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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:08 am
by flyingember
KCPowercat wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:13 pm
I think the biggest frustration scooter advocates have especially in KC is there aren't a ton of safe places infrastructure wise and driver courtesy wise to ride them safely. That pushes unconfident riders onto the sidewalks where nobody wants them.
All the while the media reports come flooding in about how dangerous scooters are for the click through story where non scooter riders can point and laugh at that damn 20 year old that was "probably going to fast and not wearing s helmet". No real coverage of why and how the situation can be improved for all modes of transportation.
Are there idiot users who go too fast and act a fool and do what they aren't supposed to? Sure but we've been letting people drive like that for decades now and nobody seems to want to ban cars.
This is what I was getting at. Technology and our social acceptance of a technology are connected. A technology enables doing something because of how it is and people have problems with that. Eventually we figure out the best way to live with the technology and everything is fine.
There's still laws on the books in the US banning wearing headsets while crossing the street, dating back to the walkman introduction. There were actually news articles blaming the downfall of society on people wearing headphones.
Glow before you go is one symptom of this. It shifts the blame to a specific use case around technology (cars) because our societal norms for cars haven't shifted yet in KC.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:17 pm
by mean
For the record, I said nothing about a ban or anything. I just don't want to see anyone get mangled by an Escalade or have their skull split open on a curb, for their sake and mine.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 3:01 pm
by KCPowercat
Yeah my post wasn't directly towards your comment st all.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 3:21 pm
by mean
I was more responding to ember's earlier post.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:06 am
by gfenn11
Spin launched today.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:26 am
by earthling
Looks to be downtown only. Hard to tell but looks like 100-200 Spin scooters to start of 500 allowed.
$1 unlock, 15 cents/min. Bird is now 33 cents/min. Will Bird drop rates?
Wonder when Drop scooters launch. The eBike count has been growing quite a bit since Spring, down to Waldo now. Also, Drop service area has expanded to I435 loop around S and E and to stadiums. So essentially approx inside I435 loop within Jackson County, still no Northland.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:26 am
by DaveKCMO
The Spin devices are an older Segway model, a bit more rickety than the new Bird One devices that are here.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:28 pm
by DaveKCMO
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 4:26 pm
by earthling
Looks like they have large battery packs.
Do any of the scooter companies just swap the battery pack instead of the whole scooter? Seems to be a much more efficient way to do it, but would mean Chargers would need to have several batteries onhand.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 