Lime electric bikes and scooters come to London - anyone had a scoot yet?

[xenon]

walking home tonight, I was trying to think what the collective noun for a group of these scooters might be. A nest? there’s a load near my flat. I guess it’s an official drop-off point. This is in Bristol. fortunately I have not encountered one being ridden on the pavement recently. but this may be because there is so much other shit on the payment it’s too difficult. Teenagers presumably without driving license, do seem to be able to get hold of them without too much bother. Two at a time sometimes three riding them.

 

[T & P]

walking home tonight, I was trying to think what the collective noun for a group of these scooters might be. A nest? there’s a load near my flat. I guess it’s an official drop-off point. This is in Bristol. fortunately I have not encountered one being ridden on the pavement recently. but this may be because there is so much other shit on the payment it’s too difficult. Teenagers presumably without driving license, do seem to be able to get hold of them without too much bother. Two at a time sometimes three riding them.

Electric scooter riders are in some ways more hazardous to themselves and other users around them than e-bikers by virtue of their reduced overall width that allows them to squeeze through narrow gaps on the inside of trucks and buses. But on the other hand they don’t seem to pose as much of a danger to pedestrians in their behaviour as e-bike riders. Perhaps because they can switch to pavements more seamlessly they’re not as obsessed with not stopping at even busy junctions under any circumstances, as a great many of e-bike riders seem hellbent on.

It is particularly ironic that of all cyclists, it is those on e-bikes who in London at least have become the most viciously opposed to the concept of stopping once during their journey if they can get away with it at all.

 

[maomao]

I am unclear as to what you are hinting at with your post, frankly. If it is to deflect any suggestions of wrongdoing from cyclists as a collective towards car drivers, it would certainly be an astonishingly poor effort. To anyone who has actually observed Lime riders in numbers in London, it is obvious that many of them aren't even old enough to own a driving licence, and a great many of those who looked over 18, still young and unlikely to own a car even if they had passed a driving test. One could further point out to the fact that every single Lime rider is de facto a pedestrian, so perhaps it's pedestrians who are the most problematic of all types of road users here.

One actual fact that would be hard to contest is that Lime cyclists are, er, cyclists. But that was not the intention of my post, and I fear you got red misted a bit too hastily here. It is undeniable, whether you like to hear it or not, that hire e-biker users in London have reach an unprecedented level of indescribably reckless behaviour that puts both them and pedestrians around them in previously unseen levels of risk. Not to mention massively increased risk of car drivers hitting them through no fault of their own, but hey, DEATH MACHINES so who gives a fuck about any of them. All of which is aided by TFL and the police not giving the first fucking fuck about any of them performing even the most mindblowingly stupid of law-breaking reckless actions.

Anyone genuinely interested in a better, safer environment for all road users should be the first ones to denounce any and all appalling road behaviour by any and all type of road users, instead of instigating tribalism and shouting 'but cars!' to anyone simply pointing out that some members of a given type of road user have been grown/ been allowed to behave like selfish fucking cunts with no consequences or even condemnation from the authorities.

Crikey, calm down. Anyway, they have motors, so they're motorbikes and their riders are motorcyclists.

 

[Hollis]

Problem with some e-scooter riders is by default they ride on pavements and then treat pedestrians as little obstacles to swerve around as close as possible. See it in my local high road all the time. Lime Bikes at least are a good idea badly implemented. I'm less sure about e-scooters.

 

[GarveyLives]

Problem with some e-scooter riders is by default they ride on pavements and then treat pedestrians as little obstacles to swerve around as close as possible. See it in my local high road all the time.

It may be best not to complain directly to the self-entitled to whom you refer ... for your own safety:

Sutton man, 73, attacked after ‘telling e-scooter rider he was riding illegally’

 

[editor]

Aside from wankers dumping bikes in the middle of pavement, I absolutely love using Lime Bikes.

There's a designated e-bike parking space right outside my front door, and I bloody love cycling home late at night rather than waiting for a night bus.

 

[spitfire]

Me too. Love them.

I sometimes move badly parked or knocked over bikes in a vain attempt to lessen the negative impact.

But I use them for work on a daily basis and can fly around town (sensibly). There are lots of dicks using them but I see so many regular cyclists shooting lights I don’t think they’re any worse than most.

The worst for me are the Deliveroo riders. Staring at their phones and never checking to see if anyone is behind them before randomly changing direction or stopping. They’re fucking dangerous.

 

[spitfire]

editor have you started using Ride Pass? Game changer, saves soooo much money.

 

[spitfire]

Just had a look at my app. Done some distance!

Ignore the scooter. I don’t use those. I’m not 12.

 

[editor]

editor have you started using Ride Pass? Game changer, saves soooo much money.

Yes, I have. Makes it really affordable for quick hops.

I haven't used a scooter yet but I seem to recall that the one time I tried to hire one it nagged me about submitting proof of age or something (or did I imagine this?).

 

[Gromit]

Yes, I have. Makes it really affordable for quick hops.

I haven't used a scooter yet but I seem to recall that the one time I tried to hire one it nagged me about submitting proof of age or something (or did I imagine this?).

No they do. Which makes me wonder how so many kids seem to ride them.

 

[Hollis]

editor have you started using Ride Pass? Game changer, saves soooo much money.

They still seem expensive once you get above 20-25 minute ride. I guess they're targeted at short trips. Can't say I see too many people commuting in from Zone 3 on them. They end up being more expensive than the tube.

 

[spitfire]

They still seem expensive once you get above 20-25 minute ride. I guess they're targeted at short trips. Can't say Isee too many people commuting in from Zone 3 on them. They end up being more expensive than the tube.

Oh they are but work pays for mine and it’s magnitudes cheaper than parking congestion charge and petrol that would be used by them coming into London.

 

[editor]

They still seem expensive once you get above 20-25 minute ride. I guess they're targeted at short trips. Can't say I see too many people commuting in from Zone 3 on them. They end up being more expensive than the tube.

Mind you, they do come with the added bonus of helping you keep fit. .