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Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

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Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#311

Post by ibeckermayer »

john_moscow wrote: post #49
bransonf wrote: post #42

Does anyone actually think this is a profitable market? Electric scooters are expensive, repair and charging is expensive. It’s a seasonal business. Vandalism/abuse is fairly common. In terms of any environmental benefit, I highly suspect more gasoline is being consumed to collect and distribute scooters than the offset of a few last mile transports. I suspect the cost to the consumer would have to double for it to m…

>Why did the VCs value these as billion dollar companies? Desperation? Because VCs get paid from selling the shares to the public. So as long as a general unsophisticated investor is expected to buy in, it's a good deal for a VC, even if the underlying business model is laughable.

VCs also get paid by getting other VCs to evaluate their companies as more valuable in a sort of Ponzi scheme:

https://youtu.be/NVVsdlHslfI

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#312

Post by bagacrap »

asdff wrote: post #128
TacticalTable wrote: post #18

Of the e-scooter startups I've tried, Lime is my favorite. In my smaller city (Indianapolis) we just have Bird and Lime, and Bird's restrictions on hours, locations, and parking make them very difficult to use (They turn themselves off if they leave their range, and many pieces of downtown are considered 'out of bounds'). Meanwhile, the Limes are better distributed around the city, easier to park, and have much more…

Too much competition, but really the infrastructure is not there in warm cities in the U.S. They also increased the price so you are more inclined to take an uber or public transport than spend $6 on a bird ride. Riding on a pothill filled gutter while cars clip you at 35mph in LA is not ideal. If there were more bike lanes that were longer than 1 block, these things would be way more popular. Not sure why these comp…

As someone who spent 8 years heavily biking around LA, I'm glad I got out of there before the bike lanes became overrun with motorized drunks.

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#313

Post by m0zg »

For the life of me I can't see why people wouldn't just steal them. It's literally just standing there, not chained to anything, sometimes for days on end. Sure you probably won't be able to ride it, but even as parts it's likely worth more than a day's worth of heroin, which dooms their business model right from the start.

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#314

Post by rbobby »

yibg wrote: post #304
evv wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah? Depends how you define free will. If people want to eat and make rent, they need to afford it somehow, and the employment options are bleak (see: charging scooters). So maybe you meant they have "the free will to decide if they want to work shitty jobs, or not live". We can't be too surprised that the suicide rate is going up in this country.

That’s a weird definition of a slave and free will. By this definition none of us have free will since most things we do are driven by some motivation. I want to eat and make rent, so I work for the money to do so. Now I’m a slave?

I think it may have to do with the number of options a person has to earn money. To those with few options a shitty job can feel a lot like slavery.

Taking someone to task over the technically incorrect use of the word slavery seems a bit pedantic at best.

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#315

Post by AlexandrB »

Symbiote wrote: post #105
mumblemumble wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can see personal e-scooters as being a great alternative to cars for short trips such as commuting less than 5-ish km to work, or taking the kids to school. However, I still think bicycles are vastly preferable. With a pannier rack you get quite a bit more cargo space, and in the winter, the fact that you're physically exerting yourself helps to keep you warm, which makes for a more comfortable and pleasant trip. A…

I visited Moscow last year, and noticed they have docked scooters: https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/328422-how-rent-electric-scoo... Plenty of places have undocked bicycles, so a fair comparison is possible.

> Plenty of places have undocked bicycles...

They certainly do: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J_4_SQmUNQo/Wuwwsp5w6BI/A...

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#316

Post by vadym909 »

chihuahua wrote: post #285
9HZZRfNlpR wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's going on in America if absolutely everyone is afraid if theft? Or are the bikes just big target?

Nice bikes are $3000 - $10000. That's not something you want to leave chained to a lamp post in the street. Any lock can be picked or cut.

anda great entryway for a budding insurance startup to get customers

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#317

Post by yibg »

rbobby wrote: post #314
yibg wrote: post #304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a weird definition of a slave and free will. By this definition none of us have free will since most things we do are driven by some motivation. I want to eat and make rent, so I work for the money to do so. Now I’m a slave?

I think it may have to do with the number of options a person has to earn money. To those with few options a shitty job can feel a lot like slavery. Taking someone to task over the technically incorrect use of the word slavery seems a bit pedantic at best.

Income inequality, underemployment and lack of employment opportunities are real problems. But words have meaning, and we as a species have had a pretty ugly history with slavery. Let’s not dilute the meaning of that word when there are others that are more accurate.

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#318

Post by asdff »

lazyasciiart wrote: post #195
asdff wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I bike past 3 miles I'm gonna start sweating, and pushing 5 miles I start feeling it on bad air days. With the scooter you just stand still and don't have to do any special layering. People ride them in suits.

An ebike solves that. Which one is more comfortable/safer? I haven't ridden an electric scooter so I don't know.

ebikes for sure. Bigger wheels go over potholes better, and only the original bird scooters actually had air in their tires, the rest are just hard rubber that feels pretty rough/bone-rattly on bad roads.

Safety wise, I'd say they are about even. Cars aren't going to value your life either way.

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#319

Post by asdff »

jandrese wrote: post #215
asdff wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once you start getting to the 20 minute mark the scooter ride stops being so cheap, and you were probably better off getting an uber and going farther and faster for about the same price. I don't think it can replace the subways as they are used here in la. A scooter can't go from downtown to hollywood in 20 minutes; not even cars hit the 70mph the subway does in this city.

If it is taking you 20 minutes to go a dozen blocks on a motorized scooter then maybe it is the wrong tool for the job.

It definitely is. I think they should nix the unlock fee to further incentivize this, personally.

Re: Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100

#320

Post by asdff »

Rebelgecko wrote: post #223
asdff wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish, but corruption and graft has lead LA's metrobikes to cost something like $2500 each and that program is quickly spiraling out of existence. Greedy contractors and privatization aside, you need infrastructure for transit, and for these scooters and bikes that means building bike lanes. Otherwise, it's no surprise that ridership is declining as they aren't safe on roads with LA drivers who kill more pedestrians…

>I wish, but corruption and graft has lead LA's metrobikes to cost something like $2500 each That doesn't seem too excessive to me. What do you think would be a more reasonable price for purchasing an electric bike* with a fair degree of customization and a corresponding maintenance contract? * IIRC the bikes have integrated NFC readers for your TAP card, built in U-locks, probably GPS, and that sweet sweet Metro pai…

Well they are neither maintained nor electric for the most part
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