It's currently illegal in the UK to ride a privately owned electric scooter in a public place.
Just been run into at full speed on a pavement by a teenager on an electric scooter. It was on a blind corner and he was going full pelt. Ended up with a bit of a cut to the hand where my knuckle hit his handlebars. I'm a bit ashamed to say he got some expletives, but in my defence it was damn painful. Had this been someone older/more frail, I think this could have been a lot worse.
I see them being driven at speed on pavements quite regularly and I think the police just turn a blind eye these days...I think its seen as a "green" transport mode. I don't really have a problem with riders of bikes or scooters on pavements where they are empty or at an appropriately low speed but these scooters seriously shift and have some weight behind them!
Anyway, now thats off my chest...whats the solution to this? Clearly people buy them to use as transport but they seem unsafe for riding on both the road and the pavement!
It's currently illegal in the UK to ride a privately owned electric scooter in a public place.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Should be on the road, and not the pavement. I’d have used a hell of a lot of expletives in your shoes too.
Thought so, but they are really commonplace now, particularly amongst teens who you either see riding them or wheeling them inside shops. Every person that owns one must have the intent of riding illegally otherwise they are a pointless item.
Got me thinking, the only way we make cars safe is the very real threat of severe financial punishment or worse should you be caught doing something dangerous or not following the rules. After today, I seriously think the police should drive around with a bloody big van and confiscate each one being seen ridden on a pavement!
Not just the pavement Christian, they’re just as dangerous and just as illegal when ridden on the road.
They really should be licensed, taxed and insured in the same way as any other motor vehicle.
FWIW, I find the concept of riding bicycles on the pavement to be just as wrong although lots of places now have pavements which double up as cycle lanes.
I had exactly the same thing with an electric scooter when exiting a local park, lad came into the park at full tilt on a blind entrance, I was on the footpath in the park.
Now I was checking the train times on my phone and had lots of time to look up for a pedestrian, but he had to take evasive action and started yelling at me to get off my ‘f’ing phone!
Clearly it’s a footpath in a child’s park with swings etc
The level of aggression was epic from the lad (17 years old’ish) so I thought this isn’t worth it and I’m in a no win situation so just walked away.
PS. Also they being ridden in London in traffic on the roads with no helmets or insurance, only a matter of time before the fatalities start.
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Last edited by dizz; 3rd April 2021 at 20:35.
My lesson learnt today are that these things are actually quite heavy and when driven at 15mph they definitely have some momentum to them and could be lethal to someone a bit older who isn't as robust. They are often ridden by kids with no real experience to be able to weigh up risk and consequence.
Sadly, I guess we only go down the route of insurance and licences when we have a few serious third party injuries and deaths.
Last edited by Christian; 3rd April 2021 at 20:36.
I do not mind bikes or scooters on pavements or pedestrian areas but when there is excessive speed or lack of regard for the safety of others, I do not feel the same.
On our family walks, we will let bikes on pavements overtake us and there is a thank you/acknowledgement from them. On occasions the cyclists are in front heading towards us, they often go to the grass verge and still acknowledge.
When I had a bike many years ago, all pavement cycling involved pedestrians having the right of way and given plenty of space.
Hope your hand is ok.
Already have...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-en...ondon-53823514
Cheers
Rory
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Interesting that here there just yesterday there was a social media post that the local police were having a clampdown. There were noticably fewer in the town today when I was out for a stroll.
Without doubt they are a total nuisance and left unchecked will become a menace.
Back to the post - there were plenty of responses saying that the police have better things to do, and this was only people having fun.
It'll all be jolly good fun until little Timmy gets squashed under an 18 wheeler, an irate motorist runs someone over or some old dear gets flattened by some cabbage, at which point it'll be 'why was nothing done'.
The joys of modern life, eh.
I have an electric scooter which I use to do the school run. My youngest goes on his micro scooter and eldest on her bike. Since they are only 4 and 7 we go on the pavement but only slow speeds and I always make a point of giving way to pedestrians. After dropping them off I come back mainly on the road with a short stretch on the pavement but again only at walking pace unless there is no one at all around.
Not everyone rides these like a tw*t and they have a place in getting people out of their cars. I would personally say that e-bikes are at least as hazardous, especially once de-restricted so they travel 30+ mph.
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As you say, if it was an elderly person or someone disabled the outcome could be fatal. Cracking things if used safely.
I saw an incident at my local supermarket once. These pikey kids doing wheelies back and forth in front of the main entrance stretch when one of them swerved at an elderly lady. Well her husband or fella is still kicking about and looked a bit of a hard nut in his day, and ran his trolly into the kid pulling another wheelie on his way back from the trolly bay and give him a dressing down. I know off topic, was just great seeing this old woman still have someone looking out for her .
I don’t travel at walking pace when on the road or cycle lane, just when on the pavement
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“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”
Where I live in San Diego there is no problem with electric scooters. But, I have had hundreds of encounters with morons who have their noses glued to their phones, completely oblivious to people in the outside world. They typically are pissed off at the person whose path they just bumbled into.
