motorcyclemeditation.com

Lunch with my daughter today, looking forward to that. Meet up twelve thirty at her office on Whitehall, then probably stroll out for a sandwich. Fifteen minutes extra allowed for the journey, don’t want to be late, got to keep up standards, especially with daughters.

The motorcycle pootling along my new favourite route to that part of London, through Hampstead, past Swiss Cottage, around the Outer Circle, down Portland Place. Regent’s Park almost deserted, the road curving sweetly and inviting of a brief motorcycle blast.

Resisting the temptation however, doesn’t fit the place’s distinctive tranquility, something worth preserving. Also, an opportunity for an experience equally distinctive, motorcycling on an open road in non-missile mode, just ticking along, taking in the trees and the buildings and the serenity. Joggers jogging, dogs released from leashes, schoolchildren in blazers on nature projects.

These thoughts discomposed by the sudden snarling flurry of being overtaken, a brown Maserati, must be doing fifty, not dangerous really, just inappropriate. Oh well, there must quite a few times when other people think I’m going too fast, do what you gotta do pal. The Maserati quickly gone, the trees still remaining to admire.

Coming up to the exit, what’s this, the Maserati plus the flashing lights of a police motorcycle. Tough luck pal. Just as well I was in such a civilized mood today, it could have been me. Another reminder as if such were needed, if you’re going to speed, do it on a motorway, it’s much harder to be ambushed and it’s safer.

Quickly through to the motorcycle parking bays on the Embankment, locking up, phoning, hi, oh hi dad where are you, waiting for you on the pavement, okay I’ll be right down. The idea being, get the timing of the phone call such that just as I arrive so does she, saves an interminable wait. Out by about three seconds, there she is walking out of her building, turning, oh hi dad, big daughterly smile.