Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I am one of the few people commuting at the moment. To reduce my journey time I've bought myself an electric scooter to get me from home to North Dulwich Station.


The only trouble... I then have to carry my e-scooter around with me all day! On the train, into the office and back again. It would be so much easier if there was locker storage or something similar at the station.


Is anyone else in the same boat?

Dulwich_Dad Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am one of the few people commuting at the

> moment. To reduce my journey time I've bought

> myself an electric scooter to get me from home to

> North Dulwich Station.

>

> The only trouble... I then have to carry my

> e-scooter around with me all day! On the train,

> into the office and back again. It would be so

> much easier if there was locker storage or

> something similar at the station.

>

> Is anyone else in the same boat?

If it is "yours" then you are using it illegally - ?300 fine plus licence points so its a good job you are anonymous.

They?re not yet legal on road or pavement. I think they?re a good idea in theory ? keeping the number of vehicles down and reducing pressure on public transport - but need to be policed. I?ve seen people waving in and out of traffic on roads and footpath and felt unsafe for the rider and those nearby. Accidents can happen and they have effects on not just the rider and the injured but their loved ones. Insurance is needed for all riders because they can go at a fair lick.

In answer to the actual question....


I wouldn't leave an electric scooter locked up for any length of time. There is no lock I know of that could safely secure it. A small lock through the wheel would just be a small lock, so easy to break, in a wheel that can be removed. A cycle lock across the stem would be equally easy to disable.


All these options are fine for a couple of mins as they have an alarm and can alert your mobile if tampered with. But not while going off to work for the day.


Also, most escooters don't react well to being rained on, and are likely thief-magnets. So best kept indoors and away from sticky-fingered teenage drug dealers.


Also, I'm a Brompton commuter. And I own an electric scooter which I don't use because, generally speaking, the bike is much better at most things. However, it is a bit of pain lugging a folded Brompton up the stairs to my office desk. It is much easier to wheel a scooter from door to desk, and throw it over you shoulder with a strap when going up stairs. It's not ideal, but I think lugging it around is the least worst option and is what I would do in the situation.


As for the law, it is rarely applied and practically unenforceable. The police are more likely to stop and confiscate the scooters of the many idiot kids who haven't worked out which side of the road to travel on and are putting themselves in danger, than people cruising sedately down the cycle lane to the staton.

They are not yet legal but I see no reason they won?t be and they are in use. As Shaggy says the law is unlikely to be enforced if you use it responsibly.


A few suggestions for Dulwich_Dad:


Wear a helmet - they can go along as quickly as a cycle so take the same precautions you would if you were riding a bike.


If you have to travel on the pavement, and I can see that is safer than being on the road most of the time, give way to pedestrians and give warning that you are approaching. I?ve had scooters come up behind me I had no idea were there until they passed me. A bicycle bell or shout out Excuse Me / Good Morning (probably a bell in London!) with time for the pedestrian to stand to one side if needed before you get to them will make it safer and more pleasant for all.


Consider waterproof over trousers / gaiters for when the weather is less pleasant. If you have waterproof over trousers you can travel in your normal work attire. Gaiters will at least protect the bottom of your trousers from spray the scooter kicks up in wetter weather.


Yes there will always be some thoughtless riders just as there are cyclists and drivers but responsible use should be welcomed.

If you have to travel on the pavement, and I can see that is safer than being on the road most of the time, give way to pedestrians and give warning that you are approaching. I?ve had scooters come up behind me I had no idea were there until they passed me. A bicycle bell or shout out Excuse Me / Good Morning (probably a bell in London!) with time for the pedestrian to stand to one side if needed before you get to them will make it safer and more pleasant for all.


Nice sentiment but rather too Enid Blyton for my reality. Pavements are for pedestrians and wheelchair users. Why add to some people?s sense of unease by allowing (by virtue of not ticketing) illegal use of machines that can go much faster than the average pedestrian/wheelchair user? If you?re barrelling along a pavement with no helmet and no way of others identifying you it?s unlikely you?ll chirrup a jolly hello or ring a tinkly bell to announce your presence.

The trials are for hireable ones so people?s details will be traceable and insurance is provided by the hire firm. It stresses they?re to be used on roads only. This is sensible.


Where you can use a trial e-scooter

You may use a trial e-scooter on the road (except motorways) and in cycle lanes.


You must not use an e-scooter on the pavement.

I've yet to see one locked up probably because they've already been stolen.


I think they are a very good transport solution if riders are educated.


I go to Tel Aviv every year, and last year the city was filled with hire scooters from Lime, Bird and some other smaller companies. The scooters weren't docked, you just leave them on the pavement in a non-obstructing place. Every night you would see guys with vans picking them up for charging ... they get paid to charge them up and re-deploy them before the morning.


When they make it to London, I think they will prove to be extremely popular.

Nigello Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The trials are for hireable ones so people?s

> details will be traceable and insurance is

> provided by the hire firm. It stresses they?re to

> be used on roads only. This is sensible.

>

> Where you can use a trial e-scooter

> You may use a trial e-scooter on the road (except

> motorways) and in cycle lanes.

>

> You must not use an e-scooter on the pavement.


Yeah, definitely shouldn't be used on the pavement.

  Quote
Yeah, definitely shouldn't be used on the pavement.


The trials in Coventry have just been paused after complaints of pavement riding!


The reality is that the police aren't going to do much about it unless you're mowing down pedestrians or bouncing off cars along Red Post Hill.


Echo the comments above about locking it up - it's unlikely to survive long on the open Sheffield Stand bike racks outside ND although if there's one of those Cycle Hangers anywhere nearby, that might be worth a conversation with a resident to ask about sharing it.


Could ask TfL / Network Rail if they have any plans to install a bike parking shed or lockers at ND. Or is there anything at London Bridge? At least that'd save carrying it to/from the office. Most stations got rid of lockers (too easy to put bombs in) but LB bike parking (out the station, turn right towards the underground) seems pretty extensive and safe, it's always full of bikes and it's got CCTV. Tuck it away down there with a hefty lock around it?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • If you're talking about who I think you are, I find them more exuberant than rude and usually smiling and polite. But then, I'm usually smiling and polite to them. Can you not wedge open your gate when you're expecting them?
    • It worked. Corbyn did similar although not to the same degree. Momentum had a purge too when Corbyn got in. All his political life he opposed the EU but when it came to the crunch he publicly backed them during the referendum. I believe that was to appease the middle classes that he was appealing to. He messed up big time when wooing the middle classes at Glastonbury whilst ignoring his core working class voters up north. They also happened to be leave voters. He got starstruck and forgot about his politics. Corbynmania was thing, a movement but it was also the making of his downfall. For the many and not the few came back and slapped him right in the face. 
    • Nothing to do with the tories overspending whatsoever eh! Blame the last 10/11 years of blatant mismanagement, incompetence and willful deceit on the poor bastards that were left with the fall out of a complete car crash tory government.   One PM after another falling on their sword. Open corruption and piss taking throughout covid and a legacy of huge debt and destruction yet in your view it will be labour's 4 years in power that bankrupts us in 2029.  Another one that must think people are blind and stupid.  Rejoice rejoice. It's a pity he and his fellow clowns were completely annihilated at the ballot box. I mean they were doing so well after all ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ
    • Where did I say he did a good job? Yup and Corbyn was very close to Len McCluskey and funded by Unite wasn't he...they're all as bad as each other... Labour have to purge their party of the far-left - they're a disaster. Allan Johnson summed it up so well on election night in 2019....  
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
ร—
    Search In
ร—
ร—
  • Create New...