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Some of the data they’re citing is clearly going to be misleading. I was clipped, buzzed, and hit by numerous escooters while living in central LA last year. I

Some of the data they’re citing is clearly going to be misleading. I was clipped, buzzed, and hit by numerous escooters while living in central LA last year. In each of those situations, I didn’t report it because they have no discernible license plate for identification, and the rider typically just zooms off at a high rate of speed. The one time I reported rider(s) to the company was when a hoard of underaged kids decided it would be funny to throw elbows at a guy (me) carrying groceries home while they blew past. Last summer, I was training my puppy to walk on leash. She’s an off the charts brave and confident dog, but she’s no match for the scooters. After getting nearly hit half a dozen times, if she sees a scooter coming towards us, she drafts in behind me out of fear and concern. I get why we want these scooters, but I think the statistics undervalue / don’t account for the general nuisance level behavior they can create for regular pedestrians, which don’t reach the threshold of injury or death.

tonyedgecombe 7y ago
Honestly, that all sounds rather exaggerated.
woah 7y ago
I’ve never ridden a scooter but I ride a bike a fair amount. If a street is unsafe to ride on, I will ride on the sidewalk. A collision between a bike/scooter and a pedestrian is much less likely and much less dangerous than one between a bike/scooter and a car. You’re complaining about someone going past you at 10mph who could bruise you if there was a collision. If they did what you wanted and rode on the streets they would have many more cars going by them at 30mph that would kill them instantly if there was a collision. You are demanding that people risk their lives on unsafe infrastructure just because you’re cranky and entitled. EDIT: fixing the infrastructure is also really easy: replace street parking with bike lanes. You demand that people risk their lives to give you free storage for your car and not startle your dog. It’s amazingly self centered.
- tdeck 7y ago
  The safety situation sucks, but that's not really OP's problem: the sidewalk is for walking. I don't feel safe riding my bike in the street either, so I don't ride my bike in the city. What I don't do is decide that it's OK to put pedestrians in danger and break the law by biking on the sidewalk, because that would be amazingly self-centered.
  - ElFitz 7y ago
    Definitely agree. Otherwise, why shouldn't drive their car or motorbike on the sidewalk whenever they feel the street isn't safe enough? Sidewalks are for walking.
- yumraj 7y ago
  >You are demanding that people risk their lives on unsafe infrastructure just because you’re cranky and entitled. No, it seems that you are cranky and entitled. If you're biking or riding an escooter, you're partaking in an activity and should adopt all the risk that comes with it. Why should a pedestrian, for whom the sidewalks are intended, take any of the risk or suffer injury/consequences because of your a-hole behavior.
- Fins 7y ago
  So basically, because an activity you voluntarily engage in might be dangerous to you, you see no problem endangering other people who never signed up for sharing the sidewalk with metal contraptions flying by at a high rate of speed. Sorry, zero sympathy for you here, and especially for your pretension that anyone other than you is acting entitled.
- dang 7y ago
  Personal attacks are not allowed on HN. Please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and don't post like this here.
clairity 7y ago
bad behavior isn't a function of mode of transportation. i live in central LA, but never been hit by a scooter yet have been hit by a car. i recently had to yell at some teens who were being bad while on foot. so why single out scooters?
- wjossey 7y ago
  > so why single out scooters? Because I've lived in major cities (Boston & LA) for the past nine years, and have never had any concerns about my safety on sidewalks until scooters came around (and to a lesser extent dockless bike riders). Seems like the root cause to me.
  - nojvek 7y ago
    Basically if something can go faster than running speed, it should not be allowed on sidewalks. Go use the goddamn road. If something goes faster than a bicycle. It needs a license plate.

tonyedgecombe 7y ago

Honestly, that all sounds rather exaggerated.

woah 7y ago

I’ve never ridden a scooter but I ride a bike a fair amount. If a street is unsafe to ride on, I will ride on the sidewalk. A collision between a bike/scooter and a pedestrian is much less likely and much less dangerous than one between a bike/scooter and a car. You’re complaining about someone going past you at 10mph who could bruise you if there was a collision. If they did what you wanted and rode on the streets they would have many more cars going by them at 30mph that would kill them instantly if there was a collision. You are demanding that people risk their lives on unsafe infrastructure just because you’re cranky and entitled. EDIT: fixing the infrastructure is also really easy: replace street parking with bike lanes. You demand that people risk their lives to give you free storage for your car and not startle your dog. It’s amazingly self centered.

tdeck 7y ago
The safety situation sucks, but that's not really OP's problem: the sidewalk is for walking. I don't feel safe riding my bike in the street either, so I don't ride my bike in the city. What I don't do is decide that it's OK to put pedestrians in danger and break the law by biking on the sidewalk, because that would be amazingly self-centered.
- ElFitz 7y ago
  Definitely agree. Otherwise, why shouldn't drive their car or motorbike on the sidewalk whenever they feel the street isn't safe enough? Sidewalks are for walking.
yumraj 7y ago
>You are demanding that people risk their lives on unsafe infrastructure just because you’re cranky and entitled. No, it seems that you are cranky and entitled. If you're biking or riding an escooter, you're partaking in an activity and should adopt all the risk that comes with it. Why should a pedestrian, for whom the sidewalks are intended, take any of the risk or suffer injury/consequences because of your a-hole behavior.
Fins 7y ago
So basically, because an activity you voluntarily engage in might be dangerous to you, you see no problem endangering other people who never signed up for sharing the sidewalk with metal contraptions flying by at a high rate of speed. Sorry, zero sympathy for you here, and especially for your pretension that anyone other than you is acting entitled.
dang 7y ago
Personal attacks are not allowed on HN. Please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and don't post like this here.

clairity 7y ago

bad behavior isn't a function of mode of transportation. i live in central LA, but never been hit by a scooter yet have been hit by a car. i recently had to yell at some teens who were being bad while on foot. so why single out scooters?

wjossey 7y ago
> so why single out scooters? Because I've lived in major cities (Boston & LA) for the past nine years, and have never had any concerns about my safety on sidewalks until scooters came around (and to a lesser extent dockless bike riders). Seems like the root cause to me.
- nojvek 7y ago
  Basically if something can go faster than running speed, it should not be allowed on sidewalks. Go use the goddamn road. If something goes faster than a bicycle. It needs a license plate.