We go walking in wetlands and along canals where cycles are allowed but plenty of signs indicate pedestrians have priority.
Every week there are near misses with cyclists using the paths as race tracks and now electric scooters are everywhere, being ridden by all age groups and sexes.
They’re a menace and should be treated as motor vehicles, which are very much banned on these routes.
I’m never staring at my phone while walking but will be looking at local bird life through binoculars when these bell ends come barrelling through, expecting you to get out of the way.
Same as any other vehicle, it’s the user that’s the problem but nothing will be done until people start getting hospitalised. And it’s only a matter of time.
I hate them with a passion.
I think the difference is that America is geared towards people on wheels. In the UK, the pavement is for people on foot and as long as you aren’t crossing the road whilst looking at your phone (some idiots do attempt this), then you have every right to be stood on the pavement and not expect someone at high speed to run you over.
I’ve travelled across the States quite a lot and, as a runner, sometimes found it difficult to find places to run because the pavement system isn’t used in the same way...American’s don’t seem to walk as much along the roads. Similarly, in Canada I did a rural walk through the woods to see a local tourist attraction (an old trellis bridge) and there were more people on quad bikes than on foot.
It's just another example of "I don't care that it's illegal and I'll ride it how I like with no regard for others 'cos I'm all right jack". No sense of social responsibility.
I'm no huge fan of ambulance chasing lawyers, but people may begin to think twice if they ended up putting their hands in their pockets for injuries caused by their actions as in the OP.
It would be nice to see a few well publicised prosecutions, but of course the bleeding heat brigade/press would bleat about poor little Johnny/Jane being persecuted by the bullying Police.
I’m not sure registration and insurance will make much difference. We have that for cars and that seems to make little difference to the standard of driving! Who is going to police it? If the police aren’t bothered with people doing 30 or 35 in a 20 zone (or more likely don’t have the resource to prioritise it) I can’t see them taking much notice of electric scooter riders.
E-scooters are being trialled on the Isle of Wight, someone's already had a driving ban.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-55709565
I agree - - if a person is standing on the pavement (sidewalk in the U.S.) they should be free to do what they wish. Here in the States, hardly anyone is standing still while operating their phone. 95% are walking (into objects, into other people, into roadways busy with cars) in a f'king trance, amazed by whatever is going on with their phone. And if these idiots cause a collision through inattentiveness, they always play the martyr.
The Met Police were catching them around here on Thursday.
https://thehaveringdaily.co.uk/2021/...of-e-scooters/
I also saw two bike coppers siezing a car they had stopped about a hundred yards from where I live that same afternoon. So that would answer to of your points I suppose, hope that helps.
They are like a plague in North Harrow, on the roads, on the pavements, in the parks. At school time,there are so many - so obviously the "in thing" for 6th formers to own. Most are being ridden "fairly" responsibly.
There was a Zwings electric scooter left at the end of my road over the weekend; I assume that it had run out of juice so the rider just left it there. It had a GPS tracker sticker, so I guess Zwings knew where it was - anyway later in the day it was gone, so they probably picked it up.
You need some level of fitness to ride them (balancing and standing up), so if you are fit enough for that, wouldn't it be better to walk and get the exercise instead? Or hire/buy a bicycle? And not an ebike!
Exactly. A solution to a problem that doesn’t exist - and when all the batteries are past their useful life we’re left with the environmental cost of getting rid of them and all the toxic chemicals they contain. What happened to all the ‘hover boards’ from a few years ago? Yep, more landfill no doubt. Hurrah for e-nonsense! - just get the bus and/or walk to school. Next thing they’ll be saying there’s an obesity crisis among youngsters. Oh hang on.....
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I’m not sure it’s a case of a problem that doesn’t exist. I avoid the buses at the best of times and cycling to the office to arrive sweaty doesn’t appeal either and the 6 mile walk each way would take too long. E-transport in whatever form offers an alternative and much like other transport methods, if ridden sensibly obeying the rules and its roadworthy I can’t see a problem. The legislation will catch up, the horse has already bolted.
Essex County Council have opted into this scheme. Its a bloody disaster. Driven by the DfT using 'Spin' a part of the Ford Motor Company. I have been inundated with complaints and powerless to do anything. All this nonsense about lower emissions and creating a greener City? Elderly and disabled people face real fears mixing with idiots either stoned or half cut. Until someone gets killed, no real measures will be introduced. Most of these culprits ride around using their parents driving licence details. We are down for 350 of these machines in my City!!
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Last edited by wildheart; 14th June 2021 at 10:15.
There needs to be a law change, for sure. We have one, for a very specific reason, and it suits perfectly.
The legality of using it makes me nervous on every outing!
Law/enforcement of law won't catch up until there have been deaths.
I don't buy the whole 'green' thing either. A bicycle is far greener, more suited to being on the road and serves the same purpose...as would walking.