Tips for Being the Girl on the Back of the Bike: How to Ride as a Passenger on a Motorcycle

When I thought about being the girl on the back of the bike, I imagined it would be cool and sexy like Brigitte Bardot

or classy and exciting Like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.

That is to say I may have overly romanticized the idea. There is a lot more to it than looking cute and having fun, because let's be honest, it can be dangerous if you're not careful and paying attention.

A good thing to note is- Scooters are the most common form of transportation here- Everyone rides them and everyone is aware of them. We actually haven't seen a single accident. The way traffic moves seems a little chaotic, everyone is constantly passing each other and driving in each others lanes. It can be daunting to say the least, but once you are in it, it's relatively smooth sailing. The good news for me is Grant grew up riding dirt bikes so he is very familiar with how they work and on the occasion that the road becomes more "rustic" he is really in his element.

So here are some tips I've learned - some from Grant and some from experience.

Not a tip, but a rule-

1.) Wear a helmet. I know huge eye roll, but seriously do it. Don't think about how many other people have worn the helmet, just put it on.

2.) Don't wear your cut off shorts. -There is a time and a place for your daisy dukes but traveling for long periods of time on the back of a scooter is not it. Think sweat and skin and vinyl. It equals heat rash and it can be very uncomfortable. And it's not very Brigitte (or Audrey.)

3.) Do not put your feet down until the driver tells you. Sometimes it feels like things are a little sketchy- roads get bumpy and sometimes disappear all together it may feel like youre going down. Your driver is handling the situation and if you instictively put your feet down, you might step on the drivers foot. Grant and I had a discussion and he will say "feet" if I need to act.

4.)Don't be a backseat driver. You guys are looking in the same direction, there is no need to point out the dog, the person, the tuk-tuk, the 'road closed' sign whatever it is.

It's been a pretty incredible experience being able to move so freely and renting a scooter has been pretty inexpensive. between 400-500 Pesos a day ($7.20-9.00) and it's about 52 pesos for a liter of gas (about $3.55/gal) We filled up twice this week since it was pretty much empty when we got it.

In addition to it being fairly in expensive everyone drives on the right side of the road just like we are used to so navigating traffic doesn't have an added layer of stress.

Another difference I've noticed about driving in The Philippines is the lack of traffic cops (or cops, in general.) Everyone is just careful of eah other- there are traffic cones up in construction areas, no cops directing traffic, I've seen maybe 2 speed limit signs and 2 traffic lights, and zero stop signs I have also seen ZERO accidents. I'm sure it happens, but we are coming to the end of a month here and driving seems scary, but I think it's pretty safe. So There it is how to ride as a passenger on a motorcycle

Grant gave me my first driving lesson a coule days ago and I got the hang of it pretty quickly- not quite ready for the main roads yet, but I'll get there.