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Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

theatlantic.com

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Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the lack of strict regulations is one of the reasons start-up businesses flourish in the US. Although I am pro-regulation in some issues, I think that European style pain-in-the-ass regulations only hinder technological advancement. Would UBER ever be successful in Europe? Nope.

Here is a nice vlog on how Europe lost its tech companies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSU5MFPn6Zk

I'm not really convinced by his arguments, a lot of European countries have a higher free market index than the US and US taxes are more complex than a good half of European countries.

I think he overestimates the impact of regulation & "culture" (what does that even mean in a place as diverse as Europe?) and underestimates the effect of having a large market in the US where everyone speaks the same language and have more or less the same culture.

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#132

Doesn't seem at all out of control. Seems like an awesome idea and the process needs to be refined to dissuade bad behavior. Considering the company was founded about a year ago is probably a lot of room for improvements and innovation (and angering your contractors in the process).

I think some better vetting of hunters and maybe capping the amount of people for area's to hunt for them would be a start? Seems now it's a wild west when it comes to who gets at them first.

> Seems now it's a wild west when it comes to who gets at them first.

Why’s that a problem for the companies though?

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#133
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? We're still in the phase of giving out huge subsidies for them. More likely would be a general weight-miles tax to cover repairing the roads.

How much money do we pay to keep the middle east from devolving into all-out war and keeping a stable oil price?

Eh? Currently or in the future? The war is mostly already there; while Iran and Saudi aren't directly shooting at each other they've on opposite sides of the wars in Syria and Yemen.

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#134
post #73

It will disappear just as fast as it arrived. Maybe one will survive. Just like Sprig, Spoonrocket, Maple, Eatclub, etc and the legion of instant food delivery services came and went, this too will pass.

Really? What will replace it? In the LA beach cities it is super useful.

The LA beach cities seem a good environment for them. I'm skeptical how successful they'll be more broadly especially to the degree cities get more aggressive about keeping riders off sidewalks. It's not a big problem in less crowded areas and a relatively small number of users but it's a problem with more riders and more crowded areas.

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if the _only_ thing Bird does is enable people not to use parking spaces, and thereby permit the land for such to be allocated to other things (housing, retail, parks, etc.) that is a huge boon. It should also mean reduced vmt (for cars at least) meaning more lives saved, especially those of people walking or cycling since these scooters are in city centres, where cars are especially dangerous. Similarly one van…

I challenge you to find just one example of land that has been repurposed from parking spaces into something else, because of Bird or some other scooter company. ...and will this land, if it even exists, be larger than the amount of sidewalk space that Bird has repurposed into scooter parking spaces?

Unfortunately this isn't the sort of thing where you're going to have an obvious answer because the causation chain is really long.

1) Person sits in traffic getting to work

2) Person notices Bird scooters zipping by them

3) Person ALSO notices that their company has to pay them the cost of their parking space if they don't use it (in California at least - see parking cashout law)

4) Person starts taking Bird, and enjoying the cash from their company

5) Person's office now has an extra parking space

6) Person tells coworkers about how great it is getting to work 20 minutes faster and making a couple extra grand a year

.... (wait a year or two)

7) 20 of person's coworkers are now doing the same

8) Office building has more open parking spaces

9) Business leasing office space says "I actually don't care if my office has loads of parking, most of our employees take scooters/walk/transit/whatever"

10) Office building developer says "wow we can make more money if we build the office with more units instead of more parking"

11) Office building development petitions city to reduce legal minimum requirement of parking spaces

12) (couple years later) FINALLY gets the parking minimum reduced after overcoming the screams of NIMBYs who think only a few weirdos are the ones riding scooters "because the scooter/bike lanes are empty". (Related - this is a problem with people thinking bike lanes are unused - turns out a bike lane with 500 bikes an hour will LOOK emptier than a road with 500 cars an hour because, well, bikes are faster (in congestion) and smaller)

13) More of that space can be used for offices, homes, or just not built on, etc.

So if we can design an experiment that can track all of that, awesome, but in the meantime it's messy.

If nothing else, just making parking compete like any other land use reveals that there are people who would happily repurpose the land for other things. You can park your car in the absolute most prime land in downtown Santa Monica for $525 a month. That is CRAZY. I would pay ~$1600 a month for a few of those spots and build a studio in an INSTANT because you could rent that out to a human for about $5,000 a month.

But instead we use taxpayer money to subsidize sleeping spaces for cars, even though there are humans who would happily pay to sleep there instead. It must really suck for the person who can barely afford their $3400 rent at 16th and Santa Monica blvd that their taxes are helping provide affordable housing for cars right on the beach.

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think some better vetting of hunters and maybe capping the amount of people for area's to hunt for them would be a start? Seems now it's a wild west when it comes to who gets at them first.

> Seems now it's a wild west when it comes to who gets at them first. Why’s that a problem for the companies though?

I have a feeling the article is written by a Stephen Glass wannbee?

"“I think it’s really fun,” says Lucas. “I’ll probably go charging this weekend.”

This weekend, the independent movie premiere will be showing at Iwantclicksbuthavenorealnewsstories.

"So--rent a Charger, and be a "Charger"?

(The posts on HN are seemingly getting bad, or being gamed? When it turns into Reddit, I'll be glad. It will be one less addiction in my life? This is the evolution of most successful sites? The masses ruin it? It might be the only reason to keep coding sites? Even the vanity sites? Afterall, this is a vanity site, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way. I just mean there is always room for more sites/apps, when the big money takes a eye off of quality?)

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Leaseholds often excludes business activities as does home insurance.

Yes, you can't register a company at your home address, but no one will ever deny you coverage if you do clerical work at home. At least every single insurance and rental I had in UK had a special provision for this - if you need to stay at home and work remotely, that's 100% covered. It just can't be your principal place of work.

Plenty of people register businesses at their home address. It entirely depends on the nature of the work as to whether it requires a change of use from the planners or invalidate insurance etc

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think some better vetting of hunters and maybe capping the amount of people for area's to hunt for them would be a start? Seems now it's a wild west when it comes to who gets at them first.

> Seems now it's a wild west when it comes to who gets at them first. Why’s that a problem for the companies though?

If your company decides on a PR stunt on 5th avenue by spraying the streets full of dollar bills, creating a riot, I'm pretty sure you're liable.

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I could not imagine buttoned down European city like Vienna or even a messy one like Amsterdam allowing it) I don't really see benefit over a bike. Except that bikes don't require charging.

I see a lot of benefits. They are more comfortable than bicycles and may therefore appeal to users who wouldn't give up their car for a bicycle. They require far less space than cars and have the potential to reduce rush hour traffic jams. I'll stick with my bicycle but I'm happy for anyone who uses an electric scooter, rather than a car.

I think that sitting on a bike is more comfortable than standing on a scooter.

Re: Charging electric scooters is a cut-throat business

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see a lot of benefits. They are more comfortable than bicycles and may therefore appeal to users who wouldn't give up their car for a bicycle. They require far less space than cars and have the potential to reduce rush hour traffic jams. I'll stick with my bicycle but I'm happy for anyone who uses an electric scooter, rather than a car.

I think that sitting on a bike is more comfortable than standing on a scooter.

Bad wording on my side, probably. I meant comfortable not necessarely regarding the ride but, for example

- Getting it ready for the ride.

- Taking it inside your appartment/home/office, if necessary. No need to leave it outside.

- Easier to take along inside public transport, and then used as a means of traveling the last mile.

- Defenitely more comfortable if you don't want to excercise.

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