Driverless Car Hype Gives Way To E-Scooter Mania Among Technorati (nbcnews.com) 133
Millions of dollars in funding and billions of dollars in valuations have made scooters the next big thing since the last big thing. From a report: When Michael Ramsey, an analyst for technology research firm Gartner, started in February to put together his 2018 "hype cycle" report for the future of transportation, he had plenty of topics to choose from: electric vehicles, flying cars, 5G, blockchain, and, of course, autonomous vehicles. But one type of transportation is conspicuously absent from the results of the report: electric scooters. "At the time, outside of California, these scooters were really not that common," Ramsey said. "That's how much has happened." As for autonomous vehicles, which have enjoyed years of hype as the next big thing, Ramsey labeled them sliding into "the trough of disillusionment," which Ramsey described as "when expectations don't meet the truth."
In a matter of months, electric scooter startups have gone from tech oddity to global phenomenon. In some cities, hundreds of scooters suddenly showed up on streets from companies including Bird and Lime, leaving municipalities to figure out how to handle the sudden influx of two-wheeled travelers. The concept behind the scooters is simple: A user can grab any available scooter, unlock it with an app, ride to their destination, and leave the scooter there for someone else to use. Even by the hyper-growth expectations of Silicon Valley, the rise of scooter companies has been dizzying. Scooters can be found in more than 125 cities in the U.S. and more than 10 across the globe. In the year after their launch, both Lime and Bird said their scooters had been used for more than 10 million rides.
In a matter of months, electric scooter startups have gone from tech oddity to global phenomenon. In some cities, hundreds of scooters suddenly showed up on streets from companies including Bird and Lime, leaving municipalities to figure out how to handle the sudden influx of two-wheeled travelers. The concept behind the scooters is simple: A user can grab any available scooter, unlock it with an app, ride to their destination, and leave the scooter there for someone else to use. Even by the hyper-growth expectations of Silicon Valley, the rise of scooter companies has been dizzying. Scooters can be found in more than 125 cities in the U.S. and more than 10 across the globe. In the year after their launch, both Lime and Bird said their scooters had been used for more than 10 million rides.
modern day (Score:5, Insightful)
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Well, yah fat bastards, have you considered walking because you know obesity epidemic. Walk you dumb fuckers and burn some of that fat off. Walking promotes circulation of all bodily fluids, ensuring the waste is removed and fresh stuff delivered to where it is needed.
Just fucking walk already, it is really actually factually good for you, do it as much as possible, as often as possible. Boiling water, don't stand there and wait, walk around your home, don't get on an electric scooter walk. Go to the local
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They're essentially fast pedestrians and slow, low-mass wheeled vehicles, so the laws of physics say they should be on the sidewalks
I didn't notice that there were laws of physics related to sidewalks. Forces, charges, voltages, sure...but sidewalks?
Too easy to steal (Score:5, Interesting)
This'll go away when the investor cash dries up and they'll be clogging landfills the world over.
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they'll be clogging landfills the world over.
We're getting there [theatlantic.com]
Re: Too easy to steal (Score:1)
1 buck to unlock, 15 to 20 cents a minute to ride. Cheaper and faster than an uber for the short jaunts, but that's only if one's around. But fuck these things, laying all over the side walk in my fucking way.
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You are an elite hacker because you have figured out how to post on Slashdot.
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Mainly homosexuals in Silicon Valley who consider themselves the technological elites. Characterized primarily by the "soylent grin", dopey beards, and a slavish devotion to the latest techology trend, these "technorati" consider themselves to be the natural aristocratic class by virtue of their education and cushy tech sector jobs making important decisions about things like what color the buttons in "Generic Social Media App #11223" should be. Because of the nonsensically large salaries from their large
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More people voted for Hillary than voted for Trump.
*Love* seeing how obviously that still sticks in your craw.
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Overnight (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't really have much to say about the scooters themselves but it's really bizarre how they showed up almost overnight. I've read stories about some American cities bitching about them even here on /. but there wasn't a single shared scooter here (city in central Europe).
Occasionally you'd see some dork ride an electric scooter or one of those unicycles and even those were pretty rare. I went away for three weeks on vacation, and when I got back they're all over the place.
