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Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

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21–30 of 132 posts

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#21
post #6

I still think Bird's success is merely symptomatic of American shortsighted solutions to systemic US urban planning issues. I doubt this will reach the same level of popularity in cities/countries with great public transit, highly walkable streets, and good existing last mile solutions (bikeshares, bikelanes, high bus coverage), but I'm happy to eat my words if I'm just not seeing it and folks from Amsterdam, Seoul,…

I (also?) think these disruptive transport plays are a bit grubby, and probably predating public transport shared costs and the commons. Here in brisbane, they basically became scofflaw over "riding without helmet" and "riding on pavement" to force the issue. Why the state authorities caved instead of taking them to the cleaners is beyond me. We've already started to have drunks on scooters, elderly people feeling ex…

And which other thing will you de prioritise or will you increase taxes

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#22
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might just be me, but I'm having a hard time following your post due to these terms: > scofflaw > taking to the cleaners > juicers I normally would just go look it up, but this is a high density of jargon/colloquialisms. Or maybe it's not and I just never heard them, but I'm just offering my data point here.

Juicers is a lime only term afaik (it referd to someone who charges lime scooters) and the rest are reasonably common Australian expressions (maybe scofflaw is a little less common).

Juicers I would read as drug addicts given its an Australian

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#23
post #13

Meanwhile in San Francisco we are stuck with two unknown companies, a very low amount of scooters, no scooters in the evening (after 9pm I think?), and you can't ride one if you don't have a driver license. For a tech-pole, it is quite a backward city.

Do you think riding a scooter that can go 20mph shouldn't require a driving licence - which is a very low bar in the states I believe.

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#24
post #13

Meanwhile in San Francisco we are stuck with two unknown companies, a very low amount of scooters, no scooters in the evening (after 9pm I think?), and you can't ride one if you don't have a driver license. For a tech-pole, it is quite a backward city.

The scooters must be lowering someones land value.

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#25
post #13

Meanwhile in San Francisco we are stuck with two unknown companies, a very low amount of scooters, no scooters in the evening (after 9pm I think?), and you can't ride one if you don't have a driver license. For a tech-pole, it is quite a backward city.

Do you think riding a scooter that can go 20mph shouldn't require a driving licence - which is a very low bar in the states I believe.

You can ride a bike much faster with no license.

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think riding a scooter that can go 20mph shouldn't require a driving licence - which is a very low bar in the states I believe.

You can ride a bike much faster with no license.

Well it's a given bike riders should be licensed and plated. It's insane that in many places bike riders using the public roads don't require 3rd party insurance.

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#27
post #6

I still think Bird's success is merely symptomatic of American shortsighted solutions to systemic US urban planning issues. I doubt this will reach the same level of popularity in cities/countries with great public transit, highly walkable streets, and good existing last mile solutions (bikeshares, bikelanes, high bus coverage), but I'm happy to eat my words if I'm just not seeing it and folks from Amsterdam, Seoul,…

I (also?) think these disruptive transport plays are a bit grubby, and probably predating public transport shared costs and the commons. Here in brisbane, they basically became scofflaw over "riding without helmet" and "riding on pavement" to force the issue. Why the state authorities caved instead of taking them to the cleaners is beyond me. We've already started to have drunks on scooters, elderly people feeling ex…

I see these scooters as somewhat good for the society if it'd be accompanied by enforcement- proper docks or allotted areas and no riding on the sidewalk and following the rules of traffic flow.

As it is right now it's a mobility issue for the disabled. I come from a country with no sidewalks with the disabled forever left to the mercy of their caretakers. I was simply amazed by the level of planning to accommodate them in the US. But now these scooters are blocking the sidewalks everywhere. What are the disabled going to do? Get up and move the scooter?

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#29
post #20

Can we please get parked scooters off the sidewalk where they present a safety hazard to visually and mobility impaired people?

Sometimes with progress, you gotta break a few legs.

Sometimes with progress, you gotta break a few legs.

Where “progress” is synonymous with “profit” and the things being broken aren’t yours. Having said that if you’re volunteering, I know a guy with a hammer.

Re: Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can ride a bike much faster with no license.

Well it's a given bike riders should be licensed and plated. It's insane that in many places bike riders using the public roads don't require 3rd party insurance.

For what purpose other than locking kids and poor people out of the world and worsening traffic and health issues. If 2 cyclists crash in to each other they will cause minimal property damage and any medical costs should be covered by the government.

There are so many other situations where people can accidentally cause property damage that don't require insurance. Its just the cars have a very high risk of causing huge amounts of damage very easily.

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