Enjoy your Labouring Day weekend!
See youse next week,
XOXO,
--Tan Tenovo
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"The Greatest Cycling Manual Ever Written"--Eben Weiss, author of "Bike Snob"
About Me
- BikeSnobNYC
- While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!
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25 comments:
Undeserving Podium
Snuck that one in,eh?
Throwback Scranus
Scooters are the gateway drug of motorized transport, whats next dirtbikes?!?! I expect gangs will start using these for drive by shootings and getaway vehicles.
Figuratively scootering into Friday afternoon here at the desk with computer screens...…
I'm not adverse to the small wheeled devices, especially if they reduce the four wheeled beasts.
Bon Jour de Travail 'a tous!
Clever boi...sneaked one in on us! Have a great weekend, everyone, and cycle safe!
"If anything, it made me happy to see other people having fun, which was a clear sign that I’d been in Portland too long."
That line made me happy. We live longer when we're happy, don't we?
First, $275 for a backpack cooler?
Second, we have the "scurge" of the eScooters here in the land where the nation's finest bullshit artists play with your tax $. I have yet to try one, but I caught up to a coworker on one in the bikey-lane the other morning. And I moved one out of the middle of a sidewalk this morning ('twas heavier than I expected). And I regularly find them abandoned along various paths and trailways.
Third, it looks like San Fran is letting two companies bring them back, but San Francisco seems like the wrong terrain for the little motors.
QUESTIONS:
a. Are there any noticeable differences between the different companies' versions?
b. Is there a battery charge level indicator? (guessing no, which leads to the abandoned scooters along the trailways)
c. You didn't wear a helment?!?
Ride safe all!
And if your dog asks if he can invite his friends over to go scooting, ask for clarification.
I do see them abandoned in strange places in the DC metro, much like dockless bikeshares, but I think that's a function of people, not of the scooters themselves. Of course, can't separate one from the other, but I guess I'm saying they'll likely work better in some cities than others. There's a reason automobile insurance companies have declared DC and Baltimore the worst, and it's not the cars themselves.
I have a question about scooters. I have not ridden one. They go 15 mph, and you are standing up like a meerkat, as you say. Intuitively I feel like this is not a good situation if you want to stop quickly. On a bike, you are lower, with a long wheelbase, and you can shift your weight backwards to get the most traction out of both wheels. There isn't really a question of going forward over the bars unless you do something weird like stand up on the pedals, lean forward, and only use the front brake. On the scooter, I would think you could easily tumble forward, or, as you experienced, have the back come around on you (which you were able to control because you are awesome.) In a panic-braking situation at 15 mph, could you step off the thing and run it out? Or would you be unable to keep up with your own momentum at that speed? What you do think a flat-out panic-brake would look like?
Scott B.,
Tough to say on the panic braking since it's been a couple weeks now. All I can tell you is that, while they obviously aren't as inherently stable as a bike, it really wasn't a concern in normal use. Also, while they lack the wheelbase, etc. of a bike, they also don't fall over, etc. I suspect an inept person on a scooter would fare better than an inept person on a bike in the event of a collision since they're in a standing position. Bottom line is they ain't bikes--which is a good thing. They will fill a need for a lot of people who need to cover short distances (+/- a mile) and might not otherwise get on a bike.
--Tan Tenovo
Having to swipe a license to rent an electric scooter is silly. I would like to see a mandatory license swipe to operate a car/SUV/pickmeup
I got a little chuckle from the Daily News article: "Gastel said the e-scooters are illegal under state law". ANY motorized thing that can't be registered as a car, motorcycle, or limited use motorcycle (ANY ebike, scooter, hoverboard, whatever) is illegal to operate on roads under NYS law. That's why NYBC wants to revise the law to exempt pedal-assist ebikes. Conversely, NYC has a law specifically targeting scooters (because why use an existing law when you can write another redundant one?) which are defined as something that goes without you pedaling it. This law dates from the early 2000's when electric scooters just like the ones in Portland became briefly popular. It is now the law used against those non-pedal-assist ebikes popular with food delivery folks (but an electric motor you operate with your feet instead of your thumb is ok). So apparently it's: scooters that people buy and ride around = bad, scooters that people rent from large companies and ride around = good. Now I understand.
I actually bought an electric scooter to ride the 1/2 mile between my office and the Tesla charging station. It fits nicely into the trunk.
I am self-conscious about riding it, but whenever I pass the local performing arts high school on it while in my business suit and tie, I invariably receive max props from the students.
Another top tan tenavo column.
Yeah, but do they float?
Otherwise, they're gonna have to dredge the Yarra once a week.
My only opposition to dockless rent scooters is I think they compete with dockless rent bicycles which I make use of. But I'd take more support for non-car infrastructure over dockless rent bikes any day. Great article.
Whatever happened to real company names? Lime, Bird? How about The Atlantic and Pacific Scooter Works Corporation, Ltd.
For some input on just how popular e-scooters are, go on IG and check out #birdgraveyard and @scootersbehavingbadly
recent cycling death with no charges in South Carolina. Doesn’t apply to this thread but wanted to publicize.
https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article217735890.html
If anyone else is in the market for new clip-in elevator shoes, Pearl Izoomi's spd's for specialty conveyance are really comfortable and give you outstanding purchase and allow you to ride hands free which is great for us germophobes.
Hopefully they roll out something similar for those that want to take their scootering to a truly radical level. I hear the scooter companies are in talks to adopt one standard so we dont wind up with a shimano/Look style compatibility issue.
Snob, as much as I enjoy poking fun at the gluten thing, it truly does make me rather sad that anyone would have to live a life where they go to a place called Delicious Donuts, which i assume serves pretty darn good donuts, and not be able to eat a Delicious Donut.
"We offer vegan cake donuts (Wed-Sat only) but currently do not have any gluten-free options."
http://www.deliciousdonutspdx.com/delicious-donuts-faq/
Here in the land of California sunshine, and forest fires, the scooter craz is in full bloom. The rental bicycles seem to have all magically disappeared into the La Brea Tar Pits. The only people left riding rental bicycles seem to be the homeless, whom I guess are really tech billionares gone Bohemian. I'd guess scooters are ruling because there's no work involved, why use your leg muscles when a battery can do the work for you. No shortage of people complaining about scooters, their new, so are automatically considered as dangerous as Obama Care. Of course no one seems to complain about drivers running stop signs (it even has a nickname, a California Roll Through) and predestrians crossing against the walk, don't walk indicator, lots of them staring at their cell phones.
Just spent a month in San Antonio, staying downtown. Lots of Bird and Lime scooters all over downtown. I think at least half of the riders were riding scooters on the sidewalks. The really crazy ones were riding scooters on the RiverWalk. And plenty of tourists letting their under age 18 kids ride the scooters. I think the scooters are a great idea for going short distances. But 12 to 15 mph speeds and crowded with pedestrians sidewalks are a bad combination.
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