3 ms·

E-Scooters Are Everywhere in Europe

8 points by jay_kyburz 5y ago

timonoko 5y ago
Problem is that left-green governments refuse to implement the law. In most EU-countries there are age-related speed limits. So the proper way for the rental system to operate is to limit the speed to 12-15 km/h -- or check the age and eligibility of the driver everytime.
jay_kyburz 5y ago
I posted this because I ride an eScooter work every day and love it. The article focused on the rental market and teething problems. I'd be interested to hear from anybody else who has tried an eScooter and considered one for their daily commute.
- spurgu 5y ago
  Yeah my first thoughts as well. I had an electric kickbike in the last country I lived in and it was insanely convenient. The rental ones support people dumping them anywhere/everywhere and have a bunch of people not used to handling them, which causes a bad reputation for actual owners who behave responsibly.
- ok_dad 5y ago
  I bought and used a scooter for a week, and on that Friday someone walked in front of me (in the street), causing me to try to avoid them and crash headfirst into a bus and minorly breaking my back. I went to the ER by ambulance. That was like 3 years ago, and I'm still having pain in my back. It was great for commuting, but the risk was too great for me to continue, personally. Good luck and stay safe!
johnwalkr 5y ago
There’s a trial of e-scooters in Tokyo. They have strict rules: max speed is governed to 15km/h, they can go anywhere bicycles can go, not on sidewalks, and can only be parked at private businesses that host parking spots. You also need a drivers license and pass a short test about the rules to make an account on the app. This seems to work pretty well and they aren’t strewn all over the place. There’s 2 things about Tokyo that make it work, I think: 1. Most streets are already mixed use and don’t have sidewalks. Pedestrians, cyclists and cars already share the streets well. Larger streets with sidewalks usually have a bike lane as well. Adding scooters is not so disruptive. 2. Car and usually bike parking is paid, and only in designated areas. So it’s not a big inconvenience to have scooter parking in designated areas. Actually they are much more convenient as there are far more of them.
mrkramer 5y ago
And I hate it.

8 points by jay_kyburz 5y ago

Problem is that left-green governments refuse to implement the law. In most EU-countries there are age-related speed limits. So the proper way for the rental system to operate is to limit the speed to 12-15 km/h -- or check the age and eligibility of the driver everytime.

jay_kyburz 5y ago

I posted this because I ride an eScooter work every day and love it. The article focused on the rental market and teething problems. I'd be interested to hear from anybody else who has tried an eScooter and considered one for their daily commute.

spurgu 5y ago
Yeah my first thoughts as well. I had an electric kickbike in the last country I lived in and it was insanely convenient. The rental ones support people dumping them anywhere/everywhere and have a bunch of people not used to handling them, which causes a bad reputation for actual owners who behave responsibly.
ok_dad 5y ago
I bought and used a scooter for a week, and on that Friday someone walked in front of me (in the street), causing me to try to avoid them and crash headfirst into a bus and minorly breaking my back. I went to the ER by ambulance. That was like 3 years ago, and I'm still having pain in my back. It was great for commuting, but the risk was too great for me to continue, personally. Good luck and stay safe!

johnwalkr 5y ago

There’s a trial of e-scooters in Tokyo. They have strict rules: max speed is governed to 15km/h, they can go anywhere bicycles can go, not on sidewalks, and can only be parked at private businesses that host parking spots. You also need a drivers license and pass a short test about the rules to make an account on the app. This seems to work pretty well and they aren’t strewn all over the place. There’s 2 things about Tokyo that make it work, I think: 1. Most streets are already mixed use and don’t have sidewalks. Pedestrians, cyclists and cars already share the streets well. Larger streets with sidewalks usually have a bike lane as well. Adding scooters is not so disruptive. 2. Car and usually bike parking is paid, and only in designated areas. So it’s not a big inconvenience to have scooter parking in designated areas. Actually they are much more convenient as there are far more of them.

mrkramer 5y ago

And I hate it.