Don't ride these

On a work trip to Tempe, Arizona, I stayed right across from Sun Devil Stadium at Arizona State University. The surrounding town is littered with these shareable electric scooters from two companies, Lime and Bird. My work group was intrigued by these things and decided to try them out to commute to places around town. We used both Lime and Bird. Here's what I thought about them.

Convenient 

These scooters are easy and convenient to hop on an go. There are no docking stations, so you just grab an available one that' s standing on the street, scan it with their respective app, and then scoot on your way. The Lime app is easy to use. I didn't have any problems aside from connecting my Google Pay account at first, but within 5 minutes of initial setup, I was on my way. 

These things are dangerous 

These scooters top out at around 18.5 mph, and most of the time, you'll be traveling at that speed. You're supposed to share the bike lane with these things when possible, if not, the sidewalk is the place to be. 

As a seasoned urban cyclist, I am confident in my ability to traverse around traffic in city lanes on a vehicle that is not a car. I applied my cycling skills to these scooters and was confident that I did everything that I could to be safe. However, most people are not an expert in urban cycling situations. The inexperience that people have when traveling on these things cannot translate well in an environment mixed with cars, bikes, and pedestrians. 

While riding a Lime scooter, the company recommends you follow the following rules:

1. A helmet is required
2. Obey all traffic laws
3. Don't ride downhills 
4. Have a valid driver's license 
5. You are 18 years or older
6. Ride at your own risk 
7. One rider per Lime-S 

In addition to these rules, you must use bike lanes whenever possible and stay off the sidewalk. I imagine in the towns where these scooters are available, there are plenty of bike lanes. However, in my experience, I was found needing to momentarily take a lane in traffic when the bike lane disappears. 

The problem with these rules is that I'm sure no one is following them to the best of their ability. No one I saw was brave enough to look like a dork in public and don a helmet, the most critical piece of safety equipment. 

As a resident, annoying

These scooters are parked everywhere for pedestrians to dodge or walk over on sidewalks. They take up bike racks, making it difficult for a cyclists to lock up their bikes. The lack of awareness that most people have while riding these scooters can only make for angry drivers and congested traffic conditions. If these were in my town, I'd petition to get rid of them. 

Incredible fun

Despite the danger. Despite your gut feeling that says you shouldn't ride these things at all, you will always want to come back and scoot on some more. 

The same feeling of mobility and freedom that you had when you first started riding a bike exists on these scooters every time you go for a ride. And it also makes you feel better that you're not spending more money just to travel a mile and a half in a rideshare. 

Overall

I don't recommend these at all to people who value not getting hurt or hurting anyone else. The fun and convenience that these scooters bring are just not worth the risk of injury or even death. Every time I got off of one, I felt extremely grateful that nothing bad happened and I could continue on with my day. That feeling shouldn't exist after a normal, everyday commute. Don't ride these.