Bristol- Bath cycle path users

[captain nemo1701]

Privately owned e-scooter, probably not relevant to the trial, wasn't it? One death in a blue moon is far from the 5 deaths a day involving motorists, too.

Paris banned self-service rental e-scooters based on a vote with 8% turnout, no proxy or remote voting, held on a day where a marathon closed roads. Private and shop-rented e-scooters remain legal too AFAICT, unlike here.

A couple of years back I was walking to the supermarket when I heard a 'beep' from behind. It was someone on a private escooter coming down the pavement. Excuse me....I'm legally entitled to be there, this idiot wasn't but insisted on wobbling along saving his poor little legs from expending any energy. I took delight in walking even slower .

I have a 73 year old friend of mine who was knocked backwards into a hedge by an escooter P'takh (Googling required) who failed to stop....on the pavement.

Its irrelevant if private or hired, motorised escooters (remember go- peds anyone?) have no place on pavements.

BTW, on the way home last night, hire escooter goes past on cyclepath...two people on it, one carrying portable hoover. They're not intended for that, have seen kids out playing on them...on the road (parents hire them). Also this morning, private escooter rider seen hurtling through a red light....at some speed (I guess about 30mph). Didn't even bother slowing down. Imagine being an innocent driver just going through a junction on green and wham!...pillock on escooter rams into you. Still, they'll come of worst so probably can be seen as 'natural selection'.

I loathe that propaganda BS that micromobility is the future. No effect on congestion, just made pavements more risky and encouraged uptake of faster private ones, like the Bristol bloke I posted about before. Fool had his private escooter confiscated by cops....so blew £3500 on a bigger more powerful one....and that got confiscated too. His excuse?...he thought due to the trial, they'd be soon legalised.

 

[matticus]

The escooter trial here has had as much effect on congestion as farting into a hurricane....

🤷‍♂️
You were describing the great peril that they brought to pedestrians:
I explained that cars kill (more than) 40 times as many peds (on pavements alone); therefore Paris has improved ped sfaety by minimising cars in the capital.

I never mentioned congestion, you hadn't mentioned congestion.

 

[captain nemo1701]

🤷‍♂️
You were describing the great peril that they brought to pedestrians:
I explained that cars kill (more than) 40 times as many peds (on pavements alone); therefore Paris has improved ped sfaety by minimising cars in the capital.

I never mentioned congestion, you hadn't mentioned congestion.

Congestion busting is one of the promoted lies about escooters, they make absolutely no difference. I thought I'd share that with you. Cars mounting pavements are a constant danger, we don't want to add lazy people transport do we?. Cycling in today, I had to dodge a pillock who mounted the segregated cycle lane....just seconds later saw Mr superfast escooter bust a red light.

Escooters are banned here and are IMHO, not welcome on pavements. Capitalism has a terrible habit of inventing things you never needed ten years ago.

BTW, wild guess dept...you own one?.

 

[fossyant]

Pretty silly response. Why bother to make it?

It's not, but your response is. America is a damn sight more dangerous than Europe/UK. Sorry, but it is. It's also pretty crap for cycling as it's full of 'gasoline heads'.

 

[matticus]

Cars mounting pavements are a constant danger, we don't want to add lazy people transport do we?

Why on earth do you think car drivers are less lazy than us scooterists?? Ooops, I mean those reckless dangerous scooterists.

(p.s. don't forget how very much more dangerous the car drivers are - the stats show it, a quick google of news stories will show it.)

 

[rogerzilla]

Given that about 0.00001% of people are actually able to ride an e-scooter on private land - which would need smooth tarmac paths or roads - with the owner's permission, the fact that Currys and other shops are full of the accursed things is a travesty.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Scrap if its that bad , at least parts of it will get reused

Scrap yards (or these days 'recycling centres') don't seem to attempt to sell parts for re-use but just crush the vehicles. I discussed this with a guy at the yard, explaining that parts from older cars are worth a premium, and people with older cars tend to want the parts to fix their cars rather than get the main dealer to fix. He agreed fully with me, and said I've told the guv' many a time, but it's just easier to put them in the crusher. Lack of effort around us all?

