I Rode an E-Scooter as Far From Civilization as Its Batteries Could Take
March 21, 2019 1:31 PM Subscribe
When I crossed into this lawless territory, I worried that my scooter would shut off and the whole plan would sputter to a stop, leaving me at the mercy of the hordes and their perverse whims. But upon entering the forbidden zone, the scooter kept moving. I was safe... for now.
Suggested scoring for comment section:
(-1 point) Scooters are new and probably bad.
(0 points) Scooters have some potential benefits in reducing car usage for short trips, but their charging model exploits low wage workers and when blocking the sidewalk they present a danger to pedestrians.
(+1 point) The time you narrowly escaped a fight after a punk show in Fresno by commandeering someone's scooter
Suggested scoring for comment section:
(-1 point) Scooters are new and probably bad.
(0 points) Scooters have some potential benefits in reducing car usage for short trips, but their charging model exploits low wage workers and when blocking the sidewalk they present a danger to pedestrians.
(+1 point) The time you narrowly escaped a fight after a punk show in Fresno by commandeering someone's scooter
What do coyotes think about e-scooters?
posted by asperity at 1:51 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by asperity at 1:51 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
1/5 inadequately slow vs roadrunner pace
posted by ominous_paws at 1:52 PM on March 21, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by ominous_paws at 1:52 PM on March 21, 2019 [16 favorites]
>What do coyotes think about e-scooters?<
Probably having their own delivery vs digiorno discussions...
posted by twidget at 1:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
Probably having their own delivery vs digiorno discussions...
posted by twidget at 1:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
He ran as far as he could, but it was no use -- his lifeclock crystal still flashed bright red.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 2:01 PM on March 21, 2019 [33 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 2:01 PM on March 21, 2019 [33 favorites]
One time when I was a ute there were some other utes down the street who had used a tarp to collect everyone's leaf piles and dump them into the deep ditch near their house. Then they were towing in on scooters behind bikes to hit a ramp and go flying into the leaves. It was pretty bad ass. I was too chicken to do it.
posted by stinkfoot at 2:11 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by stinkfoot at 2:11 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
I kinda think this is an argument for a bike tour.
posted by Monochrome at 2:25 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Monochrome at 2:25 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
After reading this previous thread, I did some research and bought a this. It's neat! I haven't used it very much since I bought it in November and live in New England, but it's almost as fast as an electric bicycle, and I like it. If I'm uncertain or need to stop suddenly, being able to jump off or fall without being trapped under a thing feels way better than trying to get better at bicycling.
Also you can configure the under-board glowy lights in any color or color(s) you want.
posted by bagel at 2:32 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Also you can configure the under-board glowy lights in any color or color(s) you want.
posted by bagel at 2:32 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Come wind, come bike rack, at least I'll die like a bug upon my back!
(Shakespeare for today)
posted by Oyéah at 2:47 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
(Shakespeare for today)
posted by Oyéah at 2:47 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
I'll admit these are the first thing I've gone full Get Off My Lawn over. More expensive than a bike, slower than a bike, more dangerous than a bike, so much worse for the environment than a bike, don't get you exercise like a bike, and here in London invariably driven by eejits, mainly minted study abroad students. Just why? Whyyyyyyyyyyy
Please do not ask me why I do not feel the same way about electric skateboards, which are of course Cool and Good
posted by ominous_paws at 2:48 PM on March 21, 2019 [6 favorites]
Please do not ask me why I do not feel the same way about electric skateboards, which are of course Cool and Good
posted by ominous_paws at 2:48 PM on March 21, 2019 [6 favorites]
I was gonna say this is the first time I’ve ever thought “that is a very millennial headline.”
Me: Also a millennial.
posted by Young Kullervo at 2:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Me: Also a millennial.
posted by Young Kullervo at 2:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Just found out these are not actually road or pavement legal in the UK, and boy will I be discussing THAT at length with the next one of those silent fuckers that sneaks up and scares the shit out of me by passing me at a hair's breadth
posted by ominous_paws at 2:58 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by ominous_paws at 2:58 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
Man, that’s a long way to go just to get people thinking you got a DUI.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:04 PM on March 21, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 3:04 PM on March 21, 2019 [10 favorites]
There's a reason biking on the sidewalk is illegal in San Francisco. People can and do get hurt and killed here on a fairly regular basis. I have no issue with these scooters, they generally don't get in the way when parked off to the side. What I have issue with is the assholes who ride them like no rules or law apply to them when they're on one. I had some douche on his phone standing in the middle of a traffic lane on Bush going home last night blocking the lane at a green light with his stupid scooter. The day before that I nearly got mowed down by the same guy on his scooter twice, zipping up and down Davis within inches of those of us waiting for our buses.
I swear I'm like this close to clotheslining the next person I see riding them on the sidewalk. It's a sideWALK, and people will remind skateboarders and bicyclists of this but get on a scooter and it's like you own the world now.
I don't care if the scooters stay around or not, but I'd like the people riding them irresponsibly to be carted off to and left in the Marin headlands too.
posted by allkindsoftime at 3:08 PM on March 21, 2019 [17 favorites]
I swear I'm like this close to clotheslining the next person I see riding them on the sidewalk. It's a sideWALK, and people will remind skateboarders and bicyclists of this but get on a scooter and it's like you own the world now.
I don't care if the scooters stay around or not, but I'd like the people riding them irresponsibly to be carted off to and left in the Marin headlands too.
posted by allkindsoftime at 3:08 PM on March 21, 2019 [17 favorites]
The silence is bad, yeah. IIRC early electric car research found that other living creatures, especially kids and animals, rely on noise to tell where vehicles are, and so some of them have external speakers that play vroom-vroom noises. While scooting, playing quiet-ish music on a bluetooth speaker on top of speaking or ringing a bell to pass may help others avoid hitting you.
posted by bagel at 3:09 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by bagel at 3:09 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
That bit of road north of the GG bridge is pretty hairy on a good bike, I wouldn't want to do it on a scooter. But it's pretty impressive how far he managed to go.
