New Technology

[bsm2]

Does Your City have them? Scooters? Have you used them?

City of Tampa is adding 2,000 scooters starting this month with 4 different companies

[Phil B.]

Re: New Technology

Does Your City have them? Scooters? Have you used them?

City of Tampa is adding 2,000 scooters starting this month with 4 different companies

we have some here in Raleigh.... two different vendors.....

the "Star" scooters are pretty fast and for 2 hrs the battery lasts a long time...

the other one (don't know maker) are S L O W and battery life sucks (they even have solar charging cells built in)

makes a fun travel day seeing the different landmarks around the city.

TWO problems I foresee ...
1) People drive them on the sidewalks ( even tho illegal )
2) People don't follow the "rules of the road". **We had one young lady 20ish** that ran a red light into on coming traffic... she was struck..suffered injuries.. went to court to sue the driver of the car... case thrown out and she had to pay her own ATTORNEY.. the other drivers court costs .. had to pay her medical bills.... serve 20hrs CS and had to take a "driving safety course" all because she didn't think she had to observe there "rules of the road"!

Live n learn.

P.S. really cool travel after dark.. cooler temps.. buildings all lit up and little traffic to contend with

[Kingnote]

Re: New Technology

I'm in St Paul, MN and they took our city by storm a year back. After some people complained, they were removed for a while, but they are back in service now.

Super handy to get around in the city.

[Tom]

Re: New Technology

I would have laughed at all the old fat people that were too lazy to walk 20-30 years ago, now that I'm old and fat I'd be the first one on them. Let the young'uns yuck it up all they want as long as they get out of my way.

[Lagonda]

Re: New Technology

Arrived here in Bris 6 months ago and someone has managed to fall off and kill himself. Council doesn't like them and will fine you for riding them where you shouldn't and the cops will fine you for riding without a helmet.
As far as I'm concerned, just a passing trendy fad that will disappear in a year.

[guitar9199]

Re: New Technology

We have something like 5 different scooter companies here in Nashville... Bird, Lyft, Uber and a couple of others. We've already had our first fatality on them, and people are quite fed up with them.

They kicked back a BUNCH of $$ to the city to get them in here in the first place...now the city is thinking it might not be worth it!

...The fatality?? Guy was driving on the sidewalk (illegal) and darted out between 2 parked cars and got smacked by an SUV.

Maybe they should charge a "Stupid Tax" for riding them??

[NeoMatrix]

Re: New Technology

Maybe they should charge a "Stupid Tax" for riding them??

Re. Wally Tax vs Natural selection.
No no, no wally-tax ,bad idea.
A wally-tax would generate a consensus that wally's are not allowed to ride them.

Re. Darwin Awards.
Nature has a way of removing the low end of the intellectual gene pool,
so they can not procreate more of the same.

A wally-tax might inhibit natural selection...

[Lance15]

Re: New Technology

I'm in Baltimore and we (they) have the Bird, SPIN, Jump scooters. I'm sure they've been hacked and stolen. I bet they just put new ones out when it happens. Never ridden one. Don't work in the city. Just see them sitting/laying all around when I DRIVE around the city.

[Phil B.]

Re: New Technology

Arrived here in Bris 6 months ago and someone has managed to fall off and kill himself. Council doesn't like them and will fine you for riding them where you shouldn't and the cops will fine you for riding without a helmet.
As far as I'm concerned, just a passing trendy fad that will disappear in a year.

We require helmets for 100cc scooters..not 50cc ( son rides one but he DOES have one ) electric? What 7mph maybe 10? Not required.. esp on coin/cc/PayPal payments.
We spent a few hours here downtown Raleigh..kept plugging time in @ parking meters..got about 7/10miles from start..stop n go ..telling the others about the buildings..gardens/parks.
All in all a pretty cool time.

We also have 'Segways' in down town.
But the 'rush mail' between court house and law firms scarf them up pretty quick in AM..Can't rent them at nite.. For me..I prefer one wheel behind the other!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[jonhiker]

Re: New Technology

There was a pilot program last summer. Quite a few folks think they are a pain, but that is more to the riders. They are back, again.

Yes, people ride on the sidewalks and without helmets, etc, no matter how well they are informed.

I work downtown and as long as they stay off the sidewalk where I am walking with my toolbag and stuff, that is fine by me.

[NeoMatrix]

Re: New Technology

Re. Compulsory Bike helmets.
If my information is correct. Here in Australia there is talk from government of removing the compulsory wearing of bicycle helmets while riding a bike. The ongoing theft of school children's bike helmets and/or cost in fines from arrogant teens for not wearing their stolen bike helmet is non-manageable extra burden and cost passed onto the parents.

There is low statistical evidence that a polystyrene foam Cap, protecting only the top 15% of the bike riders head, provides any further safety or crash protection. If the bike helmet were the equivalent of a full face fibreglass motorcycle helmet, than the helmet protective issue argument might stand.
IMHO, I cannot see how the equivalent of a beer cooler(polystyrene foam) sitting atop of some ones crown can fully protect any person. If a vehicle accidentally knocks over a person on bicycle, there is little to no protection from a single piece of material covered polystyrene foam.

All my children grew up using bicycle helmets, with equal knocks an bruises while using them.

I will however,forever defend the use of compulsory motorcycle helmets. I have had many to-close-to-call incidences while wearing a motorcycle helmet.

As an avid regular bicycle rider...
My 5 cents worth....

[bsm2]

Re: New Technology

[guitar9199]

Re: New Technology

Re. Wally Tax vs Natural selection.
No no, no wally-tax ,bad idea.
A wally-tax would generate a consensus that wally's are not allowed to ride them.

Re. Darwin Awards.
Nature has a way of removing the low end of the intellectual gene pool,
so they can not procreate more of the same.

A wally-tax might inhibit natural selection...

Product "Warning labels" are already inhibiting Darwin's theory. They keep stupid people alive long enough to breed, and vote!

[Copier Addict]

Re: New Technology

Re. Compulsory Bike helmets.
If my information is correct. Here in Australia there is talk from government of removing the compulsory wearing of bicycle helmets while riding a bike. The ongoing theft of school children's bike helmets and/or cost in fines from arrogant teens for not wearing their stolen bike helmet is non-manageable extra burden and cost passed onto the parents.

There is low statistical evidence that a polystyrene foam Cap, protecting only the top 15% of the bike riders head, provides any further safety or crash protection. If the bike helmet were the equivalent of a full face fibreglass motorcycle helmet, than the helmet protective issue argument might stand.
IMHO, I cannot see how the equivalent of a beer cooler(polystyrene foam) sitting atop of some ones crown can fully protect any person. If a vehicle accidentally knocks over a person on bicycle, there is little to no protection from a single piece of material covered polystyrene foam.

All my children grew up using bicycle helmets, with equal knocks an bruises while using them.

I will however,forever defend the use of compulsory motorcycle helmets. I have had many to-close-to-call incidences while wearing a motorcycle helmet.

As an avid regular bicycle rider...
My 5 cents worth....

I have read several studies on bike helmet safety and none of the were below 48% fewer serious head injuries. Meaning riders are at least 48% less likely to suffer a serious head injury while wearing a helmet, compared to not wearing a helmet. Seems fairly substantial to me.