To think the Escooter company/companies should bear some responsibility?

[Keyansier]

For contributing to towns looking so tatty lately? I can't be the only person who has noticed absolutely loads of Escooters just randomly dumped in the streets. I know that's the point of them and they eventually get picked up but there's loads of them and it makes us look like a third world country or the wild wild west or something. AIBU to think they should have to pay some sort of compensation to someone (perhaps local councils) for us public to have to put up with having to look at it? I'm not sure if it's one company or multiple but it/all should bear responsibility.

The Voi pilot scheme in Northampton just allows scooters to be dumped anywhere, so they are. They are very heavy and difficult to move if left in the middle of the pavement - worse if they fall over, and would be completely impossible if you were in a wheelchair needing to get past one. The company occasionally comes along to round them up, but not very often. And there is very rarely anyone to enforce the rules about not riding them on pavement, so they get ridden on the pavement all the time. I really worried about my children's safety on the pavement with them around.

seriously? What an attitude to the majority of the country.

Not really, just reflecting the OP’s hatred of all things london back on them.

I didn't mention London and have no idea how much or how little Londoners use these scooters.

I think they have them in London. Like the Boris bikes.

Instead of just being plain nasty and seeking a fight with trade unions, the Transport Secretary (last one) could have put in place a policy for e-scooters, a legal framework for them to be provided and operate.

Lordmooey - I really worry about my children's safety with cars around

I worry more about the scooters where I live to be honest. The cars don't tend to whizz up behind you on the pavements with no other warning that the twat driving shouting "oy move". I wish the same could be said for the scooters.

I don’t use them, but DH does if he’s off somewhere at night and it’s an annoying Tube change.

I get the impression that it’s a bit of a PITA at the moment (he’s messed up and had them shut down on him as he tries to leave a given company’s “zone”) but that as technology and awareness improves they could be a real contribution to travel in town.

Omg that would be such a fun movie

A third world country because there are escooters scattered about? Dont be ridiculous!
We had a trial of them here. Thoroughly unpopular with most people. Hazardous for pedestrians. Never left lying about though cos to rent one you had to give your bank details. The fine for not returning them was hundreds of pounds.

Maybe visit a third world country (or the wild west!) to see how different where you live actually is.

Beers, I've had much more near misses with cars, perhaps one with a scooter

Yes, I completely agree, but the way I've seen scooters being ridden (with practically no regard for the rules of the scheme, because they are hardly ever enforced in the pilot area I lived in), I found them just as bad if not worse. But that's also because they were introduced with virtually no infrastructure in that area: hardly any bike lanes, no compulsory docking stations, etc etc. And people know the supposed rules won't be enforced, so they don't care. Maybe if that particular pilot scheme had been more than just dumping a load of scooters on street corners and letting them go, I'd have felt differently about it.