I'm sure someone threw that scooter in the trash tho, ain't no one driving over the bridge for the few bucks you make to pick it up.
posted by GuyZero at 3:27 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm sure someone threw that scooter in the trash tho, ain't no one driving over the bridge for the few bucks you make to pick it up.
posted by GuyZero at 3:27 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
(Bikes are silent, too?)
posted by jmhodges at 3:29 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by jmhodges at 3:29 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
Yeah, the thing that I've learned from years of biking and running and skating is that, one, don't do any of those things on multi-use paths because pedestrians are unpredictable, but two, never ever warn them that you're going to pass. If you pass them, sure, they'll be pissed off, but if you warn them, 3 out of 4 times that means they're gonna jump to the middle of the path and spread their arms. The reaction to "passing on your left" is invariably to jump left with spread arms.
Better someone should tell their bible study group in hushed tones about thebad person jogger/scooter rider/skater/cyclist who almost kilt them then that you give them the ability to injure both you and them.
posted by straw at 3:38 PM on March 21, 2019 [11 favorites]
Better someone should tell their bible study group in hushed tones about the
posted by straw at 3:38 PM on March 21, 2019 [11 favorites]
Pretty sure he just threw the scooter in the trunk or backseat of the photographer's car, then hopped in the passenger seat himself. Surely the bus ride back was, um, "creative license."
posted by sjswitzer at 3:39 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by sjswitzer at 3:39 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
From the article: they’re cheap (temporarily, until one company controls the market)
Wasn't it already comfortably established at this point that the scooters are so short-lived that the amount they're currently charging can't even cover the cost of the scooter itself, much less their other associated business expenses? Even if one company doesn't dominate, they can't keep this up without finding a way to get massively cheaper scooters that hold up better to use by average Americans.
posted by Sequence at 3:43 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
Wasn't it already comfortably established at this point that the scooters are so short-lived that the amount they're currently charging can't even cover the cost of the scooter itself, much less their other associated business expenses? Even if one company doesn't dominate, they can't keep this up without finding a way to get massively cheaper scooters that hold up better to use by average Americans.
posted by Sequence at 3:43 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm curious how electric scooters are more dangerous than bikes. They seem more nimble to me and easier to ditch if a collision is inevitable. Of course, I'm assuming you're properly riding in a bike lane, not speeding down a sidewalk of pedestrians.
posted by airmail at 3:46 PM on March 21, 2019
posted by airmail at 3:46 PM on March 21, 2019
I'm curious how electric scooters are more dangerous than bikes.
First, there is a lot more temptation (and tendency) for scooters to try to mingle with pedestrians, which is bad news.
Second, I suspect you are far more likely to take a header on a scooter, due to the small front wheel.
Finally(?), scooter riders very rarely wear helmets and cyclists usually do (though bike-sharing is undermining this).
posted by sjswitzer at 3:55 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
First, there is a lot more temptation (and tendency) for scooters to try to mingle with pedestrians, which is bad news.
Second, I suspect you are far more likely to take a header on a scooter, due to the small front wheel.
Finally(?), scooter riders very rarely wear helmets and cyclists usually do (though bike-sharing is undermining this).
posted by sjswitzer at 3:55 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
More expensive than a bike, slower than a bike, more dangerous than a bike, so much worse for the environment than a bike, don't get you exercise like a bike,
Most of the ones I see in my part of London are being ridden in the road, so the appropriate comparison is to cars.
As motorised contraptions for carrying one person (which is what most cars spend most of their time doing), they’re astonishing. Your anger should be directed at the people using two ton, carcinogen spewing hunks of metal to do the same job.
posted by grahamparks at 3:57 PM on March 21, 2019 [25 favorites]
Most of the ones I see in my part of London are being ridden in the road, so the appropriate comparison is to cars.
As motorised contraptions for carrying one person (which is what most cars spend most of their time doing), they’re astonishing. Your anger should be directed at the people using two ton, carcinogen spewing hunks of metal to do the same job.
posted by grahamparks at 3:57 PM on March 21, 2019 [25 favorites]
No hard data and I'm more than open to correction, but I find it hard to believe they're more able to stop or change course rapidly at speed than bikes. Plus the electric motor + no license thing gives me the fear, to be honest. It's worse for the electric skateboards, admittedly, have seen one dude bite it super hard not being able to stop at a red in time.
I'll admit that bikes are also pretty silent, fair cop. Something about the soundless glide of the scooters just gives me the willies.
posted by ominous_paws at 3:59 PM on March 21, 2019
I'll admit that bikes are also pretty silent, fair cop. Something about the soundless glide of the scooters just gives me the willies.
posted by ominous_paws at 3:59 PM on March 21, 2019
Grahampark: I mean, most all bikes in London are also ridden on the road, so...?
It's not anger so much as bafflement. Cars can carry more than one person, can carry a huge load you couldn't on a bike, can transport people too old or weak or nervous to make the arguably suicidal decision to brave London roads on a vulnerable vehicle. Sure, cars/bikes we could hash out in a more relevant thread; my curiosity is more like, when you've decided to make yourself a vulnerable minnow in the transport system, why the scooter?
posted by ominous_paws at 4:03 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
It's not anger so much as bafflement. Cars can carry more than one person, can carry a huge load you couldn't on a bike, can transport people too old or weak or nervous to make the arguably suicidal decision to brave London roads on a vulnerable vehicle. Sure, cars/bikes we could hash out in a more relevant thread; my curiosity is more like, when you've decided to make yourself a vulnerable minnow in the transport system, why the scooter?
posted by ominous_paws at 4:03 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
...why the scooter?
Because all the previous generations rode bikes?
posted by Thorzdad at 4:18 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
Because all the previous generations rode bikes?
posted by Thorzdad at 4:18 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
Thanks, everyone, that makes sense. I guess I was thinking of the very specific situation where you need to start, stop, and slow to a crawl frequently e.g. the Hudson River Greenway bike lane, which is shared with joggers and random wandering pedestrians, and requires you to stop at lights at places. I'm not a super confident cyclist, and I wasn't trying to go at top speed, so I found a bike a bit unwieldy in that situation.
posted by airmail at 4:34 PM on March 21, 2019
posted by airmail at 4:34 PM on March 21, 2019
We await any real research on electric scooter safety. However, going to Marin in the open air for Science! is proven to add years to your life.
posted by latkes at 4:38 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by latkes at 4:38 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Why scooters? Well, for one thing, scooters are both less sweaty and more skirt-friendly than bikes, which helps folks trying to move around the city in professional attire...
posted by mosst at 5:20 PM on March 21, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by mosst at 5:20 PM on March 21, 2019 [6 favorites]
I'm curious how electric scooters are more dangerous than bikes.
