Sex in the Scooter

I'd say a third of the men in Delhi drive scooters or motorcycles - and all on reckless roads where, despite traffic lines, drivers think the big goal is to run into as many cars and people as possible.

Driving in Delhi is not just hazardous. It's stupid dangerous.

To add to the melee of motor madness, only drivers are required to don helmets.

That law doesn't account for the thousands of women who side-saddle on the back of the men and who never wear helmets. Which is not the case for men who double team on a scooter or motorcycle. About half of the male passengers on the back of a cycle wear helmets!

Even zanier, often women carry their toddlers while riding on the back of the scooter--again, not crouched up to the guy with open legs --but with the whole body slung over one side.

Women want to protect their vanity by not wearing a helmet, some reporter friends say.

Women want to protect their honor by riding with their legs together and slinked on one side, rather than cock a more safe squat with their legs akimbo, and latched to the back of the rider's legs.

And at least once a day -- I see a family of five piled onto one motorcycle. A mom, a dad, and three kids. I 'aint lyin.

So you can imagine how terrified I'd be to ride a scooter in this city.... righhht.

Well-- just the right scooter driver offered me a ride around my neighborhood Friday night!

And between the prospect of wisping through the dusty wind and seeing Delhi at night -- I had to go for the ride -- though I didn't have a helmet. And God knows I 'aint got enough hair to pad my fall like some of the Turban-wearin men.

But the scooter ride was delightfully mind blowing. I felt like I was wind. Coming from my past two years in New York City, riding the subway, and feeling no control over my mode of transportation, I felt unstoppable on the scooter though I wasn't in command.

And the moon is so spectacular when you're going 40 miles an hour under it and the only thing in between you and moon is the wind thats parting its blankets to allow your bug-splattered face to shine...

So the next night, Saturday, I asked the same scooter driver to grant me another rip through town.

We talked the whole time-- like talking while doubling up on a scooter at night, and without a helmet is exactly the type of stories you want to tell your parents...