Author Topic: e-scooter trial  (Read 91128 times)

Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #100 on: 10 September, 2020, 07:16:19 pm »
If the trial goes ahead in Wolverhampton my understanding is that the scooters will be 'geo-fenced' to within the ring road with corridors out to East Park, West Park and the Science Park (which is next to a canal).

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #101 on: 10 September, 2020, 08:01:09 pm »
I do think you should try one and report back for our education and entertainment.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #102 on: 10 September, 2020, 08:13:13 pm »
If the trial goes ahead in Wolverhampton my understanding is that the scooters will be 'geo-fenced' to within the ring road with corridors out to East Park, West Park and the Science Park (which is next to a canal).

Will that be like the supermarket trolleys that lock up dead when you cross the boundary, or like the dockless bikes that just fine you / remove some kudos if you try to end your rental outside the zone?

Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #103 on: 10 September, 2020, 08:45:49 pm »
If the trial goes ahead in Wolverhampton my understanding is that the scooters will be 'geo-fenced' to within the ring road with corridors out to East Park, West Park and the Science Park (which is next to a canal).

Will that be like the supermarket trolleys that lock up dead when you cross the boundary, or like the dockless bikes that just fine you / remove some kudos if you try to end your rental outside the zone?

What I jotted down from what was said at the last Wolverhampton Council Cycle Forum was "The trial machines can be geo-fenced to the trial zone (ie they won't work outside it) but not accurately enough to distinguish between the road and pavement." The official minutes that the secretary (a council officer) produces probably won't be issued until the week before the next meeting (15/10/20).

Kim

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #104 on: 10 September, 2020, 09:50:44 pm »
And the first predictable unintended consequence: https://twitter.com/jordanbhx/status/1304134069744218119

(Now I have a £4 trial code.  Ho ho ho.)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #105 on: 10 September, 2020, 10:35:12 pm »
Quote
used the 4 quid free trial code HELLOUK affixed to the scooter,
So it's a hell ook. Probably no competition for Finestre and Jess though.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #106 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:13:31 pm »
You should try one anyway... For science...

I do think you should try one and report back for our education and entertainment.

Abstract: It's got wheels and it's faster than walking.



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quixoticgeek

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #107 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:27:39 pm »

Abstract: It's got wheels and it's faster than walking.

That's a good start!

Quote
Some areas (in this case pedestrianised streets that are legal to cycle on) are geofenced as 'Slow Zones' - the speed limiting automatically drops to about 6.5kph here, which is a fast walk.  This is quite disconcerting when travelling uphill, as you feel that it's on the cusp of stall speed, which might be problematic for those with less good balance.  You also get glared at by pedestrians, who appear not to be able to work out whether to fear that you're about to kill them utterly to DETH, or wonder why the fuck you're riding so slowly.  Due to the foibles of GPS, you can't really anticipate exactly when it will leave the geofence, so the first thing you know is a sudden burst of acceleration.

When you go into the slow zones, what happens? does it just cut the motor? or is some sort of brake applied?

J
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Cudzoziemiec

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #108 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:27:47 pm »
I'm impressed that those titchy wheels with, I presume, solid tyres, cope decently with potholes and tram lines.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #109 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:31:05 pm »
When you go into the slow zones, what happens? does it just cut the motor? or is some sort of brake applied?

It cuts the motor, similar to completely releasing the throttle.  Not sure if it's doing regenerative braking or just stodgy tyres, but it doesn't keep rolling the way a bicycle would, so while there isn't sharp deceleration you slow down reasonably quickly.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #110 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:36:22 pm »
So you get no motor power at all in the slow zones and have to kick along? Or just reduced power?

And presumably the not starting the motor until it's rolling is to prevent people starting it up without anyone on board, sending it careering into random pedestrians and canals.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #111 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:42:17 pm »
The speaker is surely for the annoying alarm as if flies into the canal you evict it from blocking the pavement.

Does it have the annoying feature where the motor won’t kick in until you’ve got it going by leg power? I spent ages thinking the Lime one in Paris was broken.

