Come on Lucy where's your spirit of adventure! I had a Vespa 125 - 40 years ago. As a student with a home in Ireland but studying in England I had cause to ride it hundreds of miles - up hill, down dale and through snow and ice.

I might add that it was a totally reliable steed - i.e. you could rely on it to expire when you most needed it and it put a definite end to a few romantic plans - no Josephine would tolerate it!

So I agree - totally unsuitable for inter-city adventure but it taught me a lot - like how to keep warm in extreme cold (wear your pyjamas under your clothes and a layer of newspaper across the chest) and just how much it hurt to fall on to hard packed snow or ice.

Maybe they're safer nowadays but I doubt it - there are a lot more cars around now.

Michael from Sydney