Just a few weeks ago-swear to God this literally happened like overnight-I’m walking my dog in the morning and suddenly I notice all of these bright and shiny new scooters perched near our normal walking route. Intrigued, I take a closer peek.
The signage informs me that I could unlock the scooter and ride it for only a dollar or so, but another sticker warns me that I need a helmet and can’t ride it on the sidewalk. This, of course, is laughable now. Because ever since the Scooter Occupation of 2018 (that’s the official name, did you know?!), it would seem that 0% of people riding these things actually adhere to either of the rules.
Now, I was intrigued initially. And I definitely think it’s a cool concept still. I could see how something like this could be a godsend if you’re just looking to crush that last mile. But there are some practical issues at hand here-the first being that Los Angeles is woefully devoid of bike lanes. Meaning that people ARE using the sidewalk and almost running over pedestrians.
Then there’s the vandalism issue, which came into full relief today when I saw a Lime scooter just casually sitting in a trash can while on my walk to get coffee. Trying to be a Good Samaritan, I emailed the company with its location.
But then later on this evening
So I guess this story and accompanying pictures are just my super long way of asking-are these companies making any money?! Because it seems like the scooters are a target for vagabonds and drunkards. Not judging either group-just making an observation. Maybe the scooters get really obnoxious and loud after midnight and they deserve the abuse. Who knows? So, anyhoo, how can this be profitable at like a dollar a ride?!