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I don't think the docked approach works well either, because the heavyweight docks are never close enough to where you want them to be. It's really just a park

I don't think the docked approach works well either, because the heavyweight docks are never close enough to where you want them to be. It's really just a parking problem. We don't want another cable company / taxis v2 and 'pick' a winner with horrible service. You mandate that these things need to be locked to something and most of the problem resolves itself. Businesses that want it to be easier to shop where they are will install bike racks. The city will fund new bike racks with scooter permits. You could even allow scooter companies to install and pay for new bike racks themselves as they probably understand demand dynamics far better than random cities. If the scooter companies install the racks, you just have to say they can be used by everyone and are owned by the city. We don't need heavy duty docking systems that are exclusionary to one docking company. A simple cheap metal bike rack that everyone can use will be plenty enough and more economically efficient. You can also detect if the renter rider puts the scooter in the right area or if someone is screwing with the scooters after the fact with accelerometers. You could even detect if they are in a tipped over state or not.

DrScump 8y ago
You can also detect if... someone is screwing with the scooters after the fact with accelerometers How does that help you? You can't do anything about it.
- woolvalley 8y ago
  It's how you attribute parking tickets. If you can tell the renter did the action, then you can pass the ticket to them, which incentives them to keep it upright. It also lets you put them back up with workers: https://www.limebike.com/blog/new-tech-helping-lime-keep-bikes-electric-scooters-upright https://www.limebike.com/blog/new-tech-helping-lime-keep-bik... Also by locking the devices the likelihood of them falling or being in the way is low.
  - DrScump 8y ago
    If you can tell the renter did the action But you can't, without onboard video, anyway. Anybody wanting to steal or vandalize a scooter won't do so on one for which they are (or just were) an active renter. by locking the devices the likelihood of them falling or being in the way is low I don't get that at all. All locking does is prevents unpaid usage as a scooter; it doesn't prevent theft, vandalism, or bad acts with it (e.g. piling a bunch of them in the CEO's driveway as a protest).
    - woolvalley 8y ago
      But why as a renter would you want to only vandalize / steal the scooter that you just used, vs just stealing / vandalizing the hundreds of other scooters out there? It lets the companies collect statistics on who is more likely the doing the bad behavior, careless customers or random assholes? The biggest complaint with these scooters is they are in the middle of the right of the public right of way and laying down on the street in an inefficient manner. If they are locked to something, they would be outside of the right of way since lock points tend to be on the edges of sidewalks. If you put the lock on the correct point on the scooter, it will be fairly difficult to knock them over, vs the light tap you need today. Locking also reduces the instances of impulsive bad acts, since now you need some sort of specialized power machinery to remove the items. And barriers to impulsiveness is a big factor in reducing crime. Did you know for example crime tends to happen more at the bottom of a hill vs the top of a hill? Because people don't want to walk up hills because it's extra effort. On top of that, nobody has been complaining about personal bike ownership, which today follows a model of being locked to things. JUMP bikes in SF for example follows this model, has been around before the scooter boom. I haven't heard a single complaint about them other than positive complaints such as 'why aren't there more?', and 'why are they restricted to an area?' The scooters on the other hand have had a bunch of negative complaints.

DrScump 8y ago

You can also detect if... someone is screwing with the scooters after the fact with accelerometers How does that help you? You can't do anything about it.

woolvalley 8y ago
It's how you attribute parking tickets. If you can tell the renter did the action, then you can pass the ticket to them, which incentives them to keep it upright. It also lets you put them back up with workers: https://www.limebike.com/blog/new-tech-helping-lime-keep-bikes-electric-scooters-upright https://www.limebike.com/blog/new-tech-helping-lime-keep-bik... Also by locking the devices the likelihood of them falling or being in the way is low.
- DrScump 8y ago
  If you can tell the renter did the action But you can't, without onboard video, anyway. Anybody wanting to steal or vandalize a scooter won't do so on one for which they are (or just were) an active renter. by locking the devices the likelihood of them falling or being in the way is low I don't get that at all. All locking does is prevents unpaid usage as a scooter; it doesn't prevent theft, vandalism, or bad acts with it (e.g. piling a bunch of them in the CEO's driveway as a protest).
  - woolvalley 8y ago
    But why as a renter would you want to only vandalize / steal the scooter that you just used, vs just stealing / vandalizing the hundreds of other scooters out there? It lets the companies collect statistics on who is more likely the doing the bad behavior, careless customers or random assholes? The biggest complaint with these scooters is they are in the middle of the right of the public right of way and laying down on the street in an inefficient manner. If they are locked to something, they would be outside of the right of way since lock points tend to be on the edges of sidewalks. If you put the lock on the correct point on the scooter, it will be fairly difficult to knock them over, vs the light tap you need today. Locking also reduces the instances of impulsive bad acts, since now you need some sort of specialized power machinery to remove the items. And barriers to impulsiveness is a big factor in reducing crime. Did you know for example crime tends to happen more at the bottom of a hill vs the top of a hill? Because people don't want to walk up hills because it's extra effort. On top of that, nobody has been complaining about personal bike ownership, which today follows a model of being locked to things. JUMP bikes in SF for example follows this model, has been around before the scooter boom. I haven't heard a single complaint about them other than positive complaints such as 'why aren't there more?', and 'why are they restricted to an area?' The scooters on the other hand have had a bunch of negative complaints.