[asdff]

The civil engineers in downtown santa monica have engineered a brilliant solution: stencil a scooter and box on the sidewalk. This is some serious space grade stuff considering JPL isn't too far away, unsure if we have the engineering capabilities to apply this solution in other cities. Better ban them outright, right?

In all seriousness, the apps let cities geofence arbitrary areas. You could just spray paint an orderly and designated parking spot on the corner and have the app only let you lock up if you are parked in the designated parking spot, validated with the photo you take after the ride.

[ProAm]

I agree there is probably a solution for this, but these companies could have discussed this with the cities prior to dumping thousands of discarded scooters everywhere. It's being a bad neighbor to force the city to deal with a problem it didnt have last week because you have VC funding and dont mind littering. So yes, Id rather ban them and subsequently address the issue.

[asdff]

That's like any technology, it appears then you regulate bad behavior. Parking enforcement didn't appear before cars were invented and were suddenly parking on every free surface with no order or logic, getting in the way of pedestrians.

[ProAm]

Littering was already against the law in most cities. But it didnt take crazy foresight for these companies to see would be problematic but, personally, I feel greed just got in the way. Move fast, break things, break laws, ask for forgiveness later.

[henryfjordan]

Bird et al were dead-set on bad behavior from the start. Santa Monica had to sue them to get them to register as a business in the city so that they could even begin to be regulated. They decided they could operate a business in the public space and flood the streets with scooters without any permits/approval.

Do you get a pass for doing something anti-social because you are a corporation?