[throwboatyface]

The business model was never economical. But Bird was able to bribe these contractors with large initial contracts to trick them into making unsustainable capital expenditures. Then when the funding dried up (after a "successful" exit) the contractors are stuck with equipment, staff, and leases while the tech company drops them.

If Bird was a "constellation of small businesses" those businesses could take their scooters to a competing network, or start their own local scooter share. Bird retained ownership of the scooters in what sounds like a very lop-sided and exploitative agreement.