e-scooter article in the Grauniad

Interesting - on scooter policing / regs - I didn't know the rules but wouldn't have guessed that this would be the outcome.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-61243033

What people want: cars like they show them in the adverts.  Your own vehicle, your own private space, going where you want, when you want (no other drivers).  Fresh air and relaxation.  Lots of parking most places. Affordable to many on hire-purchase.

What people need: cycles like they have them in the Netherlands.  Your own vehicle, interacting with other people if you like but not stuck in their space, going where you want, when you want.  Fresh air, relaxation and gentle exercise.  Lots of parking most places.  Affordable to most (2nd hand) and usable by a far larger population (those who haven't or can't take a driving test).

What people get: cars and traffic jams. So we also get scooters.  Why? Cars are spendy plus not everyone can drive.  Walking is slow and requires effort.  Bicycles require effort, need somewhere to park, get stolen, are scary on the road / get shouted at on the pavement - oh and turn you into a "cyclist".  Scooters - you can pick up and take with you - on the train, into buildings.

"Britain’s love-hate affair with the e-scooter"

Just how many people in Britain have even tried one (or been hit by an e-scooter rider)?

Not many, I suspect. The Graun trying to make a story out of almost nothing.

Or is this a London-centric topic where Enfield is thought of as the northern edge of civilisation?

I've rented e-scooters a few times and they are fun. But I can't help thinking that an e-bike does the same job much better. The costs of basic e-bikes and e-scooters are about the same. You can get the base Carrera e-bike for about £500 last time I looked, much the same as a lower performance e-scooter. The bike has better brakes, better stability and can cope with bumpy roads a lot better. It's safer.

Interesting article. I would certainly tend to agree that e-scooters seem like they could play a valuable role in (relatively) sustainable personal transport.

I know a lot of people complain about reckless riders and I'm sure that is a problem - although I suspect there is a strong bias in that the (vast?) majority of people riding e-scooters in public are doing so illegally - and people who are disinclined to obey the law are presumably also disinclined to ride responsibly. 

A lack of suitable infrastructure also likely plays a part - as with cyclists, I daresay most e-scooter riders who choose to use the pavement do so because they don't feel comfortable mixing with motor vehicles on the carriageway. 

Read that just earlier.

I think e-scooters really demonstrate how backward we've been with getting people around. There's a clear need for people to travel shorter distances (5 miles or less?) that don't require a car as it's just getting a person from A to B. Obviously we all want people on bikes and getting some active transport, but e-scooters really appeal due to their fun factor and ease of use.

Here in Bristol we have loads of them around, both legal and illegal and I welcome them as it gets drivers to expect non-cars to be filtering and taking up space on the roads. Unfortunately, the riders are experiencing abuse from some drivers too, but at least that means cyclists aren't the only target (be better if the problem drivers just hopped on a bike/scooter themselves).

Good articles about these in the US:

BikeSnob: https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/dockless-scooters-cities-pros-cons-bikesnob/

John Allen: http://john-s-allen.com/blog/2018/09/some-comments-on-electric-scooters/

I'd tend to agree with his final comment (still true): "one more example of technology getting ahead of government management and regulation"