One thing I've noticed before though is that a lot of successful local startups are essentially clones of what's been tried before in the US. One of a major and oldest companies here is a clone of Yahoo, there is also a clone of Groupon, and so on. I'm not really sure how financially successful these scooter companies are, but somebody is probably making money so this might've been a decent opportunity.
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"Blitzkreig" is the term that you were looking for.
Bird, Lime, etc. knew exactly what they were doing. They knew that there would be resistance from a substantial part of the populace, that city governments would have issues with hundreds of unlicensed scooters littering the street, that some cities would want to regulate, etc.
So they swooped in under the radar, got them established and in use by the part of the populace who thinks this is a good idea, and now they can say "Nyah, nyah, it's easier to ask f
Re:Overnight (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Overnight (Score:4, Informative)
They're dumping the massive overproduction in China. Electric scooters have been a thing there for at least half a decade at this point, and as with all things Chinese, they tend to overproduce massively after initial need is met.
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They're dumping the massive overproduction in China. Electric scooters have been a thing there for at least half a decade at this point, and as with all things Chinese, they tend to overproduce massively after initial need is met.
I saw the Great Khan riding one at his palace when I visited there in 1355.
Or was it 1439...?
Re:Overnight (Score:4, Interesting)
It's not that easy in Europe. They have quite stringent regulations for vehicles and while bicycles are bicycles (and basically 100% unregulated for historical reasons), scooters are just as rare as Segways because they're treated basically as powered toys that are not allowed on public streets. No way. Trying the same as in SF would just get you a into big and expensive trouble in Europe. You may see single people driving around with them as long as nobody cares, but dump a shitload of them onto the streets and try to make money with them and you'll be very surprised what happens to you there.
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It's not that easy in Europe. They have quite stringent regulations for vehicles and while bicycles are bicycles (and basically 100% unregulated for historical reasons), scooters are just as rare as Segways because they're treated basically as powered toys that are not allowed on public streets. No way. Trying the same as in SF would just get you a into big and expensive trouble in Europe. You may see single people driving around with them as long as nobody cares, but dump a shitload of them onto the streets and try to make money with them and you'll be very surprised what happens to you there.
Surprised ?? Not really. Europe is well known for countries having a model where all permissions are denied unless explicitly granted.
Re:Overnight (Score:5, Funny)
I read something recently that made me chuckle:
"In France, everything is allowed unless it's explicitly denied,
in Germany, everything is denied unless it's explicitly allowed,
in Russia, everything is denied even if it's explicitly allowed,
and in Italy, everything is allowed especially if it's explicitly denied."
My roommate and I just got back from Italy and I was surprised that this Italian company had no problem renting her a Vespa without an International driver's license. "Just look out for the police."
Re:Overnight (Score:5, Funny)
Here's an oldie but it's definitely on target
Heaven in Europe is where
the English are the policemen
the French are the cooks
the German are the mechanics
the Italians are the lovers
and the Swiss organize everything
Hell in Europe is where
the German are the policemen
the English are the cooks
the French are the mechanics
the Swiss are the lovers
and the Italians organize everything
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Bull. I was just in Paris. Not only are Bird and Lime scooters in use, there were many many apparently privately owned motorized scooters in use, perhaps more than bicycles.
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No. Last year it was bike sharing. They all lost money as there's no competitive advantage other than first mover; no way to protect your IP as there's practically nothing to patent.
Bike sharing calmed down, because stories like this Chinese company who went bankrupt because all the bikes were stolen were common. Same thing will happen here.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40351409
Re:Overnight (Score:5, Informative)
Popcorn, anyone? (Score:3)
I don't see this as lasting very long--haven't we already seen an article about a city banning these things? And my first run-in with one was with somebody who was of the definite opinion that "I am on an electric scooter!" means that they automatically have right of way over everybody & do not have to obey the traffic rules. (I admittedly don't know which set applies, but I'm going to bet that you won't go wrong by assuming that the ones that apply to bikes apply to scooters, powered or not.)
