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Scooter jam! Austin couple takes 'Office Space' inspired engagement photo

No scooters were harmed in the making of this story.

AUSTIN, Texas — Heather Klebs and Bill Ruel were walking around Austin looking for the perfect backdrop for their engagement photos when they spotted it – a scooter lying on the hike and bike trail.

"We were taking our engagement photos at Auditorium Shores and we wanted a nice picture of us on the trail together, but someone had left a scooter on the trail, which is one of our biggest pet peeves," said Ruel. "Instead of just moving it and leaving it at that, we decided to take some fun shots of us taking our frustrations out on an inanimate object."

They said they decided to pose with it in an ode to the film "Office Space." In an infamous scene from the movie, characters decide to comically destroy a printer after numerous paper jams.

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"We despise scooters because they are more often than not left in places that cause inconvenience to others, such as the middle of a sidewalk or trail, or blocking the wheelchair access ramp of a sidewalk or establishment," said Ruel. "The riders also seem oblivious to those around them."

In fact, he said one scooter rider almost ran down his soon-to-be wife.

"A few months back, we were running on the Town Lake trail and a scooter rider swerved to avoid who knows what and barely avoided hitting Heather," he recalled.

They said the goofy photo was also inspired by the parody Twitter account Evil MoPac, which the couple calls their "anti-scooter muse. The account, which is known for trolling Austinites, has also been vocal in its disdain for these dockless devices.

While the photo was all in good fun, the couple says they are more excited for their upcoming wedding on Sept. 13. On top of being on a Friday the 13th, they also noted their special day will take place during a full moon.

But it wasn't their scorn for scooters – or their love for "Office Space" and superstitious dates – that brought the couple together.

"We met via live music," said Ruel. "We both enjoy going out to see local bands live. A couple of our favorite local bands are Quiet Company and The Sour Notes."

Another win for the "Live Music Capital of the World."

Credit: Lily Zuniga
Photo by Lily Zuniga

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