Scooter drives man to acts of kindness

Actor Franceso Quinn, left, son of actor Anthony Quinn, talks with Peter Rosetta Stone V3 Ramstine as Ramstine embarks on a journey Tuesday to visit all the capitals of the continental United States, Alaska and Canada. It sounds like an April Fool's Day joke.Riding a scooter, a man from New Zealand set off from Thousand Oaks on Tuesday aiming to visit the capital city of each U.S. state except Hawaii, and Canada's eight provinces.Peter Ramstine also plans to perform acts of kindness and volunteerism wherever he goes on his 40,000-mile expedition on a Vespa scooter."It's not about me. It's about the ride. It's about volunteering," Ramstine said as he loaded up his scooter for the first leg of his journey from Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles, where he was planning to spend today volunteering at a nonprofit magazine before heading out to Phoenix on Thursday.Although he began hisjourney on April 1, the "Vespadition," as he calls it, is no laughing matter for Ramstine, 37, who also goes by the name Matua in the language of New Zealand's Maori native people."When I leave somewhere, I want them to say this guy came by and volunteered — and not emphasize who volunteered but how he volunteered," he said. "And then they might say, Well, if he can do that, I can do this help out at this soup Rosetta Stone Spanish Latin kitchen I go past every day or help that elderly neighbor who struggles with his groceries.'"Ramstine flew from his home in Pennsylvania, where he has been working as a chef, to begin his journey in Ventura County at the invitation of David Meyer, owner of Vespa of Thousand Oaks.Ramstine said he was inspired to arrange the expedition after helping victims of Hurricane Katrina."I loaded up my van with water and diapers and dog food and drove all night down to Mississippi to drop that stuff off, and then I stayed on for a week to volunteer," he said. "It haunted me for a long time. I saw things you don't normally see."Ramstine has publicized his journey through his Web site, Vespadition, which has created a buzz among scooter enthusiasts."I'm doing Vespadition because I'm personally tired of talking-the-talk without walking-the-walk," he says on his Web site. "I'm doing Vespadition to do it. To be kind. To be compassionate. To volunteer to help-out wherever I can to help make even the slightest, Rosetta Stone Spain Spanish smallest difference."Meyer, the shop owner, learned of Ramstine's plans from one of his customers who had seen Ramstine's Web site.Meyer said he immediately got in touch and offered to host the start and finish of Ramstine's journey as well as provide him with a new scooter.The scooter has a 250cc, four-stroke, four-valve engine, 12-inch wheels and a liquid-cooled engine and electronic injection system.Meyer has also arranged for Piaggio, Vespa's parent company, to provide free service for the scooter at dealerships across North America."He's a simple man with passion for this planet we live on," Meyer said. "He's an optimist and he thinks he can change things."Ramstine will travel with a tent and other belongings in special saddlebags attached to the scooter and hopes to find accommodations along the way from people who hear about his journey and want to support his vision. He plans to post details and video of his journey on his Web site, although it's a task that's been made harder by the theft [Rosetta Stone] of his laptop a couple of weeks ago.About a dozen people showed up to see Ramstine off from the dealership, including actor Francesco Quinn, son of actor Anthony Quinn.A large black-and-white studio photo of Anthony Quinn on a Vespa hangs in the service area of Meyer's dealership."I came out to show my support for David Meyer, for Vespa and for Peter to go on a great ride," said Quinn, who lives in Sherman Oaks.Ramstine aims to complete his trek and return to Thousand Oaks sometime in August.