E - Bike rental consequences?

[george formby]

This article on Uber (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12119550) gave me pause for thought over my morning coffee(s). A fleet of e-scooters for hire across Auckland in the future.

I wonder how the safety and legislation aspect of this could unfold? Unlicensed and untrained city dwellers being able to zip around the conurb for a few pesos sounds quite hazardous to me. And what about identifying riders and insurance?

T'will be an interesting turn of events. If the gummint and Uber pay me $150k a year I will figure it all out for them and decide to make everybody walk.

[R650R]

Already seeing the early issues of mass two wheel transport in napier. We have huge network of ratepayer paid for concrete cycleways so heaps of cylists about, many on rentals and also lots of hybrid/ebikes....
As well as using them to get to work i also walk on the Ahuriri ones on occasion for sunny day out etc....
One thing I've noticed is prolific bell use, some people think you need to get out of way or move when there is space for them to around you easily. One tinder date in town from wellington rang her bell like she was auditioning for fire dept....

But just look at china where they like bikes, huge rubbish piles of failed bike sharing schemes over there. Without high level maintainance a rental is never going to feela s good as your own bike even for commuting and who wants to sit on someone elses arse sweat....

Who is going to foot the injury bill when cars are gone and no acc levy? Your house insurance will no doubt go up to cover the lost car insurance money....

My last experience with renting something high turnover was Fatso dvd rental. The number of times the experience was ruined beause soem sausage finger moron and touched or scratched upo the dvd surface. I can see simialr type issues with rental e bikes....

Uber taxi will be interesting as cars dissapppear... not being mainstream anymore, owning a car will be massively expensive forcing out many current uber drivers. Insurance, osh and ltsa will be on to it by then so by using uber now you are contributing to a much more expensive ride in fututre with less choice.
And its not for the environment, its about control of freedom of movement....

Think... Move a weight (person) from a to b needs X amount of energy under physics... all that is changing is who owns the device moving weight x from a to b.... And the biggest issue is that the service provider WILL dictate the terms of use and WHEN the service is available...
So going to go to that protest banning motorcycles??? Sorry UBEr is down at the moment, please stay tuned for updates when transport is available next....

[george formby]

I never thunk of it like that.... We may become parcels in the future? :niceone:

[AllanB]

Wormhole technology is where it's at. Now if only I can perfect it so shit I send through actually arrives where I want it.

[Oakie]

Wormhole technology is where it's at. Now if only I can perfect it so shit I send through actually arrives where I want it. Hmm. Could you have a shit at the start of the wormhole and have it magically appear at the other end? That could be entertaining.

[Laava]

Hmm. Could you have a shit at the start of the wormhole and have it magically appear at the other end? That could be entertaining.

McDonalds have similar. It's called "drivethru"