The Inside Line: Changing Lanes

This pandemic has hit people in many different ways. From the good to the bad, boring to entertaining. I asked my friend Scott, who is a motorcycle safety instructor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, how he has been handling this “new, new.”

Devonne: What have you done differently than you normally would during this time? Have you ridden more than you normally do?
Scott: I have definitely been riding less, which I think is the opposite for most. I think people are riding more. 

Devonne: As a motorcycle instructor, have classes been slower than usual?
Scott: Classes are busier and sold out. We have been closed for months and had to cancel a lot of classes so people have been itching for us to reopen. There are also people who have wanted to take it before but couldn’t because of work. Now that people are out of work or aren’t as busy, they are able to take the courses. MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) released an article that people are choosing to ride because it makes them feel more comfortable versus public transportation and carpooling. Motorcycles are convenient and inexpensive. 

Devonne: As a motorcycle instructor, have classes been slower than usual?
Scott: Classes are busier and sold out. We have been closed for months and had to cancel a lot of classes so people have been itching for us to reopen. There are also people who have wanted to take it before but couldn’t because of work. Now that people are out of work or aren’t as busy, they are able to take the courses. MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) released an article that people are choosing to ride because it makes them feel more comfortable versus public transportation and carpooling. Motorcycles are convenient and inexpensive. 

Devonne: Do you think that more people will start riding motorcycles more often as MSF believes? Is it for the reason of boredom or maybe a new interest? 
Scott: I think people will get into riding because it gets them outdoors instead of being cooped up in their homes. It’s similar to the increase in bicycles and pedestrians. 

Devonne: Do you notice that people are riding more than normal? Why is that?
Scott: Yes, because they are working from home and have more energy at the end of the day versus being in the office. Normally they don’t have the luxury like many people as myself do. 

Devonne: Did you take any trips? If so, did you ride?
Scott: I took a trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia. The trip was actually previously planned and paid in advance before the pandemic, so my brother and I still decided to go, even though Airbnb was offering refunds.

Scott, like many others, is finding his way in this “new, new” and adjusting to this new life, for the foreseeable future.

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Devonne Duerbaum

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