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Featured Replies

8 hours ago, SDG said:

I ordered one that arrived today.  I rode it to the post office to drop off some mail.  I have no idea what kind of batteries it has, but I was able to sustain 18 mph on the flats.  I plan to use it around my neighborhood to get to the gym and local bars.

 

As pointed out above the rentals lying around everywhere may be a bit much but owning one in an urban environment is a good idea.   

Wish they had some welded in hooks to fit a lock.  The only option I see now is to loop through the rear wheel. 

 

It's easy to take it inside a business like the post, convenience store, pharmacy, and drop it near the door for a few minutes.  

 

But for longer stints like visiting a festival I don't wanna be lugging a 30# package around the whole time

5 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Wish they had some welded in hooks to fit a lock.  The only option I see now is to loop through the rear wheel. 

 

It's easy to take it inside a business like the post, convenience store, pharmacy, and drop it near the door for a few minutes.  

 

But for longer stints like visiting a festival I don't wanna be lugging a 30# package around the whole time

You can lock under the front wheel. A U-lock will work at a bike rack, or regular bike chain will work.

5 hours ago, mycox said:

You can lock under the front wheel. A U-lock will work at a bike rack, or regular bike chain will work.

I'm planning on using a cable instead of a U.  Also looks like the steering column can be removed with a single Allen key, meaning they can put the whole thing together without lock, rather than removing the rear wheel (covered with plastic housing) and having only 1 wheel.

 

Anyway, there's a nice hardsided attachment bag on AliExpress I might use to carry the charger around.  That way I can top it back up at destination e.g. the office

 

The nice thing I discovered is even without electric assist it rolls pretty smoothly.  Figured it would be sluggish deadweight if juice goes dry



owning one in an urban environment is a good idea.   


Do you ride it on the street? Follow bicycle law?
41 minutes ago, woohorn said:


 

 


Do you ride it on the street? Follow bicycle law?

 

Im lucky enough to live in area where there are a lot of bike paths so I don’t have to use the road or sidewalks. Bikes and scooter laws are the same here. 

After talking about these with someone I saw a guy just drive right through a 4 way stop. Luckily the cars saw him otherwise that dude would be a goner.

22 hours ago, Deej said:

Do you have to provide proof of insurance along with your driver's license? If not, and the scooter companies claim they aren't responsible, then this is a problem.

https://www.statesman.com/news/local/who-pays-when-electric-rental-scooters-cause-damage-maybe-you/O6HoBeCV2Rpwe2XEv7tE9H/

When I activated the Bird one I rode, there were several pages of very lengthy T&C that I had to scroll through without reading and agree to before continuing.  I assume somewhere in there, the company was telling me it was my fault and not theirs if I fuck something up.

  • 3 months later...
On 8/5/2018 at 7:14 AM, Biff Tannen said:

These things are like cockroaches in this city.  Most of the people I see riding them look like they are a couple of seconds from eating it.

 

8 hours ago, utee94 said:

https://www.cnet.com/news/electric-scooters-by-bird-and-lime-are-causing-injuries-and-accidents/

 

Finally getting a little data in regarding injury statistics from these things.

Like I said.  Also I saw one that had been chunked into Waller Creek in Hyde Park the other day.  Good riddance.

http://www.kut.org/post/electric-scooters-and-bikes-will-be-coming-some-austin-trails-starting-next-month?fbclid=IwAR3vLrEz-4746RGi0BwCQJYd52oI8KzGZN0W-TlbYjES9aP7gHmCBdwIuWY

And now the city of Austin is about to start letting them on some of the trails.  There's already too many of them on the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail and it's not even allowed yet.  Motherfuckers deserve to get clotheslined.  

How could anyone think that putting out thousands of scooters in a high-traffic urban environment, for completely inexperienced riders to just hop on and start riding with no protective gear (yeah, I know) and no training or rules of the road/sidewalk, would not lead to accidents, injuries, and deaths? It was completely predictable. I'm surprised there haven't been more.

How many times do think armybrat has clicked on this thread only to be disappointed?

He had  the 4volt.  I did him a favor. 

Just passed one of these on 1431 between Round Rock and Cedar Park.  On a stretch of road with 4 miles before he gets anywhere.  Can you drive one of these things all over the state?  

Just bought one to use in The Woodlands where I am 3.5 miles from house to office. Bike trails here say no motorized vehicles so I guess I’ll use my leg to pretend I’m pushing it manually if I happen to pass anyone... usually no one one the trails when I’m riding my bike...

Swagtron has this on sale for $300 on their website... Cheaper than a battery for my e-bike...

Edited by Grimas

  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/30/2018 at 11:56 AM, HenryJames said:

How many times do think armybrat has clicked on this thread only to be disappointed?

Just did for the first time.

almost bought one for my grandson, but his neighborhood doesn’t have very many sidewalks.

17 minutes ago, Hook1997 said:

So assholes are just going around destroying them and posting about it....   

They’re disruptive non-tech geniuses.

I tried to rent one of these after the Iowa State game a few weeks ago while fully sauced. Luckily all the ones we found were dead.

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

Proud members of the Ann Kitchen Luddite Army 

Disruption be Dammed!  is their battle cry...



Bike trails here say no motorized vehicles


Several qs:

1) Are you supposed to ride these e-scooters on the street? Sidewalks? Trails? Anyone know what the technical TX law is? Same as bikes?

2) Trails have "no motorized vehicle" signs, but I always believed this is the technical definition of a term of art under the motor vehicle code, not literal meaning of "motorized", otherwise motorized wheelchairs or rascals wouldn't be allowed. Is this what the signs mean?

