Let’s talk about e scooters

[lordofthemark]

I mean yeah, I know we are the BIKE forum, but really, I can’t think of a better informed group of people to talk about this with.

Lets NOT talk about where they should be parked (which is the same argument, almost, as the dockless bikes) or whether they should be used on certain crowded trails (a similar argument to the ebike argument, I guess). I want to talk about riding them on streets, in bike lanes, on sidewalks (yup, though I haven’t, yet) in more or less urban areas. (there was already some discussion in the dockless bikes thread, but I think it will get lost there)

Personally while I found riding one interesting, I think I would always prefer a bike, dockless or CaBi, human powered or electric, over a scooter. I found starting it awkward, footing awkward, and hard to get used to having only the one brake, and how the hell do I signal? OTOH I think that is both because I am an “avid” cyclist (so don’t find mounting or dismounting a bike to be a big deal at all) and because as someone born back in the good old days, I missed the scooter craze (and snow board craze, and never did skate boards) So riding with my feet flat down like that is not natural, and the kick to get started is not natural.

Where to ride – I tried it around the Capital Riverfront area – so quiet, griddy streets, and relatively empty bike lanes. Felt odd riding (and esp making left turns) “vehicularly” but that is what you are supposed to do, I guess?

They are not supposed to be used on sidewalks, per Limebike, though I gather its legal to use scooters on sidewalks (does the CBD sidewalk ban apply to scooters as well as bikes). I did not violate that rule, but there are places I would be tempted to.

It said you should wear a helmet. I did not, and gather most users do not?

You could “pause” your ride, which is a fascinating feature. Though I chose not to use it.

I trust we all welcome them into bike lanes? I mean I don’t know about the actual crowded bike lanes (like 15th Street) but I sure think more use of our infra is good (surprise!) and they seem compatible. And, ONE LESS CAR.

Seems like one benefit is you can ride them without fear of getting your clothes caught or dirty with a chain – but all the bike share bikes have chain guards, maybe?

Topic

[huskerdont]

I yielded to an e-scooter today.

Yesterday an e-scooter rider couldn’t stop for some reason and rammed into the bulletproof glass at our guard building. He came up with his face all bloody.

There, now I’ve talked about e-scooters.

[dbehrend]

Quartz had an interesting article on the lifespan of Bird Scooters in Louisville, KY.
https://qz.com/1561654/how-long-does-a-scooter-last-less-than-a-month-louisville-data-suggests/

The authors found that the average scooter had a lifespan of 28.8 days and traveled 163.2 miles over 92 trips. They also estimated that Bird lost $293 per scooter.

I recall reading somewhere that someone analyzed Lime data in DC and estimated those scooters lasted about 28 days.

I like that scooters are getting people out of cars and provide another great option for short trips. I’m a little concerned about how much waste might be involved.

[Dewey]

Streetsblog mentioned a recent study of e-scooter injuries in Austin, TX https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Health/Epidemiology/APH_Dockless_Electric_Scooter_Study_5-2-19.pdf

[ImaCynic]

@dbehrend 188748 wrote:

Quartz had an interesting article on the lifespan of Bird Scooters in Louisville, KY.
https://qz.com/1561654/how-long-does-a-scooter-last-less-than-a-month-louisville-data-suggests/

The authors found that the average scooter had a lifespan of 28.8 days and traveled 163.2 miles over 92 trips. They also estimated that Bird lost $293 per scooter.

I recall reading somewhere that someone analyzed Lime data in DC and estimated those scooters lasted about 28 days.

I like that scooters are getting people out of cars and provide another great option for short trips. I’m a little concerned about how much waste might be involved.

Fascinating numbers. Wonder what the original business cost/revenue projections pitched to the investors looked like.

[lordofthemark]

@dbehrend 188748 wrote:

Quartz had an interesting article on the lifespan of Bird Scooters in Louisville, KY.
https://qz.com/1561654/how-long-does-a-scooter-last-less-than-a-month-louisville-data-suggests/

The authors found that the average scooter had a lifespan of 28.8 days and traveled 163.2 miles over 92 trips. They also estimated that Bird lost $293 per scooter.