Because the of the way people riding them don't put any thought into how to ride them. When I rode my bicycle I put a lot of thought into how to interact with cars in the safest way possible. After all I wanted to live. I certainly never rode my bicycle on the sidewalk. I knew what the laws governing bicycles & cars were and I knew what the actual practice was. Scooters are really dangerous when ridden among pedestrians. They are not toys but the idiots riding them seem to believe they are.
Where I live, California, it is illegal to ride a scooter on the sidewalk except transiting it but I almost never see anyone riding a scooter legally.
posted by rdr at 5:21 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
Because the of the way people riding them don't put any thought into how to ride them. When I rode my bicycle I put a lot of thought into how to interact with cars in the safest way possible. After all I wanted to live. I certainly never rode my bicycle on the sidewalk. I knew what the laws governing bicycles & cars were and I knew what the actual practice was. Scooters are really dangerous when ridden among pedestrians. They are not toys but the idiots riding them seem to believe they are.
Where I live, California, it is illegal to ride a scooter on the sidewalk except transiting it but I almost never see anyone riding a scooter legally.
posted by rdr at 5:21 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
Man, if you hate the electric scooter, stay away from Seattle where there are like twelve different popular version of some kind of wheel thing you stand on and fly along like you've just been thrown clear of a train crash.
I feel like I'm in a really bad 80's movie about the future.
posted by lumpenprole at 5:22 PM on March 21, 2019 [5 favorites]
I feel like I'm in a really bad 80's movie about the future.
posted by lumpenprole at 5:22 PM on March 21, 2019 [5 favorites]
> why the scooter?
Bikes are big, at least compared to scooters on demand, and they also get stolen all the time. I love my bicycle and I dread the inevitable day when I'll exit some store and find it / a wheel / the seat missing. But I suppose then the next question is why not a bikeshare, and I don't have an answer to that.
posted by bring a tuba to a knife fight at 5:22 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
Bikes are big, at least compared to scooters on demand, and they also get stolen all the time. I love my bicycle and I dread the inevitable day when I'll exit some store and find it / a wheel / the seat missing. But I suppose then the next question is why not a bikeshare, and I don't have an answer to that.
posted by bring a tuba to a knife fight at 5:22 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
Aside from my own feelings about scooters (/pedestrians/bikes/cars/etc.), the article definitely felt "embellished" at points in order to create what is essentially a humor piece. But I think the author did a pretty good job of doing precisely that, while completely skirting discussion of any larger issues surrounding scooters and so on. Sort of like a long-form (and actually income-producing) version of my dumbass comments here on Metafilter - where the only payoff is making myself and maybe a few others laugh.
Of course, this being Metafilter, this has inevitably turned into yet another opinion-fest about scooters vs. pedestrians vs. bikes vs. cars vs. etc. Not a point, really, just an observation.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:44 PM on March 21, 2019 [9 favorites]
Of course, this being Metafilter, this has inevitably turned into yet another opinion-fest about scooters vs. pedestrians vs. bikes vs. cars vs. etc. Not a point, really, just an observation.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:44 PM on March 21, 2019 [9 favorites]
I wish we had these in Seattle - I'd love to try them out. Our current mayor is pretty opposed, so I think it's not likely to happen anytime soon.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 5:48 PM on March 21, 2019
posted by vibratory manner of working at 5:48 PM on March 21, 2019
Sort of like a long-form (and actually income-producing) version of my dumbass comments
...only better, I should have added.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:51 PM on March 21, 2019
...only better, I should have added.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:51 PM on March 21, 2019
FWIW, I kinda really like the idea of the scooters and in addition they look really fun. There is glimmer here of a futuristic urbanism I could get behind.
But they do not belong on sidewalks at all. I've been buzzed by idiot scooter riders so often that I've lost count. The worst is how amused they often are at how much they've startled me.
In a lot of places--and I dare say most of the places they are deployed--it's too dangerous to ride them in the street. As a sometime cyclist, I do not mind sharing bike lanes with them but I wish they were more predictable. Perhaps they will be in time.
The bottom line for me is that at the present time and under the present circumstances these scooters are a menace to pedestrians and to their riders. Tort law will sort that out eventually, but it seems a real shame that so many people will need to be hurt before an obvious problem is resolved.
posted by sjswitzer at 6:16 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
But they do not belong on sidewalks at all. I've been buzzed by idiot scooter riders so often that I've lost count. The worst is how amused they often are at how much they've startled me.
In a lot of places--and I dare say most of the places they are deployed--it's too dangerous to ride them in the street. As a sometime cyclist, I do not mind sharing bike lanes with them but I wish they were more predictable. Perhaps they will be in time.
The bottom line for me is that at the present time and under the present circumstances these scooters are a menace to pedestrians and to their riders. Tort law will sort that out eventually, but it seems a real shame that so many people will need to be hurt before an obvious problem is resolved.
posted by sjswitzer at 6:16 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Me: walking on the sidewalk to get from a parking space to my office a few blocks away.
Scooter Rider number one: barks "on your left" as he's on my left, not before, and so I'm already dodging right, completely startled.
Scooter Rider number two: just a few seconds after the first, whizzes by on the left without a word. Luckily, I'm still on the right.
Scooter Rider number three: just a few seconds after the second, while I'm still on the right, announces "on your right" as he plows full stop into a hedge in front of the business I'm walking past, to avoid running into me. Had the decency to apologise.
And that was the day I went from neutral to against on scooter riders.
posted by davejay at 6:33 PM on March 21, 2019 [9 favorites]
Scooter Rider number one: barks "on your left" as he's on my left, not before, and so I'm already dodging right, completely startled.
