OPINIONS:
James Alexander Laurier: They're dangerous on roads, can't go on the hwy, don't need a license, only require a bike helmet, burn electricity, waste plastic, confuse potential owners and owners alike with notions of eco-awareness, and when a bright light decides to drive one on the sidewalk they become dangerous to pedestrians. We are better off without them.
Girlfriend: I've never been personally harmed or angered by an electric scooter rider, but I've also never seen anyone look cool while riding one. If you can manage to look as classy as Hepburn and Peck on a scooter then you can slow down traffic and confuse the sidewalk for the road all you want. Unfortunately, it's mostly frumpy nerds and gadget loving dads (who also own reclining bicycles) zooming around on these things. How many people do you know that both own an electric scooter AND are cool? Is it possible that this just makes it easier for us to hate electric scooters? Maybe we should look to the electric scooter's slower, weaker, and even lamer little brother (the regular scooter) for the answer...
Brother: Electric scooters.... garbage.
They are a bit of a waste. why not bike?? cheaper, no enviro impact (batteries etc...) also the laws surrounding them are a bit too loose. its not a car, a motorbike or a bike...what the hell is it??
They are a bit of a waste. why not bike?? cheaper, no enviro impact (batteries etc...) also the laws surrounding them are a bit too loose. its not a car, a motorbike or a bike...what the hell is it??
Coworker:They look funny and drive too slow to be on busy roads; perfect for Europe! BUT if someone offered me one for free I would take it - especially if it's a funky colour.
SUMMARY:
For $1200 - $2000 CAD you can purchase an e-bike/electric scooter, buy a bicycle helmet and hit the roads. They generally top out at 32km/hr and you need to be over 16 to drive one. You don't need a motorcycle license or a drivers license. You just need heart.
MY STORY:
One evening last fall I was walking home from work. I was headed to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for dinner. It felt nice as it was one of those rare November days where the weather was temperate and the sky blue.
I noticed a man on an electric scooter crossing at the intersection not 100ft from me. "I don't like these things." I thought, and it's true. I never have. Anyways, so I noticed a man on a scooter. What was strange about him crossing the intersection was that he was going against his light. He had a red but was still crossing. Even stranger, he was crossing with pedestrians. I thought "oh god... what is this moron doing?".
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not some elitist prick, I just get bothered by these kinds of things. So I thought "If we cross paths I'm going to say something." What was I going to say? I didn't know, I didn't even have time to think about it. Here's why: A man on an electric scooter was crossing against his light at an intersection, with pedestrians. He turns his scooter, mounts the sidewalk and is headed straight for me.
I couldn't believe it. I was furious, I'll admit that, and my reaction may have been questionable too. He putters past me forcing me off to the side. I lifted my arms gesturing to him "WTF are you doing?!", he looked at me and said "Mind your own business idiot.". He was somewhat right. But should I have minded my own business?
Here's my dilemma. I believe we should mind our opinions. I think we'd be better off with a lot of bottled up viewpoints. I also feel that if people don't say anything, if they don't get behind their passions and change perspectives, then we're not so better off. Quite the paradox... but not in this case.
My rationale - If I freak out on this man, if I let him have it, then maybe next time he'll think twice about bringing his scooter onto the sidewalk. So, I did just that and here's what happened after following him to his parking spot.
James Alexander Laurier: What are you doing driving your scooter on the sidewalk?!
Man on Scooter: It's electric.
JAL: WHAT!? I don't give a shit if it's electric. It's dangerous.
MOS: Mind your own business. (Smug grin and laughing)
JAL: Bikes aren't even allowed on the sidewalk, let alone scooters.You almost hit me.
*Grocery store employee comes to see what's happening.*
JAL: Don't be an idiot. Just because it's electric doesn't mean you can drive it on the sidewalk.
MOS then muttered a bunch of things along the lines of "you're not my dad" or "your not the boss of me". He walked away and so did I. But I don't blame MOS. It's really not his fault. How should he know better? He just bought the electric scooter and was innocently driving it and some elitist prick reamed him out for driving it on the sidewalk. "It's electric." and herein lies the problem.
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