Kim

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #112 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:56:18 pm »
So you get no motor power at all in the slow zones and have to kick along? Or just reduced power?

The motor works as normal, but it's a lower speed limit (it's like the speed limiting on a e-bike, rather than the crude power limiting of a small combustion-engine motorcycle).  It's probably allowing the same instantaneous power as at full speed, but you won't get to use that for very long before you're up to 4mph.


Quote
And presumably the not starting the motor until it's rolling is to prevent people starting it up without anyone on board, sending it careering into random pedestrians and canals.

Indeed.

Kim

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #113 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:57:41 pm »
The speaker is surely for the annoying alarm as if flies into the canal you evict it from blocking the pavement.

Ah, that makes sense!


Quote
Does it have the annoying feature where the motor won’t kick in until you’ve got it going by leg power? I spent ages thinking the Lime one in Paris was broken.

You have to give it a kick (or let it roll downhill a bit) to get it moving before the throttle has any effect, which took a bit of getting used to.

RichForrest

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #114 on: 11 September, 2020, 11:39:57 pm »
At least they currently have reflective stickers on so you can see them abandoned/scattered across the cyclepaths when they are finished with around here when riding home in the dark  ::-) :facepalm:
There are often 3 or 4 laying in the middle of the paths most nights when I ride home!

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #115 on: 15 September, 2020, 06:33:18 pm »
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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #116 on: 15 September, 2020, 08:09:54 pm »
^ some top h*lm*t-wearing from Andy Street in the photo on that news story there...

Kim

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #117 on: 15 September, 2020, 09:57:06 pm »
Lots of people seemed to be using them when I rode through town this evening.  I think I saw about a 50:50 mix of road and pavement use, likely on account of the inconvenient one-way roads and sporadic cycle infrastructure.

I think we're going to see a clutter problem, too.  People don't seem to be considering pedestrians when they park them.

Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #118 on: 16 September, 2020, 10:28:05 am »
Lots of people seemed to be using them when I rode through town this evening.  I think I saw about a 50:50 mix of road and pavement use, likely on account of the inconvenient one-way roads and sporadic cycle infrastructure.

I think we're going to see a clutter problem, too.  People don't seem to be considering pedestrians when they park them.

They don't consider pedestrians when they park their cars so they are hardly going to start now with scooters.
Somewhat of a professional tea drinker.


Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #119 on: 16 September, 2020, 10:42:30 am »
Total lack of surprise...

That the BBC are publishing one-sided unsourced clearly exaggerated bollocks?

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #120 on: 17 September, 2020, 02:24:58 pm »
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Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #121 on: 17 September, 2020, 03:12:49 pm »
To be followed over time by e-bikes and then pedal cycles?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #122 on: 17 September, 2020, 04:24:07 pm »
The rental company are doing it voluntarily, so the tweet wording is slightly alarmist.

Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #123 on: 17 September, 2020, 09:25:05 pm »
https://www.businessinsider.com/voi-electric-scooter-trial-in-coventry-suspended-over-rider-complaints-2020-9

Quote
E-scooter firm Voi blamed a suspended trial on the UK's 'antisocial behaviour issue' and said it will fit vehicles with identification plates

An electric scooter scheme in Coventry, UK, has been stopped after locals reported riders weaving through traffic and mounting the sidewalk.

Voi, the Swedish e-scooter company operating the vehicles in Coventry and other UK cities, said it would install identification plates on all its scooters to "improve the ability of local police to report an issue or for CCTV to identify a vehicle."

Richard Corbett, Voi’s general manager for Britain and Ireland, told The Times that the UK had an "antisocial behaviour issue."

[snip]

Kim

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Re: e-scooter trial
« Reply #124 on: 17 September, 2020, 09:31:31 pm »
I wonder if the UK's antisocial behaviour issue is that people ride more antisocially, or that people are more inclined to consider people riding scooters to be antisocial enough to complain about?  Probably a bit of both.

Wonder if Voi could generate relevant statistics based on GPS data...