Scooter Rider number two: just a few seconds after the first, whizzes by on the left without a word. Luckily, I'm still on the right.
Scooter Rider number three: just a few seconds after the second, while I'm still on the right, announces "on your right" as he plows full stop into a hedge in front of the business I'm walking past, to avoid running into me. Had the decency to apologise.
And that was the day I went from neutral to against on scooter riders.
posted by davejay at 6:33 PM on March 21, 2019 [9 favorites]
Oh, and bikes don't have to be as quiet as scooters; as a young kid on the sidewalk and as an adult on bike paths, I usually pedal backwards as I approach someone, and the clacking of the derailleur is enough to make them turn around and notice me in advance (and if not, then I know they're not paying attention or have headphones, so I can plan accordingly.)
posted by davejay at 6:35 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by davejay at 6:35 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
If e-scooter adoption leads to better infrastructure for biking and walking, too (and it looks like the trend's in that direction!) that's entirely welcome. I've been disappointed to see that most "e-scooters are dangerous!" stories are really "cars are dangerous" stories at their base, and we've got better ways to address than than banning e-scooters. That said, this story from Denver gave me pause. No car involved, but small wheels + high speeds + pavement irregularity caused serious injuries. I'm not really sure what the braking capability on these things is.
posted by asperity at 6:36 PM on March 21, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by asperity at 6:36 PM on March 21, 2019 [5 favorites]
As a long-time commuter cyclist I feel a lot of empathy for the scooters. If their riders "break the law", well, half the time that's because the laws are not designed for people who aren't driving, and scooters are teaching a wider audience how bad that is—good! The other half the time, it's the scooter-riders' fault, but also exposing how poor our road-training system is toward teaching people who are interacting with it in, again, a non-automobile way. This is also good! Our driver training sucks, and is responsible for a lot of bike/car conflict, it deserves to get fixed.
posted by traveler_ at 6:38 PM on March 21, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by traveler_ at 6:38 PM on March 21, 2019 [10 favorites]
Scooter Rider number one: barks "on your left" as he's on my left, not before, and so I'm already dodging right, completely startled.
Please don't dodge. The wheeled people (bicycle in my case) saw you a long time ago and planned a route around where you are, and where you might be going. If you change that at the last minute things get dicier. It may feel like you're "dodging" but it's already too late for that, and somebody has to dodge you, swerving further to the right and ending up in the hedges.
Please just hold your line, a.k.a. be predictable.
posted by traveler_ at 6:42 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
Please don't dodge. The wheeled people (bicycle in my case) saw you a long time ago and planned a route around where you are, and where you might be going. If you change that at the last minute things get dicier. It may feel like you're "dodging" but it's already too late for that, and somebody has to dodge you, swerving further to the right and ending up in the hedges.
Please just hold your line, a.k.a. be predictable.
posted by traveler_ at 6:42 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
Please don't dodge.
It's a reflex, not a conscious decision like, Move to block!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
It's a reflex, not a conscious decision like, Move to block!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
Somehow this reminds me of "deer in the headlights." Yes, it's good to be predictable so that something going much faster than you can avoid you. But on the other hand, if you are a pedestrian on a freaking sidewalk or on a hiking trail, then it should be entirely incumbent on the cyclist (or scooter rider) not to endanger you.
posted by sjswitzer at 6:55 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by sjswitzer at 6:55 PM on March 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
I don't know why I think the Golden Gate being labeled "popular bridge" is so funny, but I do.
posted by Reyturner at 7:00 PM on March 21, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by Reyturner at 7:00 PM on March 21, 2019 [11 favorites]
I mean, if worse came to worse you could just stop, get off your bike, and walk it around them. If that is not physically possible, then you are not riding responsibly. I applaud your efforts that lead you into the hedges, but that is on you and not on the hiker you terrified.
posted by sjswitzer at 7:02 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by sjswitzer at 7:02 PM on March 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
Please don't dodge.
That's what every bully says.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:08 PM on March 21, 2019 [9 favorites]
That's what every bully says.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:08 PM on March 21, 2019 [9 favorites]
...why the scooter?
I think scooters could be great. There are too many cars on the road, but people resort to them when they don't have other convenient options.
I get kind of irritated people who say "just bike". That's not an option for everyone. Some people aren't physically able to ride a bike that far (or at all). Some people live in climates where, for a good portion of the year, riding a bike in to work means arriving a sweaty, disheveled mess. This is especially a problem for people who have to follow a more formal dress code.
Personally, I walk to work - it's about an hour of walking a day. I live at the top of a hill. My office is at the top of another hill. I could bike it, but the thought of doing so after a long day ... just doesn't appeal. I usually don't mind the walk, but some days, especially if it's been a long day ... yeah, a scooter would be nice.
The problem isn't the scooters, it's the lack of a good place to ride them. Honestly cities just need to put more emphasis on developing a non-car options of all kinds.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 7:36 PM on March 21, 2019 [6 favorites]
I think scooters could be great. There are too many cars on the road, but people resort to them when they don't have other convenient options.
I get kind of irritated people who say "just bike". That's not an option for everyone. Some people aren't physically able to ride a bike that far (or at all). Some people live in climates where, for a good portion of the year, riding a bike in to work means arriving a sweaty, disheveled mess. This is especially a problem for people who have to follow a more formal dress code.
Personally, I walk to work - it's about an hour of walking a day. I live at the top of a hill. My office is at the top of another hill. I could bike it, but the thought of doing so after a long day ... just doesn't appeal. I usually don't mind the walk, but some days, especially if it's been a long day ... yeah, a scooter would be nice.
The problem isn't the scooters, it's the lack of a good place to ride them. Honestly cities just need to put more emphasis on developing a non-car options of all kinds.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 7:36 PM on March 21, 2019 [6 favorites]
Skip's update on the scooter in question:
Glad you enjoyed your ride beyond the reaches of human civilization (read: our service zone) and used your Skip to connect to public transit, but we wish you'd brought the trailblazer back home. Luckily, it was recovered and is operating smoothly in SF today—but forever changed!
posted by jeffkramer at 7:39 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Glad you enjoyed your ride beyond the reaches of human civilization (read: our service zone) and used your Skip to connect to public transit, but we wish you'd brought the trailblazer back home. Luckily, it was recovered and is operating smoothly in SF today—but forever changed!
posted by jeffkramer at 7:39 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Um... ok, Skip seems to confirm the story but I still think there is a lot of play-acting. There was clearly a photographer trailing along on this lark and no reason to doubt the photographer was in a car.
