[grantlmiller]

I live in SM/Venice and the rise of e-scooters has been amazing. The only problem is that they can't keep up with the demand and as a result, sometimes deliver a poor experience (hunting for a working/charged one after 5pm can be tough).

The problem that people have with e-scooters is that they're new & different. So many people (and local governments) hate change and do what they can to control it. Officials and luddites alike complain about the problems that cars cause (like congestion, pollution, drunk drivers, etc). However, when the free-market offers a solution to the problem that consumers (locals and tourists alike) love, the folks who want to run our lives and tell us what we can and can't do, try to regulate them as much as possible (potentially killing the business or hurting the adoption).

Like most things you can get to the bottom of it if you follow the money (aka taxes). Cities (like SF) will offer e-scooter licenses (aka medallions) so they and their cronies can make these companies kiss the ring, limit the supply and take a big cut of the profits (which will ultimately hurt consumers... aka us).

[gyardley]

The problem that I have with scooters is that I can't push my baby's stroller down the street five blocks without running into one left flopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I can't imagine what people in wheelchairs are going through.

New and different is fine, inconsiderate and inconvenient is not.

[Moto7451]

Indeed. The scooters are fine. The bad manners are a whole other thing. At least once per week on my walk to work I’m pulling scooters off the middle of the sidewalk or out of a handicap conveyance.

A lot of the bad behavior on the road is the same as cyclists in the area, except these scooters are a lot faster than the beach cruisers and fixies you regularly see.

[grantlmiller]

Yea, we can solve this the same way we solve just about every other minor problem, by making it a social norm. We should say something to people who leave them in this state (plus they should design the scooters to stay standing more easily, but these companies are likely as incentivized to do that as scooters that fall break and need repairs).

Side note, sidewalks are generally pretty terrible for people in wheelchairs... cars pulled in across in driveways, curbs without transitions (think of anytime you put the front wheels of your stroller on the curb and lift the back up... how does someone in a wheelchair execute that same move?... they can't), roots, the general disrepair that many sidewalks suffer (terrible in Venice).

[s0rce]

Easy fix. Allocate a few percent of street parking spots to dockless scooters and bikes.

[Moto7451]

Those already exist in Santa Monica. The “dockless” part is what drives the issue. The docked bikes usually end up where they should. The dockless scooters and bikes are put anywhere and everywhere, even if appropriate parking is available. The solution Bird came up with was to pay people who capture their scooters more for challenging returns.

[s0rce]

Sorry, I guess I meant have way more spaces for dockless options than we have for docked bikes. Just like dockless cars can park in many different parking spaces.

[syntaticSugar]

Could be a reputation system implemented, I'm guessing each scooter has a unique identifier, folks could report a scooter left imporperly. This would hurt the user whom left it there's score.

[tafycent]

Heck, it's already halfway implemented in China.

[jankotek]

Hm, is not the problem that scooters should be on the street, not on sidewalk? Licenses will be needed only because of impolite drivers.

[Broken_Hippo]

This isn't safe in all areas. Besides, if an area has a bike path and the scooter is travelling slowly enough (or if it is really an e-bike), this is probably the best option. If you are going vehicle speeds, the road should be fine.

However, this does not solve the problem of parking. It would seem prudent to make sure there is clearly marked parking for the scooters, with fines or whatnot when folks don't follow it. This would be made a great deal easier if scooters have to be registered with plates, and more work without it - especially if you want to confiscate the bike.

[andygates]

Riders are fraidies, though.