By Sam B., 6th Grade, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
Rentable electric scooters are trending in major cities around the globe as a new way to move around while reducing environmental pollution.
Two major e-scooter companies, Bird and Lime, provide service in more than 100 cities around the world, including San Jose, Calif.; Paris, France and Baltimore. The scooters are easily unlocked with a free app on a smartphone and are capable of reaching speeds of up to 15 mph, creating an effortless ride.
The scooters are convenient and cheap to rent for just one dollar to unlock and access the scooter, and then 15 cents for every additional minute used. They are tracked by a GPS, which provides e-scooter locations and battery levels. With the press of a button on the app, a bell rings on the scooter to help the rider locate it easily. The user can ride for as long as desired or until the battery dies.
Jonah S., a 6th grade student at Krieger Schechter Day School, rode a Bird e-scooter in Baltimore and thinks the scooter runs well; however, he claims it does have minor flaws. “I thought the ride went very smoothly. Although when I went over the city cracks on sidewalks, it did feel a little bumpy, as expected.” Without a flexible deck (the surface which riders stand on), the Bird scooter absorbs less of an impact than other scooters.
Users may have to walk several blocks to find a scooter. However, Bird is trying to address this issue by offering delivery service. With an additional payment, the company drops off a scooter at the user’s location, and it is available for use all day long.
There are many downsides to e-scooters, including the high risk of injury. Bird and Lime are cautious of the user’s safety and highly recommend the use of helmets. To further ensure safety, Kathryn Frey-Balter, a Baltimore resident, thinks that “the minimum age [to ride an e-scooter] should be the same age as is required to drive a car, which is 15 years, nine months.” Frey-Balter also says that “the scooter’s speed limit should be the same speed as a standard bicycle.”
Jonah, on the other hand, believes, “5 miles per hour should be the limit because a lot of people can run 5 miles per hour, so they would be able to keep up with it.”
Another downside is that sometimes scooters are hastily left in the middle of the sidewalk, on their sides, broken or vandalized. According to a Baltimore Sun article published on Nov. 18, 2018, the Baltimore City Police Department uncovered five abandoned e-scooters in the Inner Harbor.
“Scooter parking lots would be smart,” Jonah says. Parking lots could offer designated and organized spaces to house the scooters at various points around the city. This may prevent users from abandoning them in random places where they cannot be found.
Another consideration is scooter police. Because city police officers are often busy with bigger issues and do not necessarily have the time or resources to oversee rider and scooter safety, the companies should hire neighborhood guards to ensure scooter safety.
The scooters are one great way of reducing pollution in a practical and inexpensive way. Jonah believes the scooters are right in between a step and a leap. Transportation has evolved so much from horse-drawn carriages to rentable electric scooters. We’ll see what the future holds.
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