I mean, the conceit of the story is fun and I don't want to be a spoil-sport, but there is simply no way this story happened, and was reported and documented, without support crew. The very existence of the article and its photos is evidence of that.
So what we have to conclude is that:
- This journey was possible and probably even happened
- Someone, or even a crew, was along to photograph it
- If the scooter was left at the end of the line it was not for lack of opportunities to throw it into the freaking car
- And if the author took a bus back it was only to be able to say he did in the article
- Skip wants to make the best of the situation with a press release
posted by sjswitzer at 8:04 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
I mean, the conceit of the story is fun and I don't want to be a spoil-sport, but there is simply no way this story happened, and was reported and documented, without support crew. The very existence of the article and its photos is evidence of that.
So what we have to conclude is that:
- This journey was possible and probably even happened
- Someone, or even a crew, was along to photograph it
- If the scooter was left at the end of the line it was not for lack of opportunities to throw it into the freaking car
- And if the author took a bus back it was only to be able to say he did in the article
- Skip wants to make the best of the situation with a press release
posted by sjswitzer at 8:04 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
However, going to Marin in the open air for Science! is proven to add years to your life.
I... know what I'm doing this weekend.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 8:09 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
I... know what I'm doing this weekend.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 8:09 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
More people using alternatives to cars when they can is a good thing. If the problem is that there's not enough space for them, the solution isn't to discourage them - it's to make more space. Widen the bike lanes. Put physical protections between them and car lanes. Where things like this exist, people are delighted to use them instead of riding on the sidewalk. We just don't build the damn things.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:16 PM on March 21, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:16 PM on March 21, 2019 [14 favorites]
Agreed with whoever said the small wheels are a problem. I tried one for a few miles headed into town one evening, and it really doesn't take much road roughness to rattle your teeth, and a decent crack in the surface can indeed throw you.
Also, riding it on the road feels much less safe than a bicycle, that I couldn't say if that's a question of familiarity or not. I was certainly riding very defensively - which, on a scooter, means 'keeping as far out of traffic as possible' where on a bicycle it might instead mean placing yourself where people can't fail to see you, or forcing them to stay behind you until you reach a place where they have space to pass you.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 9:07 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
Also, riding it on the road feels much less safe than a bicycle, that I couldn't say if that's a question of familiarity or not. I was certainly riding very defensively - which, on a scooter, means 'keeping as far out of traffic as possible' where on a bicycle it might instead mean placing yourself where people can't fail to see you, or forcing them to stay behind you until you reach a place where they have space to pass you.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 9:07 PM on March 21, 2019 [3 favorites]
I apologize if I came off curtly, or even like a bully. My broader concern is that pedestrians and wheeled vehicles just don't mix, it's a serious problem every time I try, and "mixed-use" infrastructure that tries to force us together is fundamentally flawed.
But forced we are, sometimes. So please, please, I do have to beg pedestrians because this is important: last-minute unpredictable changes in motion are severely dangerous. "On your left" is supposedly proper behavior but, like straw said above, I'm afraid to do it because people invariably turn into dancing tornados when they hear it.
posted by traveler_ at 9:08 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
But forced we are, sometimes. So please, please, I do have to beg pedestrians because this is important: last-minute unpredictable changes in motion are severely dangerous. "On your left" is supposedly proper behavior but, like straw said above, I'm afraid to do it because people invariably turn into dancing tornados when they hear it.
posted by traveler_ at 9:08 PM on March 21, 2019 [4 favorites]
So I live in a place with bike sharing, e-bike sharing, e-scooter sharing and Segway, hoverboard, uni-wheel rentals everywhere.
In my experience the scooter renters are the most dangerous. The e-bikes are only pedal assist, which I think causes users to be more careful, and I have never had any problems with the bike sharers other than them leaving the bikes parked in the middle of the sidewalk, bike lane, or like literally in front of a building entrance.
The scooter renters, on the other hand, invariably are going too fast in pedestrian areas and seem like super dangerous.
Also, while I realize there are reasons someone might need an electric scooter rather than a bike, the pedal bikes are subsidized and are only 25 cents for 20 minutes, which is way cheaper than the both electric bikes and electric scooters. Since I live in an incredibly flat area, if I am planning a trip where I only need to go one way I always take the cheap bike.
posted by Literaryhero at 9:50 PM on March 21, 2019
In my experience the scooter renters are the most dangerous. The e-bikes are only pedal assist, which I think causes users to be more careful, and I have never had any problems with the bike sharers other than them leaving the bikes parked in the middle of the sidewalk, bike lane, or like literally in front of a building entrance.
The scooter renters, on the other hand, invariably are going too fast in pedestrian areas and seem like super dangerous.
Also, while I realize there are reasons someone might need an electric scooter rather than a bike, the pedal bikes are subsidized and are only 25 cents for 20 minutes, which is way cheaper than the both electric bikes and electric scooters. Since I live in an incredibly flat area, if I am planning a trip where I only need to go one way I always take the cheap bike.
posted by Literaryhero at 9:50 PM on March 21, 2019
when you've decided to make yourself a vulnerable minnow in the transport system, why the scooter?
Because someone might need to go five blocks in under ten minutes, and not want to arrive panting and sweaty.
Specifically, I might not want to take the time to walk half a block to the bike corral, unlock my bike, remount my tire, balance my tire, check to see what's making that weird scraping sound, and then frantically pedal to my destination, hoping there's bike racks on that block- which as often as not, there's not. Then dismount my tire, lock my bike, etc.. And of course there's a good chance I will come out to the rack to find my seat, tire or entire bike missing, meaning I'm out several hundred dollars.
