To think the providers of ebikes in cities (hello Lime and Voi)

[CurdinHenry]

Should just go to prison right now and never emerge

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/07/i-felt-my-spine-and-body-split-the-woman-who-was-hit-by-a-child-on-a-lime-bike-and-denied-compensation

Completely unreasonable. The bike that hit that poor lady was being ridden by a 10yo boy. Blame his idiot parents. He couldn't have unlocked it himself as you need the app with a credit card!

Surely the person riding the bike is at fault?

Of course! 10 or 12 year old kid I seem to remember from that article...
jumped onto the pavement not looking around him. That poor woman.

I see it all the time where I am. Far too young kids riding far too fast dangerous bikes, sometimes 2 of them on the bike, don't even know the highway code.

Fucking scary.

Many end up in hospital with such awful injuries that a local one has had a report about it by the surgeons in the local newspaper. (I'm in Europe).

I wonder where these parents are in relation to these tweens/young teens are o.k. about them having a bike like that.... the mind boggles.

It's a really bad crash watching that

There should be huge penalties for riders not abiding by the rules, including parents of 10 year old children, causing life altering injuries to pedestrians.

Maybe there should be a complaints section on their websites where the public can record all their anecdata and others can read it. It should be accessible by all and reporting should be encouraged.

I regularly see kids riding two to a scooter the wrong way down a road. No helmets. A man yesterday nearly got hit by one at the crossroads - I thought there was going to be a fight over it. I see them being used for drug dealing in town. All anecdata ofc but where can these incidents be recorded and collated? Who is monitoring these e scooters? If the public could share their personal data we could find out if they should be removed from the streets.

For anyone visually impaired or pushing a pram or in a wheelchair they must struggle to get around the ones dumped on their sides on the pavement. Not very inclusive.

The blame lies with the individual cyclist (or their parents if underage), not the provider of the bike.

What makes you think it’s the providers responsibility OP?

What I don’t understand is how if I’m on my personal e-bike, the Limes can go SO much faster. They get fast almost instantly, they overtake me no matter how hard I pedal in top speed. They literally swan past me with barely a push on the pedals.
Surely that’s too much power?

Rental bikes and scooters are pretty dangerous if you are a pedestrian in a city. They are often on the pavement and often ridden without care.

I would prefer they were banned. If not each ride should come with a part of the fee going to a compulsory insurance policy, as well as the user having to abide by rules such as not riding on the pavement.

I don't even mind people riding on pavements on normal bikes in general. But I wish they'd have bloody bells on and sound them. You cannot hear them coming at all and the amount of times I've not known it's coming at all and been completely surprised when it's rushed past me so close or almost crashed into me. I can well see how they clash into people.

I can mostly hear the bells though

And ebikes feel even worse.

You may as well say cars are death machines, because they’re extremely dangerous if something goes wrong.
I'm not a fan of Limes as they are left everywhere although i have to say my adult DD has used them a few times in London which im not mega keen on, usually in the evening when it’s quieter esp as it’s without the helmet.

I think riding on the pavement should be looked on as humiliating & childish, and greeted with comments like ‘Awwww, does your mummy not let you ride on the road yet?’ backed up by pavement cyclists being penalised.

But all that would have to come alongside proper infrastructure for cyclists so they do have a genuine safe alternative.

Great idea for cars too

And those cars that can go over 100 mph. Too much power

My town is largely pedestrianised but the e-bikes are everywhere. They are popular with delivery riders, who cycle in the pedestrianised areas to get to the fast food outlets. You rarely see police around so they get away with it.

Our local secondary school put out a message telling parents to stop letting their kids ride Lime bikes to school, as they are too young. But I see these kids cycle past on their way to school every day. They drop them near their houses afterwards so they are available next day.

Bit of an overreaction…

Do you feel the same about car manufacturers and car drivers?

Personally I would like to see more e bikes and scooters and far fewer cars on the road. It would be much better for air pollution and climate change

We could put these things in place for cars too

Plus much higher penalties when the cars park in ways that block pavements

It’s a bike discussion though?

But think of those nasty climate changing cars they’re taking off the road.

Bikes are great. I’m perfectly happy for people to ride bikes. As long as they’re forced to stop doing it on the pavement.

Edited to add for the ‘what about cars’ people, I don’t want cars on the pavement either & I agree that bikes are much better for the environment & exercise.

I've stopped going into Brighton for shopping because their "Beryl bikes" are such a bloody menace. They totally ignore the pedestrianised areas, weave in and out of pedestrians and seem to think they take priority over everyone. I nearly got sent flying by one as I came out of a shop into a pedestrianised street.

Mind you, ordinary cyclists are little better. They ignore the "pedestrians only" rule in part of my town centre. I have a bee in my bonnet about them after a colleague was hit by a cyclist ignoring a red light at a crossing. Her back and pelvis were so fucked by the accident that she was never able to work again.

For me its a transport discussion

5 people are killed every day on uk roads. Its not e bikes doing it

I agree. I don't want bikes on the pavement. I want lots more bikes on the road and fewer cars on the road