I recall reading somewhere that someone analyzed Lime data in DC and estimated those scooters lasted about 28 days.

I like that scooters are getting people out of cars and provide another great option for short trips. I’m a little concerned about how much waste might be involved.

People are trying to change that

https://mashable.com/article/escooter-lifespan-shared-new-models/

[ImaCynic]

@lordofthemark 190557 wrote:

People are trying to change that

https://mashable.com/article/escooter-lifespan-shared-new-models/

It seems these companies were a bit naive when it comes to understanding the type of abuse these machines might see. But better durability usually translates to higher cost, it will be interesting to see how they navigate through this. Wonder what the life expectancy of a regular e-scooter user is?

[AnneLagarde]

Yes. I agree. I am new to this forum and hoping to talk with all the bike enthusiasts!

[ImaCynic]

Apparently e-scooters do not need to be ridden to cause harm…

https://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/The-Latest-Woman-beaten-to-death-with-electric-13842925.php

[Drewdane]

The view from Trollheim, 5/17/2019.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]20086[/ATTACH]

[peterw_diy]

The free weekly Alexandria Times this week pulled a hard 180 this week and published a piece sympathetic to scooters, focusing on new riders. It has nice bits about replacing car trips, reducing environmental impact, etc. — but I LOLed on this scooter apologist quote about Scofflaw Scooterists:

Quote:

If you are already going to be inconsiderate and leave something in the way and diminish a public good, you were already going to do that. The scooter didn’t change it.”

As if the riders who park the bikes badly and the residents who abuse the scooters wake up with a “let’s go do some crimes” mentality and, you know, it’s just a question of which large metallic object they were gonna block the sidewalk with. Ha!

[Drewdane]

@peterw_diy 190841 wrote:

The free weekly Alexandria Times this week pulled a hard 180 this week and published a piece sympathetic to scooters, focusing on new riders. It has nice bits about replacing car trips, reducing environmental impact, etc. — but I LOLed on this scooter apologist quote about Scofflaw Scooterists:
As if the riders who park the bikes badly and the residents who abuse the scooters wake up with a “let’s go do some crimes” mentality and, you know, it’s just a question of which large metallic object they were gonna block the sidewalk with. Ha!

I think the point is that some people are going to be inconsiderate no matter what. The people who park bikes on wheelchair ramps and toss scooters into the creek are the same ones who ditch their shopping carts in the middle of the lane in parking lots and spit their gum out on the sidewalk. IOW, just standard, run-of-the-mill nest-shitters.

[dasgeh]

@Drewdane 190916 wrote:

I think the point is that some people are going to be inconsiderate no matter what. The people who park bikes on wheelchair ramps and toss scooters into the creek are the same ones who park their cars blocking curb cuts, ditch their shopping carts in the middle of the lane in parking lots and spit their gum out on the sidewalk. IOW, just standard, run-of-the-mill nest-shitters.

FTFY

Cars can’t be picked up and moved aside, so I’d say if the inconsiderate have to get around, I rather have them on scooters.

[OneEighth]

I’m gonna guess that the last user is typically not the one who tosses an e-scooter into a creek, off a bridge, whatever. However, holding that last user financially responsible for the scooter may encourage a little more user attention to leaving them in places less likely to result in the e-scooter winding up in a creek, off a bridge, whatever.
I am also gonna guess that the e-scooter providers are not going to want to go that route because it may hurt business more than it reduces equipment loss.
Getting successfully sued by someone who sustains injuries as a result of an improperly abandoned e-scooter might move the needle.

[lordofthemark]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/05/21/e-scooter-startup-spin-will-place-dozens-solar-powered-docking-stations-two-cities-this-summer/?utm_term=.bf9fd116ec1b

[bentbike33]

@lordofthemark 190931 wrote:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/05/21/e-scooter-startup-spin-will-place-dozens-solar-powered-docking-stations-two-cities-this-summer/?utm_term=.bf9fd116ec1b

So, will there be one or two of these placed on the 14th Street Bridge sidepath?

Yesterday on the ride home I passed an e-scootee at about 2/3rds of the way to the Virginia side who appeared to be dealing with a scooter that ran out of e-.

[Author]

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