I'm not advocating for it or anything, but...if you have a significant percentage of people using these things being idiots and assholes, it's going to only be a matter of time until they either get banned or start requiring a license to use. I don't particularly care, though; I'm just gonna kick back and enjoy the show.
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my first run-in with one was with somebody who was of the definite opinion that "I am on an electric scooter!" means that they automatically have right of way over everybody & do not have to obey the traffic rules. (I admittedly don't know which set applies, but I'm going to bet that you won't go wrong by assuming that the ones that apply to bikes apply to scooters, powered or not.)
Motorcycles, actually. These are legally classed as motorized vehicles until new laws are written. Police are using discretion in enforcement because helmet laws, cycle registration plates, etc. don't make much sense. Unfortunately, they are enforcing the "no motor vehicles on the sidewalks" laws with a vengeance, so now there will be more car/human collisions.
This... My understanding is that the laws that apply to cars equally apply to scooters. They have a different license classification (perhaps the same as motor cycles) but the driving rules should be the same.
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Here, as long as they can't go over 50 km/h (maybe 30 km/h), you don't need a license or insurance and if they have pedals, they don't need lights, signals and such.
Just like bicycles, they are supposed to follow the same driving rules.
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As a pedestrian who walks a small child to and from school I don't see what's unfortunate about that.
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As a pedestrian who walks a small child to and from school I don't see what's unfortunate about that.
Those kinds of laws typically don't get passed unless there's been enough problems with their riders being a danger to pedestrians, deliberately or otherwise, to make it simpler to just force them off of the sidewalk entirely. The city I grew up in actually had people pull off that particular feat for bicycles.
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Are there cities where bicycles can legally use sidewalks? Even as a kid back in the '60's, riding on the sidewalk was illegal, though rarely enforced.
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Google search says that, at least as of 2016, yes, including Washington, DC and Boston. Reference [npr.org] which also covers some of the issues--though I'd note that it doesn't quite cover why pedestrians might feel endangered.
So: Where I grew up, it was legal when I was in preschool...and yes, yes some did try to run people over. I was almost run over myself, around when I was six. That was how I learned I knew how to fall safely well enough to manage a ~10ft steep drop through thick brush & walk away withou
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Are you working under the assumption that being hit by a bike won't cause injury?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk... [theguardian.com]
There's also issue of robberies.
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Are you working under the assumption that being hit by a bike won't cause injury?
Did you miss the part about my experience with being nearly hit by a bike, and that I opted instead for throwing myself off a short cliff to avoid being hit by a bike? Or are you working under the assumption that I did that for some reason other than self-preservation?
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I was under the impression that, in the UK at least, bicycles were considered vehicles from the outset.
Though that was a little bit before my time.
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my first run-in with one was with somebody who was of the definite opinion that "I am on an electric scooter!" means that they automatically have right of way over everybody & do not have to obey the traffic rules. (I admittedly don't know which set applies, but I'm going to bet that you won't go wrong by assuming that the ones that apply to bikes apply to scooters, powered or not.)
Motorcycles, actually. These are legally classed as motorized vehicles until new laws are written. Police are using discretion in enforcement because helmet laws, cycle registration plates, etc. don't make much sense. Unfortunately, they are enforcing the "no motor vehicles on the sidewalks" laws with a vengeance, so now there will be more car/human collisions.
Just checking--you are aware these are the motorized version of kick scooters, not the ones that are a type of motorcycle, right? Though the person I mentioned definitely would have been responsible for a scooter/human collision if there'd been any people trying to use the sidewalk...and, well, probably wouldn't have had a license for very long if spotted by any cops, since for some reason the police tend to like it if you don't have your nose in a book when you're operating a motor vehicle...
Throw them off of sidewalks (Score:5, Insightful)
1. You can't just leave your shit in the middle of the sidewalk. That's called littering.
2. You can't operate a business in the middle of the sidewalk. That's illegal in every municipality that I know of.
3. The really hurt disabled people, such as people in wheelchairs and the blind.
If I can, I just one foot underneath the middle of the things, and launch them somewhere else, out of the way. I'd put them in the trash, if it were worth my time.
