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Washington, DC doesn't seem like a great sample city from my experience. I don't have any empirical data but travel quite a bit and the density of scooter deplo

Washington, DC doesn't seem like a great sample city from my experience. I don't have any empirical data but travel quite a bit and the density of scooter deployment in DC is significantly less than in cities such as Austin, TX. This is based exclusively on my ability to find / use these scooters and the density I've seen on the maps they provide. I suspect there will also be cultural elements to each region they're deployed in that will have a significant impact on injuries (New Jersey drivers/scootees are wildly more aggressive than Minnesotan drivers/scootees). Once again this is all anecdotal but trying to infer anything from one city is likely going to be just as flawed for any meaningful conclusion.

jmull 7y ago
> Once again this is all anecdotal but trying to infer anything from one city is likely going to be just as flawed for any meaningful conclusion. Well, DC-based data is quite relevant to DC. You're providing reasons to do similar work in other areas, not reasons to dismiss this work.
- TrueDuality 7y ago
  The article is attempting to infer general safety data from a single intersection in Washingtion, DC. In that context I hold by my statement. Even for Washington, DC in general it likely isn't representative.
_jal 7y ago
I think this is true, also based on my own (different) experience. I both live and work in SOMA, SF, which as far as I can tell was one of the worst ground-zeros when they started shoveling these things on the sidewalks. The situation is far better than it was at first, but my experience as a pedestrian around them is still pretty negative. Some of the Moscone Center (which I walk past daily) conference-goers seem to treat them as a sort of entertainment thing and can be entitled pricks (it is always men) to deal with - I must admit I've become a bit of a grumpy local at the worst of them. I personally really don't care if ever choose to come back to my city - if you're too incompetent, drunk or whatever your problem is to avoid running in to stationary pedestrians, get off the damn thing. But I realize the problem is not nearly so bad elsewhere.

jmull 7y ago

> Once again this is all anecdotal but trying to infer anything from one city is likely going to be just as flawed for any meaningful conclusion. Well, DC-based data is quite relevant to DC. You're providing reasons to do similar work in other areas, not reasons to dismiss this work.

TrueDuality 7y ago
The article is attempting to infer general safety data from a single intersection in Washingtion, DC. In that context I hold by my statement. Even for Washington, DC in general it likely isn't representative.

_jal 7y ago

I think this is true, also based on my own (different) experience. I both live and work in SOMA, SF, which as far as I can tell was one of the worst ground-zeros when they started shoveling these things on the sidewalks. The situation is far better than it was at first, but my experience as a pedestrian around them is still pretty negative. Some of the Moscone Center (which I walk past daily) conference-goers seem to treat them as a sort of entertainment thing and can be entitled pricks (it is always men) to deal with - I must admit I've become a bit of a grumpy local at the worst of them. I personally really don't care if ever choose to come back to my city - if you're too incompetent, drunk or whatever your problem is to avoid running in to stationary pedestrians, get off the damn thing. But I realize the problem is not nearly so bad elsewhere.