Starting tomorrow UT Austin will begin rounding up and impounding any scooter not in an approved parking area. This is going to be so much fun to watch. It’s like it’s Christmas Eve for @birdgraveyard fans.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

9 hours ago, 4th_and_18 said:

Starting tomorrow UT Austin will begin rounding up and impounding any scooter not in an approved parking area. This is going to be so much fun to watch. It’s like it’s Christmas Eve for @birdgraveyard fans.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

giphy.gif

Noticeable difference in number of scooters on campus. But also the companies may have removed them because the number of customers is considerably less for the next few weeks.



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Saw a bunch of Bird scooters lined up in front of the Weed-Corley funeral home on Lamar today. Looked classy.

Saw a bunch of Bird scooters lined up in front of the Weed-Corley funeral home on Lamar today. Looked classy.

Was one of the scooters long, with curtains? Cuz that’d be cool.
On 12/16/2018 at 10:18 PM, woohorn said:

Several qs:

1) Are you supposed to ride these e-scooters on the street? Sidewalks? Trails? Anyone know what the technical TX law is? Same as bikes?

2) Trails have "no motorized vehicle" signs, but I always believed this is the technical definition of a term of art under the motor vehicle code, not literal meaning of "motorized", otherwise motorized wheelchairs or rascals wouldn't be allowed. Is this what the signs mean?

 

It's a city ordinance thing.  In Austin there was recently a discussion about this and they have approved them only on a small handful of trails.  They are considered motorized vehicles and are not allowed on the Town Lake hike and bike trail and most others.  People take them on it anyway and are generally a nuisance on the trail.  

12 hours ago, Deej said:

Saw a bunch of Bird scooters lined up in front of the Weed-Corley funeral home on Lamar today. Looked classy.

The parking situation there will make a man do crazy things.

 

On 12/16/2018 at 10:15 AM, Hook1997 said:

So assholes heroes are just going around destroying them and posting about it....   

damn eyesores

11 hours ago, Brisketexan said:


Was one of the scooters long, with curtains? Cuz that’d be cool.

Pulling a black radio flyer

2 hours ago, Your Mom said:

It's a city ordinance thing.  In Austin there was recently a discussion about this and they have approved them only on a small handful of trails.  They are considered motorized vehicles and are not allowed on the Town Lake hike and bike trail and most others.  People take them on it anyway and are generally a nuisance on the trail.  

Fools need the lariat. Shoulder check incoming. 

  • 3 weeks later...

We were on the trail around Town Lake this weekend and noticed a LOT of scooters on the trail. I know there were signs posted a few months back stating that they are prohibited, but that hasn't really done much, but on Saturday there were far more than normal.

It got me thinking, since those things have GPS in them so they can locate them, why can't cities draft scooter ordinances that require them to utilize GPS to turn them off in prohibited areas like golf courses do when you drive your cart to close to the greens/ponds/teeboxes?

 

Edited by Orange&White

they can.  they just dont.  i think some scooter rental companies and cities do enforce geo-fencing

18 hours ago, Orange&White said:

We were on the trail around Town Lake this weekend and noticed a LOT of scooters on the trail. I know there were signs posted a few months back stating that they are prohibited, but that hasn't really done much, but on Saturday there were far more than normal.

It got me thinking, since those things have GPS in them so they can locate them, why can't cities draft scooter ordinances that require them to utilize GPS to turn them off in prohibited areas like golf courses do when you drive your cart to close to the greens/ponds/teeboxes?

 

This. 

Mine of these fuckers hits a dog the scooter and the asshole are both going in the water. 

On 8/15/2018 at 7:50 AM, Deej said:

Do you have to provide proof of insurance along with your driver's license? If not, and the scooter companies claim they aren't responsible, then this is a problem.

https://www.statesman.com/news/local/who-pays-when-electric-rental-scooters-cause-damage-maybe-you/O6HoBeCV2Rpwe2XEv7tE9H/

I see these things laying in the street all the time after being blown over by the wind. Seems pretty likely they get run over from time to time, probably causing damage to the cars that hit em. I'd be surprised if they don't fall over & hit cars sometimes as well.

Even without all that, tho, riders crash these things at an alarming rate. If you're ever in an area where there are many of them and you watch how they're being ridden, you see why. 

On 8/15/2018 at 2:56 PM, woohorn said:

Do you ride it on the street? Follow bicycle law?

 

This is the biggest problem. People just ride them willy nilly all over the place on streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails, with zero rules of the road ... hopping from one to the other with no warning to other motorists, peds, or cyclists. The riders often have no clue how to ride something like that in the first place, even without all the associated hazards of riding in crowded or traffic-congested areas ... like the chick that couldn't avoid the curb in front of her, hit it, and faceplanted hard. They are motorized vehicles and need to be treated as such. No sidewalks. No trails. They should be relegated to streets with strict enforcement. Mayyybe bike lanes at worst.

Edited by wood

On 11/30/2018 at 3:54 PM, Jerry Callo said:

Just passed one of these on 1431 between Round Rock and Cedar Park.  On a stretch of road with 4 miles before he gets anywhere.  Can you drive one of these things all over the state?  

1431? 

JFC. Humans as a species are getting dumber by the hour.

BirdWord.jpg

 

They  just passed scooter laws in Atlanta. Scooters are not allowed on sidewalks 

Edited by EuroHorn

Pretty sure the minimum speed on interstates is 40 MPH. That guy’s gonna get killed.

That guy should be riding on the shoulder, which is most definitely NOT a sidewalk.

 

PS- When I was in Austin in early October, I used those things a lot. Parked in a garage downtown one night and then on the street another night and used those things and spent a few bucks rather than $25 to $45+ on Uber/Lyft. Always used the bike lanes and did not run red lights, then left the thing on a corner so that it was out of people's way, but easily visible. If used properly, those things are awesome, but there should be an asshole test before you can sign up .

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