Mods on the Road

Shauna's blog post over at Moonletters discussing virtual mods,and scooters got me thinking ... clank clank yes it does hurt. So I thought I'd do a little waffling:

Virtual modism wanders severely from the regimented restriction that define real life mods, in fashion-in music-and in hair styles. But even in the virtual world you cannot lay claim to being a mod without possessing a scooter. So iconic is the scooter in mod myth that its an essential item even when its no longer necessary. Essentially mods rode scooters because they couldnt afford cars, you dont believe me. Lets see rainy Brighton '64, who gets the girl the soaked parka clad mod on the Vespa offering a drenched back seat; or the chilled mod in the tonic suit in the Austin Healey? If you think its the scooter ... Wake Up!

For working class youths of this era owning a car didnt even register as a possibility; their parents didnt even have cars it was an aspiration that wasnt quite attainable. But, you needed to be mobile and so you had an option a great oily brute of a Triumph, BSA et al or sharp Italian scooter that wouldnt crease your trousers or leaves oil over the suit your still paying off on HP for the next five months. Its no surprise that the scooter won out. Besides it was easier to make a statement crawling along with your mrrors glaring in trhe pale sunshine, than  a flash of leather clad grease roaring past at ninety miles an hour. The mods choice was the cool and functional scooter, a wise one. The revivalist of the eighties took scooter customisation one step further with elaborate paint job, chroming of every metallic part, and tuning to reach dizzying speeds on what was essentially a rather unstable comfy chair. So strong is the iconic status of the scooter, that motor aspirations of the mods are forgotten and so in a world where you could have a Ferrari, an Aston Martin, a Lambourghini or all three ... the mod still chooses the scooter.

So once you decide to get involved in the virtual mod scene you decide you need a scooter and begin your search. Short cut, you have only two options the scooters at Medeka Garage or the scooters built by Slate McLeod*. Honestly, I have seen most of the scooters available and if you want to look sharp these are your only viable options. I have mentioned both in the blog before so seems pointless to review them again, so instead I will put my head on the block and make a choice.

I love my Vespa from Medeka, its colour changuing scripting, its mod attachments make it a wonderfully mod vehicle and I adore their Lambretta TV; but, my Union Jack scooter has a mod soul at the heart of it. Slate's a classic virtual British mod and its that mod soul that is expressed in his scooters. They just feel like a mods scooter, its something inherent in their creation, and he provides you with a wearable option. The wearable option is crucial if you wish to partake in the impromptu scooter rallies that spring up at mod club nights. So, both wonderful builders; both wonderful machines but if I had to pick one .. its my Union Jack Vespa.

*mention you have snaps of his mankini you might get a discount, lol.