My Doodlebug Motorscooter

I, from a very early age, dreamed about a Doodlebug motor scooter.

There was never a night or day that I didn't fantasize about it.

My dad owned a bar named Bob White Silver Dollar Bar on

N. Boulevard in Baton Rouge. A couple of blocks down the street

was the Jolly Inn Bar owned by Sicilian Immigrants named the

Jolly Inn Bar. Russell Barcelona was the son and he was my age.

His parents had bought him one. I would ride my bicycle down there

and Russell would let me ride his Doodlebug. I was in heaven.

When I would go to City Park swimming pool, I would see Russell

there with his scooter. All the kids would be gathered around he and

his scooter as if he was a rock star. Hey, I'm talking 10 to 12 years

old.

I bugged my Dad incessantly about buying me a Doodlebug.

Finally he did. It was a used one without breaks and he paid

$60. I will never forget the night the seller brought it over to our home.

I hopped on it and was transported to another world. I remember the seller

said that there was a wire running to the carburetor that if you

pull it, it will give you a little more speed. He was right.

The normal top speed was 20 mph but the wire pulling would

get it up to 25 mph.

Since it didn't have breaks as the drums were worn out, I used

the kill switch and my feet to stop it. Naturally, you developed

anticipation of what you had to do long before you had to

do it.

I rode that Doodlebug all over Baton Rouge. In those times, you

didn't need a license plate or headlights , etc. Day and night I rode

it.

I clearly remember leaving my friend James Robertson's house on

Cloverdale Ave. and the front axle breaking causing me to go over

the scooter and rolling front to back. Thank goodness I learned to

protect myself from so many rough games in grammar school. I

was scraped up from arms to legs and bleeding like a pig.

I remember going to the sixth grade class and coming up real fast

in front of a lot of students and sliding the scooter up to where I

I parked it. I felt like a rock star. No one else had a motorized

conveyance in grammar school.

Later on, I traded the Doodlebug for a Servicycle which is

another story.

Below is a photo of an exact replica of my Doodlebug.

It was my first love and left an indelible imprint on my mind.

Bob