In short, bikes are a logistical pain for short, and they tend to get stolen. Even assuming one lives within range of practical biking (Yes, yes, I know, someone's going to bring up how they bike 20 miles each way in all weather, its easy, blahblahblah)
By contrast, with a scooter, there's usually one within a few feet of the exit, and the app shows me where the nearest scooter is. And then its just a matter of starting it up, driving to the destination, and dropping it off where convenient.
Also, for the "Just ride a bike everywhere", crowd SOME of us working downtown have enough of a physical disability that peddling or riding a bike isnt practical. Theres a hell of a lot of ableism among bike advocates.
posted by happyroach at 10:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [5 favorites]
Because someone might need to go five blocks in under ten minutes, and not want to arrive panting and sweaty.
Specifically, I might not want to take the time to walk half a block to the bike corral, unlock my bike, remount my tire, balance my tire, check to see what's making that weird scraping sound, and then frantically pedal to my destination, hoping there's bike racks on that block- which as often as not, there's not. Then dismount my tire, lock my bike, etc.. And of course there's a good chance I will come out to the rack to find my seat, tire or entire bike missing, meaning I'm out several hundred dollars.
In short, bikes are a logistical pain for short, and they tend to get stolen. Even assuming one lives within range of practical biking (Yes, yes, I know, someone's going to bring up how they bike 20 miles each way in all weather, its easy, blahblahblah)
By contrast, with a scooter, there's usually one within a few feet of the exit, and the app shows me where the nearest scooter is. And then its just a matter of starting it up, driving to the destination, and dropping it off where convenient.
Also, for the "Just ride a bike everywhere", crowd SOME of us working downtown have enough of a physical disability that peddling or riding a bike isnt practical. Theres a hell of a lot of ableism among bike advocates.
posted by happyroach at 10:53 PM on March 21, 2019 [5 favorites]
I found it interesting that Skip requires a photo of how you park the scooter, because that's my second big issue with them. Going by the number of Lime scooters regularly blocking my sidewalk, either Lime doesn't or it isn't effective. It pissed SJSU off so much they seized all of them on campus and banned future use.
posted by tavella at 11:14 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by tavella at 11:14 PM on March 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
Slightly weird made up stories about imaginary 100% terrible bikes and imaginary 100% perfectly working scooters aside - I may not be thinking beyond a London context, but are scooters actually that good of an accessible option?
Bikes certainly aren't totally accessible, but if you're going to struggle biking though traffic, are you going to fare any better piloting one of these tiny things though that same traffic? Certainly this isn't the user base I've seen using them here. Similarly, a 20 mile bike commute is exhausting and impractical, but 20 miles standing up and balanced in a scooting stance is little better.
posted by ominous_paws at 11:55 PM on March 21, 2019
Bikes certainly aren't totally accessible, but if you're going to struggle biking though traffic, are you going to fare any better piloting one of these tiny things though that same traffic? Certainly this isn't the user base I've seen using them here. Similarly, a 20 mile bike commute is exhausting and impractical, but 20 miles standing up and balanced in a scooting stance is little better.
posted by ominous_paws at 11:55 PM on March 21, 2019
I live in London and cycle commute every day. I would absolutely love one of these. Cycle commuting is great, but more than a couple of miles or a hill and you're sweaty in a way that means you have to plan your clothes. Taking the bus or train is often way slower. Electric scooters seem to me to be the perfect way to travel at bike speeds without the sweat. If someone using these takes pressure off the tube, buses or reduces the number of Ubers, surely that's a great thing for the city environment?
Unfortunately they're currently illegal in the UK, which means they're not particularly widespread. Please don't let an emotional dislike of the people you see riding scooters make you rail against an entire method of transport.
posted by leo_r at 1:45 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
Unfortunately they're currently illegal in the UK, which means they're not particularly widespread. Please don't let an emotional dislike of the people you see riding scooters make you rail against an entire method of transport.
posted by leo_r at 1:45 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
So after RTFA, the photographer was clearly tagging along on a bike. No way to get that golden gate shot otherwise.
Add me to the anti-scooter brigade, at least as currently implemented, but I did enjoy the article!
posted by inparticularity at 3:27 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Add me to the anti-scooter brigade, at least as currently implemented, but I did enjoy the article!
posted by inparticularity at 3:27 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Please don't dismiss people's differing opinions to yours as "emotional", if we're making requests
posted by ominous_paws at 4:05 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ominous_paws at 4:05 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Bikes/Scooters are silent? That's a failure of the rider/provider.
Where I live, technically all bikes must have a bell (in addition to reflectors) in order to be legal for use. When I'm biking on a multi-use trail, or coming up on a fellow bike in a bike lane, I start ringing that thing at ~100 feet away, and will continue to do so until I'm confident that I've been heard. It's maddening how few people seem to have/use bells. I always say, "Thanks for the bell!" when a biker uses one before passing me when I'm running.
re: "Don't dodge." I'll N'th that it's human nature to dodge/move when startled with an "Passing on your left/right." While running, I try to give an "Passing on your left" a bit more than I think will take me 5 seconds to overtake them. That way I'm close enough that I don't need to raise my voice so much to be heard that I'm yelling which raises the startle reflex of the recipient, and I have enough time to repeat myself, louder, if I'm not heard the first time. And I have my emergency footing planned for the inevitable dodge where someone heard "left" so they dodge left. Sometimes I just call "Passing..." a bit further back, and that seems to be pretty good for no-dodge events.
Sadly there's not really a great solution. I remember one time I was running on a trail (a bit narrow, but not single track) in a tiny forest that's only about a 1 k circuit, but it's a mere 2k from my house. There was a woman runner going in the same direction as me, but at a much slower pace. The first time I called on my left, she was horribly startled, and screamed while jumping (right at least), and I apologized. The second time I passed, I tried to be much softer with my call, and she still jumped and made a noise that wasn't quite a scream. I again apologized and pointed out I was doing more laps and asked if she just wanted me to pass silently. She said that would be worse and to please continue to call out while apologizing (we're Canadian) for her high startle reflex. Instead, I just said that I'll start going in the opposite direction, so we'd pass head on, and asked if she was planning any reverses, to coordinate when I passed so I didn't need to scare her.
