Brookline rolled out rental scooters with a ceremonial ride around Town Hall this morning - and a woman promptly fell off one and had to be taken away in an ambulance, WBZ reports.
Was in Atlanta just prior to the Super Bowl and these E-Scooters were wildly popular and plentiful. The red ones were free and the green ones were a dollar.
This will be an effective method of natural selection, as the demo proves. Judging from that, it should quickly cull a high percentage of careless, rude, or inept scooter riders, especially if they haven't evolved enough to wear helmets. But this public service comes at a price: If the scooters end up on sidewalks, many sensible but slow-moving pedestrians will be taken out, too. I think that elderly and/or lost-in-thought pedestrians are entitled to safe passage on sidewalks, but I'm old-fashioned. So I believe that we should prohibit walking on sidewalks and make everyone use scooters.The only fair way to proceed is to give everyone the same weapon. One wouldn't necessarily have to ride the thing; it could also be used as a cudgel to fend off oncoming traffic. But everyone should be armed with one by law. Maybe an exception could be made for turkeys.
I know that scooters are ridden on sidewalks successfully in other towns; I've seen it for myself. But the Boston area is not like other parts of the country. Vehicle-wise, we are the Wild West in comparison. The majority of Bostonians have not evolved enough to make this a smart idea.
Truly being lost in thought, rather than distracted by a mobile device, is to me a sign of an intelligent or at least philosophical nature. Of course, we pedestrians all need to be hyper-alert at intersections so we aren't hit by cars, or by bikers speeding through lights and going the wrong way in the bike lane. But we are still able, for now, to walk along the sidewalk admiring the local architecture and landscaping while thinking our own thoughts. I hope that is protected by natural selection.
but I'm not too worried about being taken out in my own home, or workplace, or even in public places such as the Common. If only I could say the same for our public streets.
This will be an effective method of natural selection, as the demo proves
The majority of Bostonians have not evolved enough to make this a smart idea.
I don't know what's more off-putting: the creepy, vaguely eugenics-y steeze of this comment...or that Brookliners are being called "Bostonians" in this comment.
Scooters are sneaky dangerous when getting speed and hitting a rut in the road/sidewalks, the tendency is to dismount but difficult to do when going fast. I've had a few close calls using my kid's one.
The phone number printed on their litter, er I mean bikes, leads to a fast busy.
From what I can tell based on the bikes laying around they make little effort to pick up their bikes. I like the idea of dockless bikes in theory, but Lime's execution is very sloppy.
They don't make "little effort" to pick up their bikes. They make zero effort. That's their business model. If Lime actually had to pay people to go out and make sure their scooters weren't blocking foot traffic, they'd lose even more money than the lose now.
When scooters' batteries get low, a notification goes out that a scooter can be picked up and recharged (by freelance contractors) for a pittance, but AFAIK there's no mechanism whatsoever to ensure that the scooters are where they're supposed to be at any other time.
Comments
E-Scotters
Was in Atlanta just prior to the Super Bowl and these E-Scooters were wildly popular and plentiful. The red ones were free and the green ones were a dollar.
Is this a joke
as far as colors go, or were you just providing some incomplete information without adequate explanation?
It wasn't me :)
I was watching the own goal propel us back into first place!
What an ultramaroon !
#metoo
#ontop!
What an asshole!
Your shtick got old before it started. It stinks and you should be hauled out with the rest of the trash.
Bold move, Brookline
This will be an effective method of natural selection, as the demo proves. Judging from that, it should quickly cull a high percentage of careless, rude, or inept scooter riders, especially if they haven't evolved enough to wear helmets. But this public service comes at a price: If the scooters end up on sidewalks, many sensible but slow-moving pedestrians will be taken out, too. I think that elderly and/or lost-in-thought pedestrians are entitled to safe passage on sidewalks, but I'm old-fashioned. So I believe that we should prohibit walking on sidewalks and make everyone use scooters.The only fair way to proceed is to give everyone the same weapon. One wouldn't necessarily have to ride the thing; it could also be used as a cudgel to fend off oncoming traffic. But everyone should be armed with one by law. Maybe an exception could be made for turkeys.
I know that scooters are ridden on sidewalks successfully in other towns; I've seen it for myself. But the Boston area is not like other parts of the country. Vehicle-wise, we are the Wild West in comparison. The majority of Bostonians have not evolved enough to make this a smart idea.
Why do you think that lost-in-thought (or texting) pedestrians
should be protected from natural selection?
Didn't say texting.
Truly being lost in thought, rather than distracted by a mobile device, is to me a sign of an intelligent or at least philosophical nature. Of course, we pedestrians all need to be hyper-alert at intersections so we aren't hit by cars, or by bikers speeding through lights and going the wrong way in the bike lane. But we are still able, for now, to walk along the sidewalk admiring the local architecture and landscaping while thinking our own thoughts. I hope that is protected by natural selection.
Be aware of your surroundings or risk being taken out by
natural selection. Doesn't matter where or when.
We override natural selection all the time, though
Seat belts and air bags and crash-protection SUVs thwart the death wish of even the most inept and befuddled drivers, alas
Not sure about you...
but I'm not too worried about being taken out in my own home, or workplace, or even in public places such as the Common. If only I could say the same for our public streets.
That saber-toothed tiger?
HE'S ALLOWED TO USE THE FULL LANE!!!
The eugenics sympathizing JUMPED OUT in this post, haha
I don't know what's more off-putting: the creepy, vaguely eugenics-y steeze of this comment...or that Brookliners are being called "Bostonians" in this comment.
Haldol
It does eventually wear off.
Welcome back.
Try that "Haldol" comment again
but without the ableist dismissal this time.
Ableist?
You appear to be a recreational user.
Scooters
Scooters are sneaky dangerous when getting speed and hitting a rut in the road/sidewalks, the tendency is to dismount but difficult to do when going fast. I've had a few close calls using my kid's one.
Can't reach Lime
The phone number printed on their litter, er I mean bikes, leads to a fast busy.
From what I can tell based on the bikes laying around they make little effort to pick up their bikes. I like the idea of dockless bikes in theory, but Lime's execution is very sloppy.
Wrong
They don't make "little effort" to pick up their bikes. They make zero effort. That's their business model. If Lime actually had to pay people to go out and make sure their scooters weren't blocking foot traffic, they'd lose even more money than the lose now.
When scooters' batteries get low, a notification goes out that a scooter can be picked up and recharged (by freelance contractors) for a pittance, but AFAIK there's no mechanism whatsoever to ensure that the scooters are where they're supposed to be at any other time.
April fools...
when I first read this article I thought it was an April Fools joke....I couldn't ask for a funnier thing to happen on their rollout day.