Re:Throw them off of sidewalks (Score:4, Insightful)
You can't just destroy property, that's an illegal act.
It's also unwise for an anti-social criminal to share details of their criminal behavior online.
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Well, what about a bike locked to a parking meter? Is that free to take?
IIRC, these things have motion alarms that will sound if someone attempts to move them without unlocking them, which is an attempt at least by their owners to secure them.
The issue here isn't abandoning stuff, nor is it using public spaces for profit, which you generally can do if the activity is not expressly forbidden. The issue is using public spaces in a way that inconveniences other users.
If you can get away with that, making the
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That is not an attempt to secure them. That is an attempt to prevent people from moving property from where it's been improperly abandoned.
And just like with car alarms, especially since a large number of people hate the things being strewn across their sidewalks, essentially will care about this "securement."
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Well, what about a bike locked to a parking meter? Is that free to take?
At least in Los Angeles and San Francisco, using a parking meter as a bike stand/lock stand is illegal. Whilst I may not take it, a quick call to the local authority will have it cut free and impounded.
Re: Throw them off of sidewalks (Score:3)
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Property is generally deemed to have been abandoned if it is found in a place where the true owner likely intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that he or she has no intention of returning to claim i
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It's definitely obstructing a public right of way. I'm under no obligation to put myself at risk by walking in the road, so if it accidentally gets knocked over as I squeeze past it gets knocked over.
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And if you were to *accidentally* knock it over as you squeezed past, that wo
Sounds like a bad plan (Score:3)
If I can, I just one foot underneath the middle of the things, and launch them somewhere else, out of the way.
Where is more out of the way than they are? I've usually seem them propped against posts or buildings, standing up so they are not taking up much walking space.
If you "launch it with a foot" it will land on it's side - either on the sidewalk, or on the street, or maybe into a side of a car. There is no scenario I can see where tossing the thing several feet results in better placement, in fact all
Still a bad plan (Score:2)
I usually put them (sometimes with force) into the area between the sidewalk and the street.
That puts them where cars might go (either for parking or just driving), or especially a problem for bikes which tend to hug the curbs if cars are on the street, so it is still a worse idea.
People around here clip the exposed wires, at least that is a peaceful end that does not hurt either pedestrians or cars... re-arrange them if you must, but anywhere on the street is worse than the sidewalk. Maybe hang them over
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Please, please post a link to any video of you kicking over hot dog carts or espresso stands!
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TFS was all about Lime and Bird, which in my city operate as legal licensed businesses.
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I see the next trend here! (Score:3)
So wait, first it was driverless cars, now it is scooters that are hot...
Obvious next new hot trend: Autonomous Scooters.
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Next up ... (Score:2)
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Like bees (Score:1)
Winter will see a major dip in scooter usage.
Good source of (Score:5, Funny)
free batteries, charging systems, maybe sim cards, and some metal to sell as scrap. Yay makers
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free batteries, charging systems, maybe sim cards, and some metal to sell as scrap. Yay makers
Why not disable the security and just sell cheap working electric scooters?
Needs a blockchain, AI and hashtag. (Score:2)
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Not to forget an emoji based authentication system.
Maybe add a captcha and a bookface/Google/Oauth authentication
The Next FAD (Score:2)
Always some new BS isn't there?
Remember Segways?
Winter is coming (Score:3)
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Put a track between the wheels, small skis on either side and you've got e-motorized skis or mini e-snowmobiles (And yes I'm joking)
Segway, anyone? (Score:2)
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I will say, however, that segways are really cool. A friend convinced me to do one of those "segway tours of the city", in this case Las Vegas. I thought they'd be stupid, but the Segway was actually really intuitive and kind of a thrill to roll around on.
Of course, you can't afford to buy your own unless you're willing to put down motorcycle level cash, but otherwise they're fun.
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Driverless Car Hype Gives Way To E-Scooter Mania (Score:1)
For one or two days, 2 years ago.
The word you want is Technocrat (Score:3)
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Technorati is the name of a business that got bought out in 2016 and got shut down. Did Google type stuff.
