She Was Excited About E-Scooters in Portland. Then She Broke Her Leg.

[Anonymous]

We need to regulate that darn thing and we need to do it NOW before someone gets hurt. It is all nice and beautiful that few people want to save money and go zoom to work while they feel wind in their hair. But it is not beautiful that the rest of us feels scared, fearing for the health and life when they do so.

[Anonymous]

Remember skate boards? They got kicked out of most places, malls, strip malls, town centers, some towns and cities kicked them all together limiting to specific small areas where they can be used. There is a good reason for this. The scooters are the same problem so they require the same solution. Scooter should be treated like skate board with stick. Maybe they are already legally banned then?

[Anonymous]

I don't see the popularity of scooters dwindling in DC. They are everywhere and as far as I am concerned, they can't disappear fast enough. I'm tired of people leaving them in front of my gate and in the middle of random sidewalks. I'm tired of people zipping down sidewalks crowded with people. Most of the people I see on scooters look like they have no business being on them. You know the type.

In the last 2 weeks, I've seen 2 different scooter accidents - both self-inflicted, 1-scooter crashes. People are idiots.

[Anonymous]

You can't make the world safe. There is always some risk. Are scooters risky? Yes. Are they riskier than a bicycle? I don't think so. They have brakes unlike a skate board.

The woman is now claiming scooters are unsafe because she was hurt. That's not how you decide if something is safe.

[Anonymous]

I teach my kids to assume anyone on a scooter is trying to run them down. Riders pay no attention and seem to be on their phone half the time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Old Town and it is not a disaster. The only disaster is the old cranky people that won't stop complaining about them on Next Door. Relax and go for a ride.

And YES they are an alternative mode of transportation. I have ridden them over to Del Ray and plenty of people ride them to the metro.

And FFS stop saying you "almost got hit" by one.

Nope, they are are a nightmare. I counted 25 of them by the King Street metro the other day, piled up on top of one another all over the sidewalk. I saw several on the Parkway bike path south of OT this weekend (what were they even doing there). I never, ever see a kid wearing a helmet on one. In a placed that regulates store signage, paint colors, political sign placements, I cannot understand why the city is so lax on these scooters. I wonder what the kickback is.

When you rode your scooter over to Del Ray, where did you leave it? How long do you think it just laid there until it was picked up, or did you even care?

You don't have to wear a helmet. I left it on the corner, as far to the curb as I could, as you are supposed to. And no, I didn't care how long it was until it was picked up. I walk around all the time and I don't see them as an eye sore, I see them as change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In DC scooters are being used for transportation, not for fun.

And they’re growing more popular, not less

Wait until someone will run into someone and you see the legal consequences. It is all fun and games. Sidewalks are for walking and not for riding. Anything that moves quietly and unexpectedly can be a disastrous. A walking person wearing earbuds or talking on the phone can make one step in the random direction not realizing there is a fast approaching scooter behind who's driver assumes that the person will walk forward in a straight line. Just like bikes have no place on sidewalks, so should not scooters. The only solution would be to create lines on a sidewalk like they are on a highway and so people would walk with them, change lines as cars and everybody would flow like a car traffic. Otherwise it is a chaotic place based on a traditions and freedom of movement. Add to it fast moving object with a person who is rushing forward with speed.

E=mc2

You bump into someone while walking, it is bad, you bump into someone riding on the scooter it may cost you everything you own in legal fees and then some. Scooters are VERY expensive in that regard. The unfortunate thing is that until enough people get hurt the scooter owners will frolic forward until they will find it to be too risky financially.

EASY FIX:
Scooters should be required to register with the DMV. They should have license plate like everything else that moves, and a person riding them should have a big white number on fabric like Marathon runner so if they ride in a dangerous way, they could be ticketed, reported and recorded. That would be the first step. Second step, the owners should pay insurance because if they hit someone, the person should have some legal recourse because injury can be serious to deadly with such a speed against a walking person. The insurance should be so high that
only super rich would be able to afford it and since they do not ride them in the first place, problem solved.

That's a curious attitude. What about mobility scooters or handicapped scooters? I see no licensing requirement for these things and they stealthily sneak around on the sidewalks. Is the difference the driver?

