Pedal Go-Karts: The New Cool

Well, we did it. We took our economic stimulus check and stimulated the economy. We bought go-karts! I’ve always wanted one and now, being the wacky adult that I am, I have gotten one - well, two. But we didn’t get the motorized kind, we got the pedal kind! They work really well for the kids - they can’t go too fast (but fast enough for the thrill), the boys get good exercise peddling those monsters up hills (as do my thighs), and there’s no gas to pollute the air or drain my wallet!

I love them!

But that’s no surprise…I’ve got the need for speed. Just coasting down my driveway to pick up the mail brings a smile to my face. Even my 3-year-old can ride them (we bought the ‘age 5 to adult’ sized ones). He must have a lot of determination because those things are kind of heavy.

The one down side to them: I made the mistake of putting a horn that my sister had given the kids for Christmas on one of the karts. It was the only one that still had the necessary hardware to attach it to the bike (my middle son decided to take the horns apart and lost the important pieces - I have yet to find them). Of course, he’s the one who has the most fun honking that thing every few seconds to let people know he’s coming, and it’s really LOUD. Thanks, sis.

Another cool thing about the karts is that they’re red (which means fast, you know)…with big tires. You can even put a flag on them. If you’re really feeling crazy, you could splurge for a wagon to hook up to the back so you can haul other kids, mulch, firewood, your boat, etc. You can actually buy these pedal ‘cars’ where you can seat four people and everyone pedals. They’re awesome. There’s no other word for it, except maybe fabulous.

I’m really glad we bought the go-karts. I couldn’t just sit back and watch our country spiral into a recession without doing something about it. After all, my motto is, "It’s all about others." Actually, it’s kind of neat how many of our neighbors see them and give us big smiles as they drive by or want to try them out themselves. We’re thinking of starting our own gang of go-karters. This could really bring our neighborhood together. We’d start having block parties and hanging out at the stop-sign. We could even have a bake sale!

We could change the world, my friends!

Or we could just enjoy zipping around, with the wind in our hair, on our new, super-cool go-karts.