Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime • Hacker News Board

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#81

Post by hobbyjogger » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 8:17 PM UTC

woolvalley wrote: post #52

hobbyjogger wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The scooters definitely aren't "ruining Austin" but they're not "saving" it from transportation woes either. The percentage of drivers who live close enough to downtown to hop on a scooter instead of taking car is pretty small. For example, only 4% of Austin commuters live within 2 miles of their workplace [0]. Commuters in Westlake and P-Ville, etc. are definitely NOT trading in their cars to get on a scooter (if yo…

You don't understand marginal improvements and how they ramp up?

(marginally) improving traffic (a bit) ≠ saving us from our transportation woes

Austin still has a long, long way to go.

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#82

Post by majormajor » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 8:21 PM UTC

Arubis wrote: post #76

astura wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One man's "placed in designated spots" is another man's "dumped on the side of the road" I honestly think we are just used to seeing idle cars all over the place that we don't "notice" them. There's no reason scooters won't be able to "blend in" in the same way over time.

In my fantasy world, we go the opposite direction and start realizing that all that idle car space could be used for parkland, housing, storefronts, bike lanes, miles-long slip'n'slides, pretty much _anything_ but wasted space in high-land-value areas.

How do you get there without having scooters or similar available everywhere instead?

Gotta solve the point-to-point problems of mass transit if you want to kill demand for cars.

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#83

Post by kevinmgranger » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 8:42 PM UTC

tweedledee wrote: post #6

Why not keep the scooters in the cars. Grab one on the way out, leave it behind when you get home. Request an uber with a scooter in it. There will have to be some leveling between cars but that’s surely easier than blanketing the city.

I think docked bike shares had the following problems:

- they were spaced too far apart

- they weren't in residential areas

The dockless bikes, and scooters, were a response to that. We could go back to using docks if we solved those two problems.

Or what if there was a hybrid approach, incentivising users who brought their bike / scooter to a dock by making the ride cheaper or free?

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#84

Post by kevinmgranger » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 8:43 PM UTC

SilasX wrote: post #68

blhack wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is such a boondoggle. I rarely see any birds, lime bikes, orange bikes, ofos, etc. parked in places other than off to the side of the sidewalk, or in a bike rack. When I do, I move them. Most people, generally speaking, are good people. They put bikes where they're supposed to be, they put scooters where they're supposed to be etc. It isn't just enlightened tech commenters who know that a bike should go in a bik…

I'm surprised they don't have a technical solution -- like, say, have it take a photo from the scooter when you log out to validate you put it in a good spot. (Or gps if they have drop-off points, etc.)

Bird requires this.

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#85

Post by txsh » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 9:00 PM UTC

edaemon wrote: post #22

znull wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just the bikes and scooters? Not, say, the idle cars left on streets all over town?

Cars are at least parked in designated spots/areas. Dockless bikes and scooters don't have a designated space to park in; they have to be left on the sidewalk, and they can be dropped anywhere.

Sorry. I don’t want to abandon my mode of transportation to appease you OCD. Get over it.

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#86

Post by kevin_thibedeau » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 9:17 PM UTC

joejerryronnie wrote: post #72

probe wrote: post #15

This partnership could also allow Uber driver partners to basically have another source of income - rebalancing the scooter/bike network and helping with charging (ex. someone drives for Uber Eats, drops off a scooter at pickup restaurant to charge). Current Lime freelance chargers are making ~$1400 earnings per month[1] so this could start being substantial and help the growth for both companies [1] https://www.axio…

This additional source of income will only last until we fully implement ASR's - Autonomous Scooter Rebalancers.

Just have them self-drive to a charger.

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#87

Post by scootermcscoot » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 9:32 PM UTC

edaemon wrote: post #35

xur17 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wouldn't be too difficult for cities to create designated 'parking spots' for scooters. Or require that they must be next to a bike rack. The apps all require you to take a picture of the scooter after parking, so it would be pretty easy to verify if someone moved it after the fact.

That wouldn't be too difficult, and I think some cities have done that. The problem is that it's difficult to enforce and there isn't much incentive to try; are they going to give out tickets for poor scooter parking? Who would they ticket? Bird/Lime, the user, or the unknown person who moved it afterwards? I think docking stations are the better solution. Portland has docked shared bikes and they work well. It preve…

Why would it be so hard to enforce? Treat the problem, not the symptom. If the problem is that people leave scooters in the middle of the sidewalk, pass a code that says scooters blocking a thoroughfare will be impounded. Don’t mandate to the companies where their property must be stored, let them know where it can’t be stored and hold them accountable thusly.

If Bird had to pay a fee to get scooters out of impound, I’m sure it would find a customer-friendly way to encourage its users to keep the scooters out of impound to begin with.

It seems like this problem is already solved with cars. If you leave a car in the middle of the street, it will get towed. Then the registered owner has to pay a fee to recover it. No worrying about whether to give a ticket to the last driver, or the owner, etc.

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#88

Post by kevin_thibedeau » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 9:33 PM UTC

adrianN wrote: post #44

ceejayoz wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not typically "left on streets", but in designated parking spots, with specific rules and guidelines in place.

The designated parking spots are typically on the streets. If there were no surface parking most roads would have two more lanes.

That's where you dump your horse after it dies of exhaustion. It's so much harder to do that with those infernal automobiles clogging the streets.

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#89

Post by randomfool » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 9:45 PM UTC

jpwgarrison wrote: post #77

prolikewh0a wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got used to the bike shares in Seattle and I've never heard anyone really complain except initially when the city was getting used to them. Lime E-bike's are everywhere and are actually useful here. They stay pretty clear of walking paths.

I kinda disagree, they are left in the middle or take up a third of shared paths like the Burke-Gilman all of the time. Maybe we just gave up complaining?

I'm sorry, but that's a MASSIVE overstatement.

I kindly ask you to grab one of those bikes and do a few miles on the Burke. It's beautiful out, really hope you enjoy it.

I commute regularly on the Burke, it's wonderful. Cars are so much more of an issue on my commute. More bikes please!

Re: Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership with Lime

#90

Post by txsh » Mon, Jul 09, 2018, 9:48 PM UTC

LyndsySimon wrote: post #67

blhack wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is such a boondoggle. I rarely see any birds, lime bikes, orange bikes, ofos, etc. parked in places other than off to the side of the sidewalk, or in a bike rack. When I do, I move them. Most people, generally speaking, are good people. They put bikes where they're supposed to be, they put scooters where they're supposed to be etc. It isn't just enlightened tech commenters who know that a bike should go in a bik…

This hasn't been my experience at all when walking around Santa Monica. It seems like about half the time Birds are parked in a reasonable place - in an alcove designed for bike parking, on the edge of the sidewalk on the Promenade, off to the side next to a door - and the rest are just... random. It's not at all uncommon to see three or four Birds parked in the middle of the sidewalk in front of a popular store or r…

I know this might be a radical proposal but have you considered, when encountering a bicycle blocking part of a sidewalk, moving slightly to the left. I admit its a crazy proposal but it might help you while you’re waiting for the state to implement the death penalty for scooter infractions.