I've had similar situations while doing laps, and asked the passee their preference, and only once did someone say they'd rather I just pass them.
Minor note; the people I hate are those with headphones on loud enough that they can't hear my second, "Passing on your left." Usually of course, they're either walking directly in the middle of the trail/sidewalk, or worse weaving somewhat eratically. I feel a mild joy when I hear a guy make a startled noise/gasp when I pass if they don't hear me due to their self-deafening-to-the-world actions.
I'm really glad that where I live scooters aren't an issue, and feel sorry for those living in areas where VC money is getting flushed in a non-sustainable market dominance attempt. Ideally there'd be strict liability rules put in place for people illegally riding scooters/bikes on sidewalk, and some high-id individuals start taking advantage of that. I'm not a good person sometimes...
posted by nobeagle at 8:50 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Where I live, technically all bikes must have a bell (in addition to reflectors) in order to be legal for use. When I'm biking on a multi-use trail, or coming up on a fellow bike in a bike lane, I start ringing that thing at ~100 feet away, and will continue to do so until I'm confident that I've been heard. It's maddening how few people seem to have/use bells. I always say, "Thanks for the bell!" when a biker uses one before passing me when I'm running.
re: "Don't dodge." I'll N'th that it's human nature to dodge/move when startled with an "Passing on your left/right." While running, I try to give an "Passing on your left" a bit more than I think will take me 5 seconds to overtake them. That way I'm close enough that I don't need to raise my voice so much to be heard that I'm yelling which raises the startle reflex of the recipient, and I have enough time to repeat myself, louder, if I'm not heard the first time. And I have my emergency footing planned for the inevitable dodge where someone heard "left" so they dodge left. Sometimes I just call "Passing..." a bit further back, and that seems to be pretty good for no-dodge events.
Sadly there's not really a great solution. I remember one time I was running on a trail (a bit narrow, but not single track) in a tiny forest that's only about a 1 k circuit, but it's a mere 2k from my house. There was a woman runner going in the same direction as me, but at a much slower pace. The first time I called on my left, she was horribly startled, and screamed while jumping (right at least), and I apologized. The second time I passed, I tried to be much softer with my call, and she still jumped and made a noise that wasn't quite a scream. I again apologized and pointed out I was doing more laps and asked if she just wanted me to pass silently. She said that would be worse and to please continue to call out while apologizing (we're Canadian) for her high startle reflex. Instead, I just said that I'll start going in the opposite direction, so we'd pass head on, and asked if she was planning any reverses, to coordinate when I passed so I didn't need to scare her.
I've had similar situations while doing laps, and asked the passee their preference, and only once did someone say they'd rather I just pass them.
Minor note; the people I hate are those with headphones on loud enough that they can't hear my second, "Passing on your left." Usually of course, they're either walking directly in the middle of the trail/sidewalk, or worse weaving somewhat eratically. I feel a mild joy when I hear a guy make a startled noise/gasp when I pass if they don't hear me due to their self-deafening-to-the-world actions.
I'm really glad that where I live scooters aren't an issue, and feel sorry for those living in areas where VC money is getting flushed in a non-sustainable market dominance attempt. Ideally there'd be strict liability rules put in place for people illegally riding scooters/bikes on sidewalk, and some high-id individuals start taking advantage of that. I'm not a good person sometimes...
posted by nobeagle at 8:50 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
last-minute unpredictable changes in motion are severely dangerous.
If unpredictable changes in motion (by people you can see in front of you) are severely dangerous, and they are, then how much worse is the unexpected appearance of someone at your elbow traveling at an unexpectedly high rate of speed?
The whole point of "on your (side)" is to do it loud and far enough away that the person you are passing is not startled, and so your eventual arrival on the (side) at higher speed has become predictable for the person you are passing. Shouting it at the moment you pass, passing silently without warning of your approach, and/or committing to an undetectable and inescapable course of action based on (and that relies on) prediction of the future behavior of people who don't know you are there? That's how the unpredictable situation is created.
Or, put another way: you may have planned the perfect path, but if nobody else knows what that path is and nobody else knows you're following it, or even knows you are there, then it is impossible for them to predict your path. At best, you are leaving behind a trail of startled people whose reactions were just slow enough not to impact you (but that may impact others, like the third of the scooter riders passing me in a pack as described above.) At worst, you cause an accident because the other person does something perfectly reasonable in the context of their knowledge of the situation (walking down a sidewalk, say) but disastrous in the context of the unpredictable situation you created.
posted by davejay at 9:21 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
If unpredictable changes in motion (by people you can see in front of you) are severely dangerous, and they are, then how much worse is the unexpected appearance of someone at your elbow traveling at an unexpectedly high rate of speed?
The whole point of "on your (side)" is to do it loud and far enough away that the person you are passing is not startled, and so your eventual arrival on the (side) at higher speed has become predictable for the person you are passing. Shouting it at the moment you pass, passing silently without warning of your approach, and/or committing to an undetectable and inescapable course of action based on (and that relies on) prediction of the future behavior of people who don't know you are there? That's how the unpredictable situation is created.
Or, put another way: you may have planned the perfect path, but if nobody else knows what that path is and nobody else knows you're following it, or even knows you are there, then it is impossible for them to predict your path. At best, you are leaving behind a trail of startled people whose reactions were just slow enough not to impact you (but that may impact others, like the third of the scooter riders passing me in a pack as described above.) At worst, you cause an accident because the other person does something perfectly reasonable in the context of their knowledge of the situation (walking down a sidewalk, say) but disastrous in the context of the unpredictable situation you created.
posted by davejay at 9:21 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Y'all, I just want to take a few minutes to daydream about a world where not only do we have complete networks of both sidewalks and people-scale mobility lanes (or whatever we're going to call bike+scooter+etc lanes), those bike lanes are maintained to a standard that makes e-scootering safe and comfortable.
