They are dangerous and reckless on sidewalks. Sidewalks are used by all sorts of people: from healthy adults to a wide spectrum of mobility, sensorily and developmentally impaired people.
Case in point: handicapped folks, elderly, and children.
A 75 year old woman out walking her dog is unlikely to have the situational awareness (visual, audio, and cognitive degeneration) nor the quickness of reflexes to respond to scooters on sidewalks.
A collision between a 170lb male on a scooter going 10mph and a 130lb elderly person is going to lead to extensive injury, potentially life threatening, injury to the adult.
A pelvic fracture is not an uncommon injury from falls in elderly and is associated with a notable increase in probability of death.
Scooters on sidewalks are dangerous and should be immediately banned.
I had a case like this tonight at SubZero in San Jose. A teenager was zipping on a Bird down the wide but crowded sidewalk on San Fernando, zigged right to dodge a cluster of oedesrrians... right at me.
The kicker: he had two more Birds stacked sideways on it, sticking out a couple of feet on both sides.
Had I not seen him first and jumped out of tbe way, I would have had broken fibulas, ankles, or both.
And then what? The dude would just flee the scene. Bird wouldn't take any responsibility, either. I'd be screwed.
Wouldn't a 170 lb runner pose the same risk to an elderly person?
In all cases it is the responsibility of everybody using the footpath to ensure they don't put others at risk.
Runners should feel free to use the footpath as part of their exercise - but they shouldn't run blindly around corners. I feel the same way about scooters - ride on the footpath all you like, but slow right down around other pedestrians or blind spots so that people both feel safe and are safe.
They are dangerous and reckless on sidewalks. Sidewalks are used by all sorts of people: from healthy adults to a wide spectrum of mobility, sensorily and developmentally impaired people.
Case in point: handicapped folks, elderly, and children.
A 75 year old woman out walking her dog is unlikely to have the situational awareness (visual, audio, and cognitive degeneration) nor the quickness of reflexes to respond to scooters on sidewalks.
A collision between a 170lb male on a scooter going 10mph and a 130lb elderly person is going to lead to extensive injury, potentially life threatening, injury to the adult.
A pelvic fracture is not an uncommon injury from falls in elderly and is associated with a notable increase in probability of death.
Scooters on sidewalks are dangerous and should be immediately banned.