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

Outside London they probably have driving licences too. The issue is that they are clueless In London because there's little reason to need to drive.

I just drove to our local parade of shops (to pick up a large, heavy parcel before I start getting hassle for using the car).

There is a parking bay for electric bikes right outside the newsagents. It was empty. But dotted all around the parade were Lime bikes, at least 20 of them, just dumped wherever.

We are quite a way from the railway stations and it seems that people hire Lime bikes from outside the stations to get home, then just dump them, which is why we have so many in such a residential area. Then the school kids take them to school.

I don't either,I very nearly had a similar accident with one when a woman sped round the corner on the pavement,a second later and if I hadn't realised then I think I'd have been in a similar situation as that poor woman.
You can't use electric scooters on pavements but you can use these things without helmets? Madness.

So they are being used for v useful journeys poss more useful than picking up parcels that can be mostly be delivered to your door

How did i just know you would have a go about picking up the parcel? In fact, this is the first time I have ever picked up a parcel and it was due to a misunderstanding with the delivery company. Having said that, my adult daughter has epilepsy and I use the car to transport her around - no way will she be using an e bike.

@Arran2024 a couple of tips:

• If you lift a Lime bike's back wheel slightly (easiest way to do this is lift using the handle that most of them have at the back of the saddle) you can roll it out of your way on its front wheel. Only the back wheels are locked.
• if you download the Lime app and create an account there's a section under Help to "report improper parking".
• reporting to your council may or may not be worthwhile, depends where you live

No, you shouldn't have to, and I'm sorry that some people are inconsiderate with the bikes in your area. But it seemed worth mentioning.

I blame bad riders not the bikes which many people use to get around.

Here they seem to be mainly ridden by our refugee community who I doubt have ever read the highway code. Not a racist rant just an observational truth.

Didnt sound like a rant or racist, sounded truthful and I’m grateful you didnt stay silent because it’s ‘ taboo’ to admit difficulties about refugees. I see the same thing that you see and it’s this that makes me think these bikes shouldn’t be ridden without helmets, it seems crazy. I’d rather they didn’t exist, but seeing how unsafe they are is horrible.

Thank you for that. My council actually runs Forest Bikes, which are a bit smaller, but I live on the cusp of another local authority, which does have Lime and of course users don't care they are dumping them over the boundary. So my LA doesn't take anything to do with the Lime bikes.

Not in this case! It happened in a pedestrian zone.