calling the police

[les]

————- I rest my case !

[stuffedpike20]

Holy thread revival Batman!

Shocking pictures on GMB this morning of an elderly woman being knocked down on the pavement by a woman on an E scooter.

Unfortunately when the programme discussed the issue, they did not state that privately owned E scooters can only legally be used on private land with the land owners' permission. (The woman was riding a scooter involved in the trials.)

There are so many of them in use now that many people think they are 'legal by perception'. ie there are so many of them...surely they must be legal.

Wrong.

[geoberni]

In the East Midlands this morning, it was announced that 'Trial Scooters' are coming back to Nottingham after the previous Scooter provider suddenly closed down in December.
The Scooters will come from the same company that are currently providing the e-bikes in the city.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-n ... e-68849058

[svenedin]

E-scooters are a huge problem where I live on the edges of South London. They are ridden on pavements and on roads. The riders don't wear helmets, they approach at speed almost silently and they don't have lights at night. There is also a big problem with ordinary bicycles being ridden at night with no lights and no cycle helmet. I really get upset about it for a number of reasons. 1) It is illegal but the police do nothing about it 2) I feel at risk as a pedestrian and as a driver. If I hit one of these even if unlit at night I bet I will dragged through the coals 3) All taxpayers are paying for the medical costs of the NHS when it all goes horribly wrong.

Stephen

[Guildbass]

Sorry everyone...E scooters again.

The other day I was confronted by an illegal E scooter coming at me on a narrow pavement. I kept walking straight (in the new Highway Code, pedestrians are supposed to be King)...

Pedestrians have always had 'right of way' and on pavements not even bicycles can be ridden. I must admit I'd be tempted to shoulder the little 'Datsun' into the road....

[stuffedpike20]

E-scooters are a huge problem where I live on the edges of South London. They are ridden on pavements and on roads. The riders don't wear helmets, they approach at speed almost silently and they don't have lights at night. There is also a big problem with ordinary bicycles being ridden at night with no lights and no cycle helmet. I really get upset about it for a number of reasons. 1) It is illegal but the police do nothing about it 2) I feel at risk as a pedestrian and as a driver. If I hit one of these even if unlit at night I bet I will dragged through the coals 3) All taxpayers are paying for the medical costs of the NHS when it all goes horribly wrong.

Stephen

Illegal E scooters (those not in the never-ending trials) are now 'legal by perception'.
There are so many of them in use that many people assume that they are legal.

[svenedin]

Let’s also not forget the fires caused by the batteries exploding. Numerous house fires and a few weeks ago an E-scooter caught fire on the platform at Epsom station. Had that been on a packed train it would have been disastrous.

Stephen

[geoberni]

Let’s also not forget the fires caused by the batteries exploding. Numerous house fires and a few weeks ago an E-scooter caught fire on the platform at Epsom station. Had that been on a packed train it would have been disastrous.

Stephen

A lot of the problem with the privately purchased ones is the fact that they are Cheap Cr*p with poor quality electrics and batteries.
So even if not on charge, the battery can still go critical from internal leakage.
They need banning full stop, before there are lives lost; too many close calls; I recon that for every incident that makes the news, there will be several others.

[stuffedpike20]

Let’s also not forget the fires caused by the batteries exploding. Numerous house fires and a few weeks ago an E-scooter caught fire on the platform at Epsom station. Had that been on a packed train it would have been disastrous.

Stephen

A lot of the problem with the privately purchased ones is the fact that they are Cheap Cr*p with poor quality electrics and batteries.
So even if not on charge, the battery can still go critical from internal leakage.
They need banning full stop, before there are lives lost; too many close calls; I recon that for every incident that makes the news, there will be several others.

Lives have already been lost, both in house fires and road traffic accidents. Remember the poor lady who was run into on the footpath in Nottinghamshire by a 14 year old lad on an E scooter. She died a few days later.

The present government have kicked the problem down the road, with endless trials, instead of doing the right thing and banning the lot of them.

[les]

I’m not necessarily disagreeing with these sentiments but if they were around in our day ——— we’d all have one !!

[simmitc]

I'm also not disagreeing with above sentiments, but more people are killed by cars every year than by Escooters. Should all cars be banned too?

[les]

Well I think If there were as many e scooters as cars, you’re conclusions may be different.

[stuffedpike20]

I believe a special category of transport is being created, which will include E scooters and E bikes.

The bikes and scooters will have to be insured; the riders will have to keep off footpaths, and there will be a 15mph speed limit.

So expect an un-insured E scooter coming at you on the footpath at 40mph soon.

[stuffedpike20]

An incident from a few weeks ago. I was walking along a narrow footpath to a shop when I heard a voice behind me...
'Can I get past'.
I looked over my shoulder to see a 20 year old on a mountain bike.
'It's a footpath'. I said.
'What?' He said.
'It's a footpath. Bikes go on the road'. I said, helpfully pointing to the road.
I carried on walking.
'Well I go on the footpath'. He said.
'You are breaking the law then'. I said.
I carried on walking.
'I don't give a f*** about the law'. He said. 'Call the law if you want to'.
I carried on walking.
'I'm coming past you, and if I catch you it's your fault'. He said.
I carried on walking.
'If there weren't cameras around, you would be on your @rse by now'. He said.
'That would make you a hero wouldn't it?' I said.
'Yes'. He said.
I turned off to enter the shop that I was going to. He shouted to me.. 'You are an old c***, you will be dead in 2 years'.
He carried on biking up the footpath, scattering other pedestrians.

Two things interested me about this encounter.
1) He thought that calling me old was a terrible insult. I am old, and quite proud of it.
2) He does not give a f*** about the law, and yet he is scared to bike on a fairly quiet road.

Bizarre.

[Mick Lynch]

The old versus the new… The same conversation has been going on for years!

An incident from a century ago. I was pushing my handcart along a narrow track to a shop when I heard a voice behind me...
'I say! Can I get past?'
I looked over my shoulder to see young gent in one of those new fangled motorcars.
'It be a bridle way '. I said.
'What?' He said.
'It be a bridle way, motor cars go along the new divided road'. I said.
I carried on walking.
'Well I go on the kings highway'. He said.
'You are breaking the law then'. I said.
I carried on walking.
'I don't give a Bally hoot about such trifles!'. He said. 'Fetch the beagle if you want to'.
I carried on walking.
'I'm coming past you, and if I catch you it's your fault'. He said.
I carried on walking.
'I say, if you hadn’t engaged me in a trivial conversation and forced me to a standstill, you could very well be in the hedgerow by now'. He said.
'That would make you a hero wouldn't it?' I said.
'Yes, actually'. He said pointing to his campaign medal from Ypres on his lapel
I turned off to enter the shop that I was going to. I heard him say. 'My, my what an insufferable old codge, I hope his wheel gets woodworm! Fnarr, fnarr’.
He carried on motoring up the lane, scattering other pedestrians.

A hundred years hence we’ll be having them about them new personal jet packs knocking respectable folks off their hoverboards!!

[Mick Lynch]

I’m not necessarily disagreeing with these sentiments but if they were around in our day ——— we’d all have one !!

Too right!

10 points to griffindor

[stuffedpike20]

A few years ago ,when they were still keen; my local constabulary actually confiscated an illegal E scooter.

They put a photo of it on their website with a board leaning up against it saying 'UNINSURED'.

This gave people the idea that if they bought an illegal E scooter, and insured it....it would be legal.

Worse than useless.