I love the idea of the current scooter trend populating our neighborhoods. It’s a terrific substitute for driving short distances. Got an errand? Save gas. Reduce traffic. Ride a scooter.
However, there are two things I don’t like about the scooter trend:
First, many scooter riders plop their scooters anywhere that’s convenient for them, littering our sidewalks and often blocking the way for anyone to walk.
Second, many scooter riders don’t follow the rules of the road or the rules of the sidewalk and zoom around as if they own the world. (They don't!)
The other day I was driving along a four-lane road. Two lanes going each direction. Out of nowhere, a helmet-less man on a scooter was going full scooter speed weaving between the moving cars as if he was on a motorcycle. As he swerved between cars, I saw him almost get hit twice, and both times it was the car that jammed on its breaks. The scooter rider was completely oblivious. The dumbass could have ended up under the wheel of a car, possibly dead, flattened into a scooter pie.
And then there’s my neighbor, an often-inebriated creature who always rides his scooter along the streets and sidewalks. Damn, he can barely walk a straight line. I cannot ever imagine him passing a scooter rider’s sobriety test.
This same neighbor used to carry the scooter into the building and park it outside his door. One of the neighbors must’ve reported the loitering scooter to the building manager because he now carries the scooter inside his apartment. I guess he doesn’t want to return the scooter so other scooter enthusiasts could use it.
Should someone call the scooter company and let them know one of their scooters has been kidnapped? Will my often-inebriated neighbor call the scooter company and demand ransom?
And finally, let’s not forget about scooter riders who scoot around while texting. This can only to lead to unfortunate disastrous accidents. Don’t text and scoot!
I don’t want to sound anti-scooter because I’m not. I just want scooter riders to be courteous while riding the streets and sidewalks, and to be mindful of where they dump their scooters when they’re done using them.
Who knows, maybe someday I’ll download the scooter app and be a scooter rider myself... though I’d look more like Pee Wee Herman on a scooter than a scooter riding hipster... and that would be just fine with me.
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