Electric scooters in cities
Discussion
Saw an electric scooter buzzing around this morning and for once thought - "hmm, not a bad idea for commuting given the cycle paths between home and office".
I know they're not legal.
I know for similar money an e-bike can be had. The scooter has storage advantages at both ends.
I guess this question is... Are we nearly getting to the point in cities where they're as good as legal? Growing in usage so much that they're accepted or are there likely to be crack downs?
I know they're not legal.
I know for similar money an e-bike can be had. The scooter has storage advantages at both ends.
I guess this question is... Are we nearly getting to the point in cities where they're as good as legal? Growing in usage so much that they're accepted or are there likely to be crack downs?
Yep, I often see tickets being handed out at the side of the cycle lanes to electric scooter users.Very short sighted by the authorities if you ask me as they are the answer to mobility in our cities.
They're green, they're collapsible so easy to transport on trains and store in flats offices etc. I'd definitely get one myself but I'm too old to stand there getting a telling off form some plastic bobby young enough to be my son.
They're green, they're collapsible so easy to transport on trains and store in flats offices etc. I'd definitely get one myself but I'm too old to stand there getting a telling off form some plastic bobby young enough to be my son.
Rental ones are all over the place Germany and the Netherlands, so I wouldn't be that surprised if the UK legalises them at some point. Although it could potentially be a local thing, eg Amsterdam has different rules on mopeds than other Dutch cities, so I'm not sure if different cities have different rules on e-scooters.
An eScooter company set-up shop in Luxembourg's capital village, and delivered scooters to different places all over town where users, on an app, could access and use them.
The mayor put a stop to it as they hadn't gained any permits / approvals. They're all gone now!
f
king silent assassins, anyway.
The mayor put a stop to it as they hadn't gained any permits / approvals. They're all gone now!
f
king silent assassins, anyway.I rented a Lime one to get around San Jose on business a couple of months ago. It was quite fun but felt quite sketchy, and one small pothole away from a proper accident. One thing it's very hard to do without crashing them is look behind you or take a hand off the bars to indicate.
Now I am back in London and I see people on them I wish the police would confiscate the lot. Their riders want to be pedestrians, cyclists and motorists whenever it suits them, and have no idea how to behave in traffic, cut across and in front of bikes, and don't (for the reasons above) ever look behind them before manœuvering.
Now I am back in London and I see people on them I wish the police would confiscate the lot. Their riders want to be pedestrians, cyclists and motorists whenever it suits them, and have no idea how to behave in traffic, cut across and in front of bikes, and don't (for the reasons above) ever look behind them before manœuvering.
Will keep an eye on them and how they're perceived around Edinburgh for a while yet.
Should probably try before buying anyway but wouldn't make a move over the winter anyway - it's too cold to be pretty much standing still for 7 miles.
Look like a prat? I'll get over it!
It won't be long until we start see cycling rage between cyclists vs each other/pedestrians/scooters the same way that road rage is a pretty normal thing. Can already see it the way different classes of cyclists buzz around each other from super grans to Lance Armstrong wannabees to the suit wearers to the family groups to the average Joes like myself.
Should probably try before buying anyway but wouldn't make a move over the winter anyway - it's too cold to be pretty much standing still for 7 miles.
Look like a prat? I'll get over it!
It won't be long until we start see cycling rage between cyclists vs each other/pedestrians/scooters the same way that road rage is a pretty normal thing. Can already see it the way different classes of cyclists buzz around each other from super grans to Lance Armstrong wannabees to the suit wearers to the family groups to the average Joes like myself.
Guvernator said:
My honest thoughts and YMMV of course but using a scooter when you are older than about 15 is not a good look IMO, in fact I'd go so far as to say it makes you look like a bit of a pratt.
When you get older than you are now, and mature up a bit, you'll realise that how other people think you look is not of the least importance. And you'll look back at your above post and you'll think you used to be a bit of a prat. Plenty in Palma when we went. No rental ones, just people who had bought themselves. Mostly people using them to go to work, but also older people getting about. Didn't see any problems with them, but there are lots of cycle lanes there.
I used to think it was a shame that Segways never caught on as a way of getting quickly around a city without causing traffic congestion, but the scooters do the same job a lot cheaper. I can see the argument that they might cause accidents, but there are bikes going past me on the pavement every day so it's not as if people follow the law anyway.
I used to think it was a shame that Segways never caught on as a way of getting quickly around a city without causing traffic congestion, but the scooters do the same job a lot cheaper. I can see the argument that they might cause accidents, but there are bikes going past me on the pavement every day so it's not as if people follow the law anyway.
eybic said:
The issue I think is the fact they are motorised so are deemed to need insurance and an MOT, these aren't currently possible which is why they're illegal. In other countries insurance isn't mandatory which is how I suspect users get away with using them.
I guess e-bikes get around this as they're meant to be electrical assist only. I'm pretty sure there are plenty that are more than that. It's a thing that's going to need tidied up and if authorities/insurers see a way to regulate and make a buck they will.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
When you get older than you are now, and mature up a bit, you'll realise that how other people think you look is not of the least importance. And you'll look back at your above post and you'll think you used to be a bit of a prat.
I'm in my 40's and happy with my life decisions thanks which include not buying a scooter in my middle age. I work in the tech industry in London where these things are overwhelmingly bought by people to travel 10 mins to the tube station because they are too lazy to walk, cutting people up, haring past people on the pavement and generally making a nuisance of themselves. I don't really see a difference between these and those Segway things which funnily enough are also banned.Guvernator said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
When you get older than you are now, and mature up a bit, you'll realise that how other people think you look is not of the least importance. And you'll look back at your above post and you'll think you used to be a bit of a prat.
I'm in my 40's and happy with my life decisions thanks which include not buying a scooter in my middle age. I work in the tech industry in London where these things are overwhelmingly bought by people to travel 10 mins to the tube station because they are too lazy to walk, cutting people up, haring past people on the pavement and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff