Peter Hitchens rages against e-scooters

The city of Melbourne in Australia has just banned rental e-scooters, saying they’re a safety risk. Should the UK follow suit, and would it make a difference? Columnist and author Peter Hitchens joins The Spectator’s assistant editor Cindy Yu to discuss why he thinks they’re dangerous, an eyesore, and an environmental disaster.

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[wendysharpe]

We've had ongoing issues with mobility scooters for years and nothing has been done about it, the same is now happening with e-scooters. Motorised vehicles should not be sharing space with pedestrians. They certainly should not be able to travel faster than walking speed if they are allowed to be ridden on a pavement. The government and law enforcement are deliberately turning a blind eye and continuing to have their sights firmly set on punishing car drivers and motorcyclists

[jamesmccallum]

As I child in the 70s and 80s the police would always tell us to get off the pavement with our bikes, and I lived in a sleepy village. Police now do nothing about this hazard.

[gregselby]

Splendid work Cindy. You bring out the brighter, lighter side of Mr Hitchens.

[TrevsTravelsByNarrowboat]

The problem is everywhere. I live on a narrowboat and e-bikes and scooters have become a nightmare. 4 miles per hour on the canal and these things fly down the towpaths at 40-50 miles per hour. Most appear to be drug dealers using the towpaths knowing they are not policed.

[AngryBootneck]

Hitchens proved right as usual, about Starmer. The man's a visionary.

[Swarm]

The E-bikes in most major cities school age kids and teenagers, no helmet, doubling in some case tripling passengers and the person in control on the phone, riding on sidewalks not obeying road rules, going ridiculous speeds, complete disregard for pedestrians and legal road users - no infringement notices handed out no police in sight - ride a push bike around with no helmet and you get a ticket - go to a city like Newcastle (Mereweather) in Australia and this is on display all day everyday.
Is it a case of the legislation has not caught up with the law ?
Is it a case of multiple deaths occurring before legislation is brought in ?
It’s complete lunacy !

[pobishop]

Just another example of the breakdown of our civil society. Narcissism reigns supreme.

[sjhoff]

E scooters don't replace cars, buses, taxis or any other motorized vehicle, they replace walking.

[chrisruss]

An old boy in my Australian regional city tripped over an abandoned e-scooter a couple of weeks ago and died.
A niece in Brisbane got knocked over by one and injured.
I am not against the scooters, as young people enjoy them, but am astonished by how careless many riders are.

[SagaciousFrank]

When the interviewer suggests we might miss the police if we were burgled, you know she lives in a bubble outside of reality.

[bristolfashion]

Thing is there’s a WHOPPING industry of fast food delivery based on delivery riders. They range from perfectly decent happy students on nicely maintained petrol scooters using the app on their own phones to make ends meet to young immigrants often esl, who rent knackered ebikes AND the phone from some horrid and exploitative boss man. They make dreadful money and often have to do back to back shifts to pay for the kit and are dead on their feet… but so long as we get our burger fast, we seem not to care mutch 😮

[kurt.wilkinsongardendesign]

In Adelaide Australia they are left lying all over the place as a tripping hazard. No one could ever get away with this with any other object

[glenp]

It's not just the streets or pavements. People using them don't - or can't - park them anywhere, so they have to take them to their workplaces, fill up half of the lifts (elevators for Americans), use up much-needed seating (or even standing) space in trains. Talk of lawless, I've seen three people standing on them - no helmets and usually children who have no road sense at all. I've seen fathers and mothers doing same with a small child in front. ER doctors are reporting a massive increase of horrific - even catastrophic - injuries from these things. It seems to me that we have fast been losing our minds because there is just no law enforcement... at least not for real crime.

[FraserBailey-jmyz]

As Kate Melua sang 'There are eight million stolen bicycles in London'. Whatever, I gave up on British cities years ago. They are hell holes I cycle around the quiet lanes of North Staffordshire on my Dutch oma fiets (grandma bike). It is lovely.

[RPMcMurphy-kl]

I got knocked down by a disabled buggy in Tesco 😂

[sisiphas]

E scoters are only banned in - the Central. business district - they are not banned in surrounding inner suburbs!!!! .

[nuancedbro]

There is no appetite from government for law enforcement to tackle this. It really is insane

[helenmalinowski]

I LOATHE E-SCOOTERS - they are silent and dangerous.

[darkstar-nhcf]

It's like a tyranny, isn't it..

[brucewearne]

Another dimension of Governments being willing to "let this go" (4:45) is that there are in fact so few people going about their business by walking ... suburbia in Australia is characterised by streets dominated by motor vehicles and empty of those who may be walking. This is an issue for public justice for those who walk but since there are so few visibly walking why should local by-laws be formulated to worry about those who may be walking ... try intersections, and try roundabouts ... walking is positively discouraged by local by-laws dominated by motor-mania ... so much for walkers, the elderly, parents pushing a pram or walking with kids to school ... this is an issue that is worthy of systematic sociological investigation ... thanks.