Give Greeks gold in motorcycle hopscotch

ATHENS – Sometimes in the U.S., you see a guy zooming

across busy roads on motorcycles, going so fast that his helmet

nearly flies off. The Greeks have a solution to this problem. They

have gotten rid of the helmet.

Motorcycle-riding in Athens is truly a spectator sport, although,

admittedly, it is best enjoyed on TV, preferably in an apartment on

a high floor, facing a courtyard, not the street. Otherwise

you’re in trouble.

The Athenians’ favorite game is motorcycle hopscotch. I

can’t imagine why the Greeks bother watching American action

films. What happens in the streets of Athens is far more

exciting.

And I certainly can’t picture Greeks watching the indoor

cycling; to them, it must seem as fast and exciting as

cross-country skiing. By the way, I think cross-country skiing

would be far more interesting if it were co-ed and the course were

unmarked. That way we could see if the men’s superior speed

could overcome their refusal to ask for directions.

The Winter Olympics return in less than two years, so the IOC

big-shots should really meet about this while they’re still

in Athens, as long as they don’t have to cross the street to

do it.

Michael Rosenberg
Knight Ridder Newspapers

Related Posts:

1. Motorcycle Awareness Rally 2007
2. Greeks aim to break stereotype
3. Greece promises safe Olympics,
   but delays may not
4. Give it time, people
5. Koett and run: winning coach goes for the gold