Absolutely lethal. Just been sent flying by some twát thinking it’s acceptable to round a corner on a pavement at 20mph. Just plain inconsiderate on any mode of transport to go that fast on a busy pavement
In Bristol we have 'e-scooters', which are just as bad. Middle-class hipsters in tatty clothes riding piggyback and weaving in and out of traffic and pedestrians. Two things i hate about this city now. Occasionally you see stickers around the city that say #makebristolsh1tagain. In reality what they mean is: stop gentrification and give Bristol back its soul.
They're on the rise here and annoy me equally. Starting to feel like the old man with a stick yelling at passers by recently
It's the genuine danger they possess to those using them and other road users/pedestrians. Also the number of under-age kids riding them, and those who piggyback unlawfully on roads, usually when drunk or on drugs. They are everywhere in Bristol. If they stuck to the rules of the road (and didn't ride the pavement) I wouldn't have an issue, but they don't. I also saw a couple riding one each in Liverpool last year in torrential rain on a dark night. I watched in slow motion as the girl skidded off and face-planted the road right in front of us. She was very lucky no cars were around her, and that she escaped with bruising and a few embarrassed tears. She genuinely could have killed herself.
Thing is, they're absolutely terrifying if they're on the road as well. They're everywhere in St Petersburg. I've had so many near misses with them, especially with them weaving in and out of stationary traffic standing at lights. Some people also think it's ok to go against the traffic flow on them in bike lanes. Utterly deranged.
We've had them a while - not so much them in motion it's when they get randomly dumped on street corners.
Things never change, old timers used to wave their sticks at me when I came hurtling down the footpath on mi trolley !!! blooming whipersnappers they will kill someone one day with them trolleys
I nearly (accidently) took one out at the traffic lights once. I was driving and braked at a red light (junction) with time to spare. Scooter boy came out of nowhere, skidded in front of me and jumped the red! My first thought was that was stupid and unnecessary, my second was is he going to survive the oncoming traffic, which doesn't hang about on that stretch. Fortunately he survived but injuries and deaths will continue to rise. In 2021 (gov.uk) there were '1,359 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters'. What's that, nearly 4 per day?
Ps currently re-reading Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky is a fine writer. But you probably knew that already
I'd heard rumours to that effect! I've never been able to bring myself to read him in original though. I'm over 40 already, so I'm not entirely sure I have enough life remaining to commit to anything like that!
Come on, I'm 35! I can't claim to know a single word of Russian, but it reads very well translated into English in my opinion. St Petersburg features heavily. I read it about 7 years ago, and got the itch to read it again. It's a fine novel and despite its length it's relatively easy to get through.
Don't worry, it won't be long before they are given their own lane, they'll scoot two abreast when there is no scooter lane, and motorists will have to give them 2m clearance when overtaking.
I'm not sure why anyone would buy one. It's illegal to use them on pavements, public footpaths, cycleways, cycle lanes, and bridleways. You can use it on the road, but only if you conform to the usual rules... insurance, etc. If you have some private land to mess about on, then you're ok, but otherwise it's a non-starter. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...mation-sheet-guidance-on-powered-transporters
The later translations are supposed to be excellent. I tried with an old copy and it was unreadable, so, rather shamefully for an adopted Petersburger, I've never read it in either language! Something I really must rectify.