Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
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Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#2> Today’s startups are promoting their products by following the same playbook as cars: get them on the street, and figure out how to regulate them afterward.
> But cities are moving quicker this time. Austin and San Francisco have seized dozens of them. San Francisco has sent a cease and desist letter (paywall) to one company decrying the scooters as a “public nuisance” and “endangering public health and safety.”
Good. It's a shame that we weren't able to do the same with cars before they ruined North American cities.
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#3My only problem with scooters is the assholes who ride on the sidewalk and then run into you.
I could care less if they want to ride in the street without a helmet. Good luck with that.
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#4These Electric Scooters in San Francisco have become a total nuisance.
I've seen quite a few riders ride them on the sidewalks and 1 person even ran into a dude on a wheelchair who was trying to get onto the sidewalk after crossing the road on his wheelchair.
The last safe place for Pedestrians and disabled persons -- the Sidewalk -- is under attack.
The startups that have created this nuisance also park these scooters on the sidewalk, and it routinely blocks disabled people on wheelchairs from travelling safely on the sidewalk.
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#5I initially was bah humbugy about these scooters, but after reading an article that points out we have acres of space devoted to private automobiles, and that it really wouldn't be hard to accommodate these electric scooters, I changed my mind.
They look fun, they seem more flexible than the hard-wired go-bike stations, and they don't seem super expensive.
It's pretty obvious that our cities are broken, and SF needs help in particular. I've worked at companies that had to choose between being near bart or near caltrain to provide a shorter commute to different employees. The time it took to walk across soma was non-trivial and annoyed people. Ultimately the caltrain commuters used foot-powered scooters.
As for the self righteousness of "only peds belong on sidewalks", I get tired of that. Being in traffic is exceedingly dangerous, and apparently as long as someone else's life on the line you're good with it. If "sidewalks" were a lot larger, then there would be more ability to mix traffic. See: the embarcadero.
Let's work on our cities and have some fun doing it!
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#6I initially was bah humbugy about these scooters, but after reading an article that points out we have acres of space devoted to private automobiles, and that it really wouldn't be hard to accommodate these electric scooters, I changed my mind. They look fun, they seem more flexible than the hard-wired go-bike stations, and they don't seem super expensive. It's pretty obvious that our cities are broken, and SF needs…
I have more sympathy for pedestrians. They go around 2-3mph. Auto traffic around 25-50. Bikes and scooters are way closer to cars than pedestrians. So, its a matter of risking the safety of cyclist, or pedestrians. No clear win there I can see.
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#7I initially was bah humbugy about these scooters, but after reading an article that points out we have acres of space devoted to private automobiles, and that it really wouldn't be hard to accommodate these electric scooters, I changed my mind. They look fun, they seem more flexible than the hard-wired go-bike stations, and they don't seem super expensive. It's pretty obvious that our cities are broken, and SF needs…
> As for the self righteousness of "only peds belong on sidewalks", I get tired of that
Nothing self-righteous about that.
Sidewalks are -- as the name itself suggests - meant for WALKING on the SIDE of the road, not for riding scooters and other vehicles which pose a danger to other people walking. Only exception being people on wheelchairs, but they aren't driving at break-neck speeds like an electric scooter rider, or a bicyclist.
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#8I initially was bah humbugy about these scooters, but after reading an article that points out we have acres of space devoted to private automobiles, and that it really wouldn't be hard to accommodate these electric scooters, I changed my mind. They look fun, they seem more flexible than the hard-wired go-bike stations, and they don't seem super expensive. It's pretty obvious that our cities are broken, and SF needs…
> As for the self righteousness of "only peds belong on sidewalks", I get tired of that Nothing self-righteous about that. Sidewalks are -- as the name itself suggests - meant for WALKING on the SIDE of the road, not for riding scooters and other vehicles which pose a danger to other people walking. Only exception being people on wheelchairs, but they aren't driving at break-neck speeds like an electric scooter rider…
If we're gonna play that silly game, what about roads, from the old English rād meaning 'journey on horseback'.
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#9These Electric Scooters in San Francisco have become a total nuisance. I've seen quite a few riders ride them on the sidewalks and 1 person even ran into a dude on a wheelchair who was trying to get onto the sidewalk after crossing the road on his wheelchair. The last safe place for Pedestrians and disabled persons -- the Sidewalk -- is under attack. The startups that have created this nuisance also park these scoote…
The sidewalk in San Francisco is already not a safe place.
Everyone is looking down at their phones. If they aren't, it seems like a large amount of SF residents don't know how to walk on sidewalks appropriately (stick to one side of the road when someone is coming the other way, don't walk 6 abreast, etc.).
I have seen so many people bump into each other and get into accidents simply walking. I wouldn't mind scooters on the sidewalk because then people will actually be forced to be aware, instead of walking around like mindless zombies staring at their phone and bumping into poles
Re: Electric scooter “mayhem” sounds like when cars were introduced
#10These Electric Scooters in San Francisco have become a total nuisance. I've seen quite a few riders ride them on the sidewalks and 1 person even ran into a dude on a wheelchair who was trying to get onto the sidewalk after crossing the road on his wheelchair. The last safe place for Pedestrians and disabled persons -- the Sidewalk -- is under attack. The startups that have created this nuisance also park these scoote…
i love them.
They could easily take half the cars off the road and transform downtown.
They're more convenient and a fraction of the cost of an uber, and they're fun to ride.
People should not be riding them on the sidewalks, i'm expecting that to change quickly.