3 ms·

I think there will still be some niches where scooters make sense. I live in an area adjacent to downtown but not extremely dense (mostly 3-4 story rowhouses).

I think there will still be some niches where scooters make sense. I live in an area adjacent to downtown but not extremely dense (mostly 3-4 story rowhouses). traffic moves slowly because the streets are very narrow and there's never quite enough people on scooters to clog anything. I find scooters are great for going out to pickup takeout. there's also a nice walk I like to take along the waterfront. I usually take a scooter to the beginning of the path (about ten minutes), then walk back in the direction of my apartment. I also live in a rather large building, so there's always a couple scooters sitting by the entrance. once you actually get into downtown there are just too many people for scooters to work well.

goobynight 7y ago
I'll opt to ride in the street more often in a downtown area, since traffic is typically slow anyways. At minimum, I'll try to hit up the bike lane. It does help that my scooter can accelerate up to 20-30mph easily though.
- leetcrew 7y ago
  that makes sense. I prefer renting for various reasons. unfortunately this means I ride scooters with an (optimistic) top speed of 15 mph. no way I'm going to try and ride on a four-lane, 30 mph road on one of those things.
usrusr 7y ago
> I find scooters are great for going out to pickup takeout. Bikes (electric if you insist) would still win though, because in a pinch they can easily be operated with one hand holding stuff. Hand + ass gives noticeably less control than hand + hand + ass, but still much better than hand + hand sans ass. Simple physics actually, the contact points are farther apart and positioned better relative to the center of mass. And with all the luggability advantage of nonelectric scooters relative to bikes lost to weight, the only remaining advantage of electric scooters is packing density. Admittedly am extremely valuable advantage when it comes to the logistics of electric dockless. (Re-reading what I wrote I wonder if I'm involuntarily advocating for a skateboard as your vehicle for the takeout run)
- leetcrew 7y ago
  idk why but I pick the scooter every time for short takeout runs, despite bikes being available also. it might come down to my riding style. I never "take the lane" riding in traffic. if I hear a car behind me, I just pull off to the side between some parked cars and let them pass. this move feels a lot more awkward on a bike. or maybe it's just an irrational choice, but in the end I prefer the scooters! ps: I always take a backpack with me to pick up my order, so the whole hand/ass calculus doesn't really come into play :)

goobynight 7y ago

I'll opt to ride in the street more often in a downtown area, since traffic is typically slow anyways. At minimum, I'll try to hit up the bike lane. It does help that my scooter can accelerate up to 20-30mph easily though.

leetcrew 7y ago
that makes sense. I prefer renting for various reasons. unfortunately this means I ride scooters with an (optimistic) top speed of 15 mph. no way I'm going to try and ride on a four-lane, 30 mph road on one of those things.

usrusr 7y ago

> I find scooters are great for going out to pickup takeout. Bikes (electric if you insist) would still win though, because in a pinch they can easily be operated with one hand holding stuff. Hand + ass gives noticeably less control than hand + hand + ass, but still much better than hand + hand sans ass. Simple physics actually, the contact points are farther apart and positioned better relative to the center of mass. And with all the luggability advantage of nonelectric scooters relative to bikes lost to weight, the only remaining advantage of electric scooters is packing density. Admittedly am extremely valuable advantage when it comes to the logistics of electric dockless. (Re-reading what I wrote I wonder if I'm involuntarily advocating for a skateboard as your vehicle for the takeout run)

leetcrew 7y ago
idk why but I pick the scooter every time for short takeout runs, despite bikes being available also. it might come down to my riding style. I never "take the lane" riding in traffic. if I hear a car behind me, I just pull off to the side between some parked cars and let them pass. this move feels a lot more awkward on a bike. or maybe it's just an irrational choice, but in the end I prefer the scooters! ps: I always take a backpack with me to pick up my order, so the whole hand/ass calculus doesn't really come into play :)