E scooters are illegal? - right!!

They are common (as rentals) in a city I visit a lot in the USA. I view them as quite dangerous. Litter as well. Daft fad that will fade quickly, I hope.

They're not a problem where I live. I've not seen any on roads etc but I do love the idea of being able to move more cars off the road.

Why can't we treat them like bicycles? Cycle riders don't have insurance. Can use the public road and are allowed to cycle without helmets if they want to. Seems like we should be working out a way that we can get more people on scooters and out of their cars for short journeys.

Rather than calling for more regulation and crack downs by police, we should be having a debate about how we can enable their safe use.

If you rent one out insurance is included, at least it was when there was a trial in my city

The trial got cut short though as ppl were not keeping within the agreed areas

Another thing that can't be policed like cyclists on the pavements or on the road in the dark with no lights

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-56502641

I think there needs to be recognition that scooters and other small sized means of transport have a role, and then a legal and planning framework to go with it. Same as cable cars (in useful places, not the one to nowhere in London), bike hire schemes, funicular railways and personal 'pod' transport as is found at Heathrow T5 car park.

They are very popular and also legal where I live and people definitely do use them as car replacements. Of course they are also especially popular with people who cannot drive a car, like older teenagers, and those who are unable to cycle or walk far.

I think they are very practical and a great idea that will ultimately improve our towns and cities. The only thing that bothers me is when they are parked in the middle of the pavement or bike path, but that is becoming less and less of a problem as the systems become more efficient and people get used to this new mode of transport.

Of course some people will be injured using them - that is just statistical inevitability. I can guarantee you people will also continue to be injured by every other mode of transport including walking. But cars are by far the most dangerous vehicles and if we can reduce the number of those we will all be safer overall.

www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48106617.amp?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQHKAFQArABIA%3D%3D#aoh=16186484386352&amp_ct=1618648286134&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s

They mainly seem to contribute to anti-social behaviour. There's a 20-ish guy where I live who loves haring around the pavements and narrow alleyways on his. Unfortunately he's more likely to break the legs of an elderly person than go under a bus himself. Cars are a problem but people are not using these as car replacements.

That was meant to be a , I'm not trying to chat you up...

Yes and no. Legal to own one, illegal to ride it on any land that isn't privately owned and with the owners permission. So unless you have a huge garden or something, bit pointless to have one.

Jesusinthecabbagevan, I think 'it wouldn't kill you to walk you lazy bugger' about plenty of drivers

Far more people are killed on pavements by cars being dangerously driven, anything that improves movement around cities without adding to congestion is a good thing

I did read that if your caught on them on the tea you could end up with 6 points on your licence .
As it’s a motorised on a public rd and that’s against the law
Not to mention having no insurance for the bloody thing

I’ve just invested in a car camera because of the fuckers . I suggest anyone that drives also do the same .
I hate them - only yesterday I almost hit one who was riding up a one way rd - on the rd and then swerved across the rd into my path .
If I would have hit the idiot I honestly wouldn’t have given a shit - apart from the obvious hassle I would have got from the police I would have been fine as I have a camera which would prove I was driving legally and they were driving like a cunt. And this was a adult at least 25 not some young kid .
Where I live they have the trials and people are using them as playthings rather than using them for short journeys .
Any parent that buys one for their kids to ride on the roads and streets are complete assholes and if there kids get seriously hurt I have no sympathy for them .
It’s only going to be a matter of time before someone gets killed on one because of the way they are being used .

I've told him it's down to him to sort it out if he takes it out and gets in the shit with the Police.

Someone with a van uses GPS to track the scooters. Picks up the ones with low battery and then take a then to a warehouse type place to charge them. These employees either works for the rental company or a subcontractor. Depending on the company They have different titles like 'Hunter' cause they hunt the scooters. Also they are a bit like Uber or Deliveroo and gets paid per scooter picked up. Then they drop the full ones to certain spots and go pick new empty ones.

Of course this varies by the company but that is how the ones we have in my city operate.

Knife ffs

That’s like saying everyone should be allowed to carry a nice because guns kill people more effectively- cars don’t tend to be ridden down pavements by 14 year olds!

I’m not saying cars are great but I am saying that allowing teens to fly around on these things is an accident waiting to happen. A child will die as a result of these before the year is out. And that is what it is going to take for them to be taken seriously.