No, a Technorati was a word that predated that site. Its a portmanteau of "technology" and "literati" (literati means literate in Latin). In modern parlance literati has been used to as a suffix to describe people considered to be at the forefront of whatever the first word is, however it is often used ironically to indicate that the literati have no idea about what they're on about and should be ignored. The website used the name because of it's meaning (the non ironic one I would assume).
Technocrat is
Oh, old people upset because nobody drives (Score:2)
Cry me a river.
Fossil fuels are over.
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Yet the world still runs on fossil fuels.
I appreciate the idealism, but get serious.
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I am serious. Read. The. Fine. Article.
Notice anything missing?
Yup, fossil fuels.
Here in the West, around 80-98 percent of our electricity is green, not from fossil fuels. By 2020 80 percent of all trucks and cars sold in BC and CA will be either 100 percent electric or 80/20 hybrids. Including most medium and long haul trucks. In fact, Mexico plans to run self-driving tractor trailer trucks north, along highways, in their own lanes, half way up the US.
Any investor can see it coming.
Adapt.
And how many cities banned them? (Score:1)
I have also seen a number of post's about idiot drivers who haven't a clue on safety.
I am not against the idea, just think it should have been thought out better.
Centre of gravity (Score:2)
Scooters have a fundamental problem for adults. Small wheels combined with high centre of gravity gives a very small reaction time for unexpected or misjudged obstacles.
Who funds this crap anyway? Too easy too steal, too easy to have accidents, littering side walks. What's wrong with 'gasp' walking?
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> What's wrong with 'gasp' walking?
They are all over Portland (Score:2)
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do they pay the city for the privilege of using up acres of sidewalk space?
Do motorists pay the city for using up acres of road space (i.e., on-street parking)?
In some cases, yes.
Don't get me wrong, I think the things are a nuisance for just the reasons you describe: there's no place to put them so people just leave them where-ever--the assholes leave them in the middle of the sidewalk while the nice people might try to find a somewhat out of the way place if possible.
My attitude on things like bike/e-bike/scooter type rentals is that they should be required to rent a parking spa
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I'm not sure about elsewhere but in general in the USA you can park on the side of the road, as close to the curb as possible, anywhere that such parking is not explicitly forbidden by signage or other marking. There are some additional rules that you ostensibly have to know in order to be licensed to drive such as not parking in front of a fire hydrant, driveway, too close to an intersection. Most jurisdictions also specify a maximum distance from the curb although I've never seen anyone issued a ticket fo
Parkings? (Score:2)
Don't just release scooters without any means to park and store them properly.
Work with the cities and towns to install locking parkings. In order to return the scooter, you need to dock it. If you don't, the bill is still running on your account.
These will go the way of the hoverboard (Score:2)
Once the lawsuits start rolling in on injuries, and people begin to realize these things are rolling accidents waiting to happen,they will fade away into the sunset just like hoverboards.
More Scooters - Less Cars (Score:2)
Many motorcycles get 65MPG.
Make things safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, scooterists, and motorcyclists.
Reduction of Preventable Bicycle, Motorcycle, and Small Vehicle Hazards
Signaling
No traffic light may ever direct a motorist to drive toward a pedestrian.
Currently, many traffic lights direct left-turning traffic to cross while the pedestrian is directed to walk. While many drivers yield, often the motorist will false-start when/if they notice the pedestrian
Fuck Em (Score:2)
I started seeing these BIRD scooters in my area recently. If I'm walking and I come across one, I'm chucking it in the nearest dumpster. They're fucking blocking the sidewalks.
Road Rage (Score:1)
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I nominate asshat. =P
(Yes, Technocrat is the actual word that is too sophisticated for the pompous author.)
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Q. What acute problem does an E-Scooter solve? A. Nothing!
The acute problem is the "last few miles" problem of urban mass transit rail systems (the "Metro" as it is called in many cities around the world). You can take a Metro into the city center to commute to your job, but then you have get to that final destination on foot. On a Metro can cross an urban area at an average speed of 30 MPH, but then you have to get to your final destination at 3 MPH. The whole commuting strategy is much improved if you can do that final bit at 15 MPH.
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walk. it still works.
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How about where they store the two tons of metal most workers bring with them every day?
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