As a disabled woman sick of being terrified on the pavement to feel happy reading about the destruction of e-scooters and e-bikes?

[pinkksugarmouse]

I know some people will want me to be crucified over this. That's mumsnet. I get it. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. The number of times I have almost been hit by one of these...I have had to walk into busy roads. I've even experienced being sworn out for daring to use the footpath.
Some cyclists and scooter users are a menace and I think they have become emboldened because of the electric vehicles.
They are dangerous, illegal and whenever I see a big piles of these monstrous pieces of s#*t being destroyed I feel relief. Anyone who buys these for children is selfish and stupid. IMHO.

So get your pitchforks out. Time to tell me what an abomination I am....its eniveitable.

Where I live, groups of lads bomb up and down the footpaths while wearing balaclavas. I see at least one group on my street on an daily basis. Not uncommon for it to be several times a day.

I live in a low income and pretty rough area if that makes a difference to frequency, and between the xl bullies and thugs on electric vehicles on the footpaths and quads (often on footpaths and community green) I’m scared if I have to walk around my town on foot. Police don’t/cant/wont do anything despite lots of people having footage.

Like op. I also have rheumatoid arthritis (and other disabilities) and I’ve always felt pretty confident but the last year or so I dread having to walk anywhere.

If they are used without regard to the safety of others on the footpaths or roads - then yes crush them.
If those who sold them had to report selling them to the DVLA in the same way as TVs and Video/DVDs are to TV Licencing - then that too would be a deterrent. If the end users were to pay a form of 'road tax' and insurance they would soon lose their popularity because they won't want to pay annual charges like car/motorbike users do.

E scooters are annoying. I'm in one of the countries where they are legal and common in city centres but they still cause problems and deaths (though the deaths are nearly always the people riding them, not innocent pedestrians). No issue with e bikes though, they're a god send for older people who struggle with normal bikes but still want to cycle. And no issues with either in my town, and everyone shares the pavements here, there's no cycle paths and nobody cycles or scoots on roads here, just plenty of respect from all sides on the pavement - even the teenagers biking in groups move apart to pass people/let people pass.

not disabled but totally agree.

They should not be allowed on pavements

No pitchfork from me. I completely agree. I’m pissed off with shared paths too and pedestrians expected to accommodate them. I’m able bodied and I can only imagine how much worse it is for you.

My friend’s 4 year old was knocked down by a teenager on a scooter breaking his teeth.
Then you have irresponsible riders or just plain bad luck who have been killed or severely injured from crashing on them or having a car clip them.
Madness that they don’t wear protective clothing, helmets, many parents bought their children one this year, crazy.
On the flip side they are a mode of transportation for many responsible people.

Where I live there are cycle lanes (double width ones too) and the bloody cyclists still choose to ride at speed on the pavement.

I've been knocked flat on my face by one, luckily not hurt beyond grazing but it was a nasty shock.

As a car driver, pedestrian and bystander I have had multiple unpleasant experiences of e-scooters. They weave in and out of traffic and you are lucky if you see them in your blind spot even when looking over your shoulder to check where the heck they went. They rarely wear helmets. They mostly have no lights or reflective clothing at night and dress all in black! The very worst thing I saw was a well dressed man probably on his way home from work riding one with his small child standing in front of him, neither wearing helmets, doing about 30mph in traffic, and flying across a crossroads through red light narrowly missing oncoming traffic! As they do not have licence plates the are impossible to report.

I toddler in our town had his legs broken by an electric scooter. Awful.

I just don't get grown adults riding bikes, e-scooters etc on the pavements. I did my cycling proficiency when I was around 10, and ever since have ridden a bike on the road. I thought adults would be embarrassed to ride a bike on the pavement like they're 6 years old, but clearly not.

What really grates about the e-scooter situation in the UK is that I have a mobility issue which would make it an excellent form of transport around our small city (much better than an electric bike for my particular circumstances). I would happily tax and insure myself to be able to use one if the government would let me (and ride it on the road only). But they won't let me, so I can't. Because I won't break the law, I am left unable to responsibly use a form of transport that could be quite life changing. Meanwhile it is rubbed in my face by all the people hurtling around illegally on the pavements.

They're self-entitled jerks. Mainly male.

Agreed! Even normal bicyclists have practically run down me with the buggy and it terrifies me when my toddler is walking on the pavement that they might mow him down.

When they are part of a rental scheme the company can set speed limits on them in certain areas. So going through the town centre they can be remotely limited to 2 mph. So if they were legalised, proper schemes in place and good cycle paths to be used on they would be really good.

Luckily they’re banned where I live. We often visit family overseas where they are a menace - young girls two and three up on the pavement, no helmets etc. luckily there have now been rules introduced so no under 16’s, must not go over 20kph, no pavement riding etc. Police are confiscating and destroying them - hopefully they’ll soon catch up with the pair of lads two up on the pavement definately riding a speed altered version,dressed all in black with no helmets this evening!

I was driving home one early January evening some years ago. It was already pitch black and there were a lot of parked cars on the road, which was also on a slight hill. I was driving uphill. I was slowly pulling out from behind one of these cars when, all of a sudden, a young boy aged around twelve came charging down the road on an e-scooter. He was dressed in black from head to toe and only a weak light on the front of his scooter gave any indication of his presence and could not be seen until he was almost on top of me. Had l been driving at a normal speed, he would almost certainly have been killed. I was shaking for about half an hour afterwards at the thought of what could so easily have happened and would never have forgiven myself. The boy and his parents are incredibly irresponsible in my view.

It’s so weird that we live in a country where those bikes and scooters are illegal, but shops can stock and sell them.

Literally just on the high street, or if you google “fast electric scooter”, delivered to your door.

What is the point of having laws if people can make money selling products that break them?

I think it's time for them to be legalised but have proper rules. 16+ and only to be used on roads. Helmets and lights as standard.
I have a legal electric bike and cycle to work, on the road. It is pedal assist and limited to 15mph.
The main culprit is food delivery drivers on illegal bikes riding though the pedestrianised city centre and on pavements. Always dressed in black with face covered. Their bikes all look the same and have throttles as if you look at their feet they aren't pedalling. These need cracking down on.

Normal bicycles are already illegal on the pavements, it's just the police don't bother to enforce it.

They aren't illegal to own. They can be used on Private property. They ate just illegal to use on public highways.

I witnessed a dad and his child who must have been no older than six on individual e scooters bezzing through a dark car park a few days ago. The Dad was also in front of his son. It just seemed totally batshit to me. They’re absolutely lethal.

Ah, fabulous. Hopefully it will become so widespread that it becomes a real deterrent.

If only they would do the same for pedal bikes on the pavement...

We should be encouraging ebikes and escooters but they should be on the road, not the pavement.

They make me so angry. I think the cyclist lobby is evil. Instead of admitting that cyclists make life worse for pedestrians they just shriek CARS KILL MORE PEOPLE.

Ok but cars don't clip me from behind on the pavement?

Would not be hard to knock him off with a surprised swing of ones shopping bag I imagine. He ought to be more careful.

Yes, they are a huge problem and we need proper regulation and enforcement.