Fuelling notoriety

By Glen Atwell
When the Gazette put the magnifying glass over Gary Oke’s nickname ‘Scooter’ two weeks ago, the 19yearold didn’t expect such an overwhelming response.
After telling the Gazette about his adventures on the maroon 125cc LeGrand scooter, Gary and scooter hadn’t even made it home last week when he was recognised on the streets of Berwick.
“I pulled into the Shell service station on the Princes Highway and while I was filling the scooter up with unleaded someone recognised me.
“The guy asked me if I was the bloke in this week’s Gazette,” Gary proudly admits.
Gary said he didn’t want to attract a crowd, so just gave the potential autograph seeker a slight nod of the head.
Gary said car drivers do not pay enough attention to scooters and motorbikes on the roads and hopes his newfound fame will force car drivers to do a head check before changing path.
“It’s hard riding a scooter or a motorbike,” he said.
“We are small and have no real protection around us.
“It has always been reason for concern. Drivers need to look around before changing lanes on top of us.”
Scooter said the life of an openair rider was never dull, explaining that drivers inside cars missed a lot of activity when they were on the move.
“The wind is in your face, dust and even bugs, there is always something happening,” he said.
On Monday, Gary pulled into the BP service station in Pakenham and filled up his scooter before realising his wallet had fallen from his pocket during the ride.
Normally Gary doesn’t carry his wallet in his pocket, but he had forgotten to remove it before taking off from Berwick.
Lauren Bretherton from BP said she recognised Gary from the Gazette, but couldn’t offer complimentary petrol.
“He’s not that famous. He made a few phone calls and managed to get someone to pay for his unleaded, it was funny,” Lauren laughed.