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Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

theguardian.com

51–60 of 97 posts

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#51
post #11
post #3

I don't really see the racism slant the article is trying to paint all over this stupidity.

That's because you don't view the police as a dangerous occupying force in your community.

If someone was stealing your stuff, who would you call, then?

Let's assume for a moment that it's a good idea for the scooters to threaten to call someone. (It isn't, but let's bear with this). Who should the the scooters threaten to call? "I will call Reverend James from the parish down the street?" "I will call your mother?" "I will call the fire department?"

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#52
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, until we have a secondary form of law enforcement that is what you should do if someone is stealing...

Who is stealing? It sounds like this is essentially abandoned property in city streets?

Just like a parked motorcycle or bicycle right? You can just throw it on your van because it's abandoned.

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#53

Scooters are litter? Are parked cars litter? What about when a restaurants put a chair or table outside on the sidewalk? Maybe a closer analogy is the other kind of electric scooter (as in the mopeds like Scoot). Never heard them called litter. So is being on the sidewalk vs the street what determines if it's litter?

> Are parked cars litter?

If you leave them outside of a designated parking spot, sure.

> What about when a restaurants put a chair or table outside on the sidewalk?

That probably depends on who owns the sidewalk.

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#54
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because you don't view the police as a dangerous occupying force in your community.

I view the police as dangerous but recognize their danger as a necessary cost for effectiveness. I'm afraid of the police, but I'm more afraid of no police.

There are stories every month of police going out of their way to shoot people or with trigger-fingers turning a normal situation into a police homocide - mostly impacting people of color.

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#55

Scooters are litter? Are parked cars litter? What about when a restaurants put a chair or table outside on the sidewalk? Maybe a closer analogy is the other kind of electric scooter (as in the mopeds like Scoot). Never heard them called litter. So is being on the sidewalk vs the street what determines if it's litter?

> Are parked cars litter?

You assume an answer to this question that not everyone agrees with.

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I view the police as dangerous but recognize their danger as a necessary cost for effectiveness. I'm afraid of the police, but I'm more afraid of no police.

This is a very US centric view of policing.

That's hardly the case; police consists of semi-educated goons all over the world. Perhaps not everywhere, but it's not purely concentrated in the US.

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#57
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, until we have a secondary form of law enforcement that is what you should do if someone is stealing...

Who is stealing? It sounds like this is essentially abandoned property in city streets?

If you're walking off with someone else's property without their permission to use it, its not abandoned and is stealing.

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#58
post #27

Anyone have a recording of the audio played? A quick cruise to YouTube came up empty, though perhaps your search terms will be better than mine.

Found someone uploaded it to YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsW4kIg4PQc

Thank you, perfect.

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#59
post #5

Anyone know if people have started to gather these scooters up and part them out?

Yep, it happens in SF. I've walked by several encampments and they're getting parted out fast.

Do they actually sell them? Who is buying this from them? I've seen a few homeless with them, but assumed they were trying to strip them down to recycle the metal, not sell for parts. Anyone actually know?

Re: Scooters littering US city streets alarm: 'Unlock me or I'll call the police'

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No it isn't. We give free space to cars, trucks and bicycles. Why not scooters? Is it because they are owned by a corporation? If so should rental cars and car shares be banned?

We, as a society , have decided to give space to cars, trucks, and bicycles, generally in a controlled fashion. If I randomly leave any of them in the middle of the street or sidewalk, they'll be ticketed, towed, or removed.

> We, as a society, have decided to give space to cars, trucks, and bicycles, generally in a controlled fashion.

Exactly. To be fair though this was only after a fair amount of vehicular chaos.

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