Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin • Hacker News Board

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#111

Post by aqme28 » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:41 PM UTC

wafflesraccoon wrote: post #70

TylerE wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Start doing dumb shit? I've been seeing cyclist blow through stop signs for 30 years.

Personal anecdote, cyclists blow through stop signs because the infrastructure isn't built for bicycles. Having to come to a stop and then start up on a bicycle is the hardest part and cyclists hate it. Source: Commuting to work on a bicycle for years.

I don't think the conversation should be on how difficult it is to stop and start on a bike.

The real issue is that bikes aren't any safer treating stop signs as full stops. Visibility and maneuverability on a bike are so high that a complete stop is totally unnecessary for a bike approaching an empty intersection, so long as they at least yield to traffic.

Bikes are not cars, and should not be treated as such.

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#112

Post by b3b0p » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:41 PM UTC

danans wrote: post #2

These e-scooters could be a really great way for many cities to decrease short-haul car dependency, but they really need to be off the sidewalks. A motor-propelled machine going 15 mph doesn't belong on the same surface as a baby stroller, a senior citizen, or a person with a disability. They belong in the bike lane (which should exist in the first place), and their speed should be capped in areas of dense foot traff…

> They belong in the bike lane (which should exist in the first place), and their speed should be capped in areas of dense foot traffic.

I live downtown Minneapolis and have been almost hit by scooters multiple times. They are everywhere. I have no problem with them, but please follow the rules. I've had people on the scooters yell at me to get out of the way both oncoming and from behind.

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#113

Post by madeuptempacct » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:43 PM UTC

"Scoot" is where it's at anyway.

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#114

Post by gamblor956 » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:44 PM UTC

samstave wrote: post #84

wafflesraccoon wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personal anecdote, cyclists blow through stop signs because the infrastructure isn't built for bicycles. Having to come to a stop and then start up on a bicycle is the hardest part and cyclists hate it. Source: Commuting to work on a bicycle for years.

Exactly. People who don't bike don't understand. Imagine having to effectively park you car every single time a stop was legally required. All moving vehicles should be operated safely, but obeying a stop sign, just because its a stop sign isnt always safe, or efficient. @drRogers below me... To anyone bitching about stop signs, they should be bitching about the lack of roundabouts. There are myriad ways to design in…

Imagine having to effectively park you car every single time a stop was legally required.

Cars do come to a complete stop every time they reach a stop sign or red light. Those that don't tend to get very expensive tickets. Pedestrians also stop at intersections, usually, and those that don't tend to get tickets.

It's just cyclists who seem to think that they're above the law. Guess what? They chose an inefficient form of locomotion, then they get to live with the consequences of that--including stopping at intersections like the rest of us.

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#115

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:44 PM UTC

danans wrote: post #2

These e-scooters could be a really great way for many cities to decrease short-haul car dependency, but they really need to be off the sidewalks. A motor-propelled machine going 15 mph doesn't belong on the same surface as a baby stroller, a senior citizen, or a person with a disability. They belong in the bike lane (which should exist in the first place), and their speed should be capped in areas of dense foot traff…

[deleted]

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#116

Post by rubicon33 » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:45 PM UTC

imgabe wrote: post #48

komali2 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> because cyclists are weird and it's okay to tell them to just ride in amongst trucks travelling 40mph. This is unsustainable. It's caused blowback from cyclists. "Fine, you want me to play in traffic, I'm going to start doing some dumb shit." I say this as a cyclist, I'm doing only 5 miles round trip but I do it every day. I see people blow red lights, weaving in and out of traffic, hopping onto the sidewalk, blast…

I also bike. Don't give me a bike lane? That's fine, I'll take the middle of the traffic lane. Honk all you like, I'm not going to give you room to try and squeeze between me and the oncoming traffic while I risk getting doored. Cars can wait.

Good luck to you, it's a dangerous game you're playing. It just takes one idiot in a car who doesn't notice you because they're checking their instagram feed, or whatever, for your life to be over.

I knew someone growing up who was a very successful banker. He had everything - 3 kids, a beautiful wife, amazing house, etc. Cycled to work every day.

One day, someone didn't see him.

Doctors managed to save his life but he was unable to use any muscle from his neck down. Had to be on a respirator for the rest of his life. Couldn't talk. Etc.

He killed himself by driving his motorized wheelchair into a pool. He left behind a beautiful family and wife.

Good luck, be safe. For the record, I fully support bicyclists and wish our cities were designed better to promote their safe use. Unfortunately, they aren't right now, and I hate to see people needlessly punished for choosing to cycle to work.

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#117

Post by Sephr » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:45 PM UTC

tln wrote: post #86

Sephr wrote: post #58

Am I the only one who wants to see more seated scooter innovation? I would much prefer riding one of these self-balancing scooters/microcycles to the standing scooters that everyone is using. 1. http://rynomotors.com (launches April 16, 2019) 2. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/newest-fat-tyre-elect... 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcZk9zn82-g

Why not just rent/ride an ebike? Once you put a seat on a normal 2-wheeled scooter it's not much smaller than a bike. I'm not sure I'd trust the balancing capabilities of the unicycles you've linked to, especially in the face of shitty roads. Have you tried one?

These are much safer than small-wheeled scooters as their larger wheels allows them to more gracefully handle bumps in the road.

Also, unlike most ebikes I can actually sit stationary on these without falling over. I'm very short and most ebikes are not designed for short people.

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#118

Post by LeoPanthera » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:46 PM UTC

dangwu wrote: post #65

andrewljohnson wrote: post #61

There I was, sitting at the busy intersection of Sacramento and Ashby in Berkeley, when I saw two boys that couldn't have been more than 8-10 years old fly by on Bird Scooters. And I thought to myself, some kid is going to die. And lots of people do die on these things: https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+scooters+deaths These scooter companies suck, I wish they'd all go away. If they weren't all going for hypergrow…

You have to be 18 years old with a driver's license to ride Bird scooters.

You're also supposed to wear a helmet. Not sure I've ever seen someone do that either.

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#119

Post by matchbok » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:46 PM UTC

andrewljohnson wrote: post #61

There I was, sitting at the busy intersection of Sacramento and Ashby in Berkeley, when I saw two boys that couldn't have been more than 8-10 years old fly by on Bird Scooters. And I thought to myself, some kid is going to die. And lots of people do die on these things: https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+scooters+deaths These scooter companies suck, I wish they'd all go away. If they weren't all going for hypergrow…

Google: auto vehicle deaths per DAY

Re: Ford Buying San Francisco-Area E-Scooter Startup Spin

#120

Post by mygo » Thu, Nov 08, 2018, 7:46 PM UTC

komali2 wrote: post #95

mygo wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've been seeing cyclist blow through stop signs for 30 years. One reason cyclists don’t stop at stop signs is because it’s the biggest energy drain to have to come to a full stop, killing all momentum, and then pick up speed again from zero. If a cyclist approaching a stop sign sees that there is no traffic, and it’s not even a busy street, then that cyclist will likely just keep going. I’m not saying whether that…

I'm on my bicycle nearly every day and I "get it," I just don't think it's a valid excuse. Oh no, eat another banana. Whatever. I'm on my bike to get exercise anyway.

I think there's a difference between trying to explain something and trying to excuse it. So yep, no where in what I wrote was I excusing them. Even though they could just eat another banana, people generally aren't so rational like that. Still, laziness (yes, even while cycling) is a common enough occurrence to be an explanation for otherwise irrational phenomena.