It might not apply in the UK where you have Health & Safety as well as traffic laws. Fortunately we have neither.
And I've been noticing these electric scooters we see everywhere here and that lunatics bomb around on, they've been intriguing me for some time, but in some way also been a little intimidating. Which is ridiculous when you consider my life time of dangerous sports, but there you are.
So a little time ago I put some effort in. Considering the area in which I usually drink and the area that I live in, there's only a couple of scooter companies that cover both. And I chose one of two possibilities.
I created an account which took moments and then put on a small amount of credit and so I was ready to go.
A combination of the fact that I like a walk home in the early hours, and it only takes about 45 minutes, that often I am walking with friends or #1 daughter and the fact that I still found the scooters vaguely intimidating somehow stopped me getting around to it.
But tonight #1 is off with her friends, those reprobates that I was drinking with were on a short night, and so I found myself rather more sober than usual and with no excuses or friends to walk with..
Firstly I had to work out how to use the scooters. So for those of you are are virgins, it's like this.
- Install the app
- Load a small amount of credit
- Open the app and it will show where you are and where the nearest scooter is, with a note of how much charge it has left in it.
- Walk to the where the scooter is supposed to be. Find it is not.
- Walk up and down gradually increasing the severity of the swear words you are using.
- Notice there's a button on the app which says "ring scooter"
- Press it
- leap out of your skin with a girly shriek as you realise it's just the other side of the bench you're leaning on.
- Scan it [press scan and ride]
- Stare at it blankly as it beeps and lights up
You'll notice it says scoot along with your foot and then accelerate. You can get very hot, tired, sweaty and swear-y if you don't take that literally.
Scoot along until it's moving and *then* press the accelerator on the handle. Don't do as I did and press the accelerator and then try to scoot it up to speed.
But get it right and you're away!
And omigod you're away. 25ish kph and wheeee!!!
Yes, I probably was that silly b****** seen on Avenida Tobalaba with a huge grin wailing with joy..
You need to be careful of bumps & holes (the front wheel can stop dead) you need to be careful of irregular surfaces (shakes your eyeballs from your head) and wheel wobbles are easily acquired.
But they're b***** marvellous. Really really fun. And, for me at least, about 1/3 the price of a taxi and probably half the time. (It's about 6km / 4miles)
I was bare foot, wearing only shorts and t-shirt with no helmet and three sheets to the wind. All of which I confidently assured the App I was not.
Probably that's a bit reckless, because I think a face plant would be fairly easy to achieve with a moments inattention.
They're b***** brilliant.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sat 30 Nov 19 at 02:48
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