Courtesy of Paige Wehrmeister

Senior Paige Wehrmeister stunts her Lance Havana 125 cc scooter as she smiles for a picture. After riding her scooter for over a year, Wehrmeister has picked up some tips and tricks. “A [scooter] is pretty simple to ride so it only took a couple of days to get that part down but it took me a couple weeks to go the speed limit easily because I was scared at first. Having passengers also makes it a bit trickier because their weight can be a challenge when they don’t lean with you, especially on the turns,” Wehrmeister said. “It’s [also] a good thing to keep your fingers hovering near the brakes so you can have a fast reaction when you need to break fast.”

Rolling up to school with her hair tied in braids and the wind in her face, senior Paige Wehrmeister rides her Lance Havana 125 cc engine scooter. 

“I drive [my scooter] sometimes, depending on the day. I can’t drive it when it’s wet or when I’m driving lots of people because it’s harder to drive that way, but I drive it whenever I get the opportunity,” Wehrmeister said. “It’s always fun to get out and ride my scooter on a nice day where the breeze feels good.”

Wehrmiester bought the $2,000 scooter in June 2020 after saving money from cleaning her dad’s office. 

“I had a family friend who got a motorcycle and would take me on rides. I loved the feeling of it but I didn’t want to get a motorcycle because it seemed kinda complicated to learn how to ride,” Wehrmeister said. “So I looked into a moped to get the same feeling without the complicated parts of riding a motorcycle.”

Wehrmeister’s family is supportive of her new wheels and helped her to study for her driving test and taking her to buy the scooter.

“I had been talking with my mom about looking for a place to buy a scooter from when one day we were in line at McDonalds and saw a guy on a scooter in line in front of us and on the back of his scooter it said ‘Rocky Road Scooter Company’ and I was like, ‘that’s cool, let’s check it out,’” Wehrmiester said,“ My mom took me to go look at and get my scooter, and through the whole process, she has helped me think all of my options through.” 

To be able to drive the scooter, Wehrmeister was required to take a separate driver’s test at a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and pass with an 80 percent or above. Wehmeister used the pandemic to study for the test.

“To ride a scooter, you need to take a test to get your motorcycle permit. To have full riding abilities [such as] riding at night or riding with a passenger, you need to go through a motorcycle safety course to get your motorcycle license,” Wehrmeister said. “I was really nervous for the permit test because it was about motorcycles and I was getting a scooter, so I couldn’t relate to some of the questions.”

Although the test helped Wehrmeister learn the basics of riding a scooter, driving one regularly has helped her pick up some tips and tricks.

“[When riding a scooter] sometimes loose pieces of gravel or dirt [fly into my face], but I just shake it off. [Sometimes] I feel like [I am about to fall off] with super tight turns, but with wider turns, it feels more second nature,” Wehrmeister said. 

Not having to drive a car to school every day comes with some benefits for Wehrmeister, like her scooter getting 90 miles per gallon.

“I feel like riding the scooter has taught me a lot to not stress about the small things because when I ride I have to remind myself that everything’s gonna be okay and it’s given me a much better mindset,” Wehrmeister said. “I love the exhilaration of going fast and feeling the wind in my face. It makes me feel free.”