[Anonymous]

OMG, now I’ve really heard it all.

[Anonymous]

I don't mind them at all. I've used them a couple times and they are a fantastic "last mile" solution.

That said, they are also remarkably dangerous if the riders do not exercise care. The higher center of gravity makes them especially vulnerable to crashes due to objects in the roadway, potholes, or sidewalk cracks/bumps. You can also be subjected to a serious head or spinal injury, including TBI, paralyzation, or death.

And, again, riders need to exercise caution. Utilize bike lanes as much as possible to keep the scooter away from cars and pedestrians. Go slow on sidewalks. All of this is common sense, but some individuals can't seem to control themselves. However, I think these people would be similarly reckless on a bicycle.

[Anonymous]

Omg you are going to be so surprised when you learn how bad cars are for health, safety, the environment, and more.

I bet you’ll be super ranty about that because I’m sure you’re not hypocritical at all.

[Anonymous]

Almost hit a scooter-er today on Connecticut. Idiot was passing between a parked car and mine which had its turn signal on to get into the turning lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Old Town and it is not a disaster. The only disaster is the old cranky people that won't stop complaining about them on Next Door. Relax and go for a ride.

And YES they are an alternative mode of transportation. I have ridden them over to Del Ray and plenty of people ride them to the metro.

And FFS stop saying you "almost got hit" by one.

Nope, they are are a nightmare. I counted 25 of them by the King Street metro the other day, piled up on top of one another all over the sidewalk. I saw several on the Parkway bike path south of OT this weekend (what were they even doing there). I never, ever see a kid wearing a helmet on one. In a placed that regulates store signage, paint colors, political sign placements, I cannot understand why the city is so lax on these scooters. I wonder what the kickback is.

When you rode your scooter over to Del Ray, where did you leave it? How long do you think it just laid there until it was picked up, or did you even care?

You don't have to wear a helmet. I left it on the corner, as far to the curb as I could, as you are supposed to. And no, I didn't care how long it was until it was picked up. I walk around all the time and I don't see them as an eye sore, I see them as change.

DP. The point is that you SHOULD be. But then again, I can see why you don't think it necessary to protect your brain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Old Town and it is not a disaster. The only disaster is the old cranky people that won't stop complaining about them on Next Door. Relax and go for a ride.

And YES they are an alternative mode of transportation. I have ridden them over to Del Ray and plenty of people ride them to the metro.

And FFS stop saying you "almost got hit" by one.

Nope, they are are a nightmare. I counted 25 of them by the King Street metro the other day, piled up on top of one another all over the sidewalk. I saw several on the Parkway bike path south of OT this weekend (what were they even doing there). I never, ever see a kid wearing a helmet on one. In a placed that regulates store signage, paint colors, political sign placements, I cannot understand why the city is so lax on these scooters. I wonder what the kickback is.

When you rode your scooter over to Del Ray, where did you leave it? How long do you think it just laid there until it was picked up, or did you even care?

You don't have to wear a helmet. I left it on the corner, as far to the curb as I could, as you are supposed to. And no, I didn't care how long it was until it was picked up. I walk around all the time and I don't see them as an eye sore, I see them as change.

DP. The point is that you SHOULD be. But then again, I can see why you don't think it necessary to protect your brain.

By that logic you SHOULDN’T be driving a car. It’s very risky to yourself, others, our infrastructure, and the environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg you are going to be so surprised when you learn how bad cars are for health, safety, the environment, and more.

I bet you’ll be super ranty about that because I’m sure you’re not hypocritical at all.

But drivers of cars follow the law (for the most part, you know what I mean) - they stay in their lanes, they don't go the wrong way down a one-way street, they don't park in randomly created spaces that block entry/egress, they stop at lights and stop signs, and the drivers are licensed and have had training before drivers are allowed on the streets.

[Anonymous]

lol at thinking scooters are good for the environment. The people that charge and stage them drive around in big trucks - you've never seen them get picked up?! The things also often get littered in streams and rivers, left wherever, discarded like litter and not picked up if in difficult places.

The best thing you can do for the environment, is walk. Then bike.