... It wouldn't be *that* hard. Maybe we can hold off on a highway expansion or two?
posted by asperity at 9:27 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
... It wouldn't be *that* hard. Maybe we can hold off on a highway expansion or two?
posted by asperity at 9:27 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
For what it's worth, I have not been involved in a car or bicycle accident in more than 30 years of driving and nearly 40 years of biking, in large part because I do my best to behave predictably myself and to assume a certain amount of unpredictability in others who may not know I'm there -- I would be foolish to commit to an unchangeable course of action that relies on someone else doing exactly what I think they should do, what I hope they will do, or what they have been doing for the last fifteen seconds.
posted by davejay at 9:28 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by davejay at 9:28 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
I can hardly wait for the thread to come when I finally get the practical, efficient VTOL jetpack I was promised in my youth
posted by Redhush at 10:07 AM on March 22, 2019
posted by Redhush at 10:07 AM on March 22, 2019
when you've decided to make yourself a vulnerable minnow in the transport system, why the scooter?
There's a concept in transportation management called last mile - ie, how people get from a transportation hub to their final destination (or vice versa). Micromobility of all kinds (including bikes) can be great for this, but e-scooters and other smaller-than-bike vehicles have distinct advantages for some of those types of trips.
An e-scooter would be perfect for me, for example, because I live a 10-minute walk from one subway station and a 25-minute walk from several more. It just wouldn't be practical for me to bike those distances every time - If I'm going to work or to meet some friends in Manhattan, I don't want to lug around a bike and carry it up and down the stairs and try to cram it into a crowded train car and then lock it up outside and maybe have it stolen.
Right now, I almost never visit those other stations near me - but if I had an e-scooter, it would cut my normal 10-minute walk in half and would give me easy access to several trains that are currently inconvenient for me. And once I got there, I could fold the scooter up and take it onto even a crowded train, which is anything from a pain in the ass to literally impossible with a bike. And if I went out and got drunk, I could just carry it to the train station or into a cab, rather than n having to walk the bike back to the train or leave it locked up in another neighborhood.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:40 AM on March 22, 2019 [9 favorites]
There's a concept in transportation management called last mile - ie, how people get from a transportation hub to their final destination (or vice versa). Micromobility of all kinds (including bikes) can be great for this, but e-scooters and other smaller-than-bike vehicles have distinct advantages for some of those types of trips.
An e-scooter would be perfect for me, for example, because I live a 10-minute walk from one subway station and a 25-minute walk from several more. It just wouldn't be practical for me to bike those distances every time - If I'm going to work or to meet some friends in Manhattan, I don't want to lug around a bike and carry it up and down the stairs and try to cram it into a crowded train car and then lock it up outside and maybe have it stolen.
Right now, I almost never visit those other stations near me - but if I had an e-scooter, it would cut my normal 10-minute walk in half and would give me easy access to several trains that are currently inconvenient for me. And once I got there, I could fold the scooter up and take it onto even a crowded train, which is anything from a pain in the ass to literally impossible with a bike. And if I went out and got drunk, I could just carry it to the train station or into a cab, rather than n having to walk the bike back to the train or leave it locked up in another neighborhood.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:40 AM on March 22, 2019 [9 favorites]
E-scooters with owners who wear helmets and know the rules and care about the scooters are great. People who fire up Lime and zoom like an idiot down the sidewalk and then leave the scooter in the middle of a handicap access ramp are the problem. Source: just got back from SXSW, aka Drunk Scooter Hell.
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:30 PM on March 22, 2019
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:30 PM on March 22, 2019
Honestly, I think the only reason people don't leave their bikes drunkenly lying out across the sidewalk, is they're so stealable.
Also, annoying as they may be, I've never had to jam on the brakes to avoid a guy smoking a bong while driving a scooter down the middle of the wrong side of the street. Can't say the she for bicycles.
posted by happyroach at 3:55 PM on March 22, 2019
Also, annoying as they may be, I've never had to jam on the brakes to avoid a guy smoking a bong while driving a scooter down the middle of the wrong side of the street. Can't say the she for bicycles.
posted by happyroach at 3:55 PM on March 22, 2019
I guess this is where I point out that when people driving cars and trucks do risky things behind the wheel, we express fear for ourselves. When people on bikes or scooters do risky things, it prompts jokes about how easy it is for people driving cars to hurt them.
posted by asperity at 10:54 PM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by asperity at 10:54 PM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
My bias:
I work as a scooter "charger" for the two biggest US companies. I pick up scooters, bring them home, charge them, drop them off throughout the city the next morning. In this role I've handled and ridden more than 1000 scooters over the last year in four major cities in three states.
Some thoughts and opinions:
Scooters are more dangerous than they were a year ago. One major company (let's call it Uberscoot) has churned through 5-6? different models in a year, and their current model brakes much more slowly than the older models and tends to skid when braking.
Scooters can be ridden safely on a crowded sidewalk, with patience and skill. (That said, I was a bike messenger at age 18, so I may again be bias.)
The business model at Uberscoot is inherently and increasingly exploitative of its demand-economy employees: pay has become steadily lower, and demands higher, for the same amount of time. (and sequeing into wild speculation: I believe this is allowed by the ultimate corporate aim of the company: an exploding userbase and operation at a huge loss, followed by a buyout.)
All that said, I agree that scooters are a huge boon for "last-mile" transport. It's fascinating to see them scattered throughout an urban areas, from downtown to the bar districts, from the poorest slums to the richest suburbs.
Finally and somewhat humorously: I just paid $15 for a cab ride I would have happily done for $5 on a scooter had one been available.
posted by bearwombatdogpuppy at 2:01 PM on March 23, 2019 [5 favorites]
I work as a scooter "charger" for the two biggest US companies. I pick up scooters, bring them home, charge them, drop them off throughout the city the next morning. In this role I've handled and ridden more than 1000 scooters over the last year in four major cities in three states.
Some thoughts and opinions:
posted by bearwombatdogpuppy at 2:01 PM on March 23, 2019 [5 favorites]
Wow, insanely low scores throughout this thread per latkes comment grading rubric.
posted by stinkfoot at 8:55 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by stinkfoot at 8:55 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
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B) In front of my local pub on Geneva st., there are three scooters chained to a bike rack. They've been there for a month, never moving, never being used, just getting rained on. I'm sure its a metaphor for something.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 1:50 PM on March 21, 2019 [6 favorites]