Yes, you heard it here first: I’m a motorcycle mama. A few years back I got a 150cc scooter and I blaze down the road at a whopping 45 mph.
However, if I were to take my scoot to Indonesia, I could run into a few snags.
Authorities in Indonesia’s Aceh province are pressing ahead with a proposed Islamic law that would ban female passengers from straddling motorbikes despite reported opposition from the central government.
Dang it.
On Monday, authorities in northern Aceh distributed a notice to government offices and villages informing residents of the proposed law, which would apply to adolescent girls and women. It states that women are not allowed to straddle motorbikes unless it’s an “emergency,” and are not allowed to hold onto the driver.
Now that’s a bummer. When my husband and I hit the road together, half the fun is hanging onto him.
Suaidi Yahya, mayor of the Aceh city of Lhokseumawe, said a ban was needed because the “curves of a woman’s body” are more visible when straddling a motorbike than when sitting sideways with legs dangling.
Ah yes, those darn curves, they’ll do in a man every time.
One nice thing about my scooter is that the driver doesn’t have to straddle. Perhaps if I wind up scooting in Indonesia, I’ll talk my dear husband into being my “bitch” while I drive. After all, I need to sit like a lady.