 

[Fastpedaller]

Its here, I was stood about where the yellow X is. Why would a jogger be jogging down here, its a bus stop platform?. Not the best place to jog and certainly no escooterists!:

View attachment 763334
Equally as daft to cycle down it.

Someone running for the bus . Gone are the days when you could jump on when it was moving - suitably encouraged by the conductor!

 

[Profpointy]

Scrap yards (or these days 'recycling centres') don't seem to attempt to sell parts for re-use but just crush the vehicles. I discussed this with a guy at the yard, explaining that parts from older cars are worth a premium, and people with older cars tend to want the parts to fix their cars rather than get the main dealer to fix. He agreed fully with me, and said I've told the guv' many a time, but it's just easier to put them in the crusher. Lack of effort around us all?

Back in the day you'd go to the scrappy spanners in hand and climb the teetering three-high stack of cars and remove your desired part and take it to the desk to pay.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Back in the day you'd go to the scrappy spanners in hand and climb the teetering three-high stack of cars and remove your desired part and take it to the desk to pay.

How do you know I did that? , and yes, I did.

 

[mjr]

Given that about 0.00001% of people are actually able to ride an e-scooter on private land - which would need smooth tarmac paths or roads - with the owner's permission, the fact that Currys and other shops are full of the accursed things is a travesty.

It's similar with bike lights, where Halfodds don't stock any in stores sufficient to make a bike legal at night, but they're not illegal until someone dazzles another road user with one, so they can keep selling them. While there is a legitimate use case for something, however small, legislators seem reluctant to forbid sale.

 

[BoldonLad]

Back in the day you'd go to the scrappy spanners in hand and climb the teetering three-high stack of cars and remove your desired part and take it to the desk to pay.

I think there are still scrap yards which sell second hand parts, but, all very organised now, they remove the bits, you can even buy online, I believe. Last time I did the “climbing up a pile of cars” was to obtain a front wing for a ford fiesta, on behalf of daughter no2 (then 17, now 52).

 

[captain nemo1701]

Why on earth do you think car drivers are less lazy than us scooterists?? Ooops, I mean those reckless dangerous scooterists.

(p.s. don't forget how very much more dangerous the car drivers are - the stats show it, a quick google of news stories will show it.)

Come and visit Bristol, enjoy dodging escooterists all over pavements, jump when they swoosh by silently from behind, witness their 'I can go any f***ing where on this thing, get out of my way' attitude, watch two per machine wobbling down roads, jumping red lights (usually by mounting pavements), dodge them coming at you the wrong way in one way streets/painted cycle lanes, enjoy removing dumped escooters off cyclepaths, in roads/pavements, enjoy their reckless no-roadcraft approach....lovely fun. Increasing risk on pavements isn't a good idea whatever the blasted car stats say. That's a morally bankrupt argument.

 

[matticus]

That's a morally bankrupt argument.

unlike "scooters are for the lazy - but cars are fine and a sensible way to get about!"

Mate, I've spent lots of time in Brizzle, usually on foot. Most recent was a walking tour with my elderly dad, before we dropped him off for a hospital op. You do notice the scooters, but we had zero near misses.
Whereas on my work commute, probably 5-10 drivers per hour endanger me for their convenience. (perhaps I'd be safer cycling on the pavement ... )

 

[captain nemo1701]

Given that about 0.00001% of people are actually able to ride an e-scooter on private land - which would need smooth tarmac paths or roads - with the owner's permission, the fact that Currys and other shops are full of the accursed things is a travesty.

Evans Cycles have, disappointingly, started flogging them.

I'd propose a new law:

Anyone involved in an accident whilst riding a banned escooter on public land should be automatically held responsible on the basis that if they hadn't decided to break the law and ride one, they wouldn't have been there thus the accident wouldn't have occurred. If you saw the guy I did this week shoot through a red light at top speed, you may agree with this?.

Escooters are transport for the bone idle who crave speed and convenience in life at no effort. Its arrogant to use one knowing they're illegal, assuming the law doesn't apply to you. Its also selfish, putting your personal convenience ahead of the safety of others.
They are an unfortunate symptom of convenience - addicted culture.