets for the rest of the family) but it's not a necessity. But being able to ride my scooter at night is a necessity. With sundown coming earlier and having turned the clocks back the previous week-end (the infamous Daylight Moving Time but in the fall), it's dark by the time I head home. Yes, I could have continued with the learner's permit and just hoped that I wouldn't get stopped. But why worry? Other people might say, "Well, now that it's dark when you leave, isn't it dangerous? Why don't you just put the scooter away for the winter and wait until spring?" There are two answers to that. One is that I am a cheap guy and saving all this money on gasoline has really made me happy. The other reason is that I love driving at night.

I've always been this way. Even when I couldn't drive, I loved going out with my parents at night. Part of it is feeling like you're all alone. Just you and the people in the car. It's like you're in a different world. You could be almost anywhere. You notice the feeling of the road and the turns. There is a feeling that the car itself is pushing you one way and then the other. There is also the excitement that it is easier to get lost at night. So, you've got to be more on your toes. You need to watch the street signs more closely. There is a sense of accomplishment when you get to your destination. But being on my scooter at night is even better. You can smell what people are having for dinner. You feel more in tune with the scooter because you depend on it more. In some ways, it is safer because you see cars coming from farther away because of theirs lights. And I love the headlight on this scooter. It lights a wide path so you can see the entire width of the road. I think the high beam lights up as far down the road as our van high beam does. I'm more alert because you do have to be more careful, though. I feel my heart pumping harder. The worst part is that potholes sneak up on you and it can be jarring when you hit one unexpectedly. But that adds to the trill. You can't be looking down the entire ride. You need to keeping looking ahead, scanning for other, more dangerous things. I'd hate to hit a dog or a deer but by staying alert, you can see their eyes in the dark. They don't want the accident either.

By the time I get home, I'm more tired but happier. I feel like I accomplished one more thing that day. And when I turn into our yard, I see the lights on in the house and my my family moving around. Sometimes they see me coming and wave out the window to me. Sometimes they don't see my until I open the door. Then they smile and ask me about the day and I can rest. It doesn't get any better than this.

The picture above is from here by Michael Pierce. It's an interesting post about his own ride at night through the California mountains. He's a much better writer than I am. His ride is more dangerous than mine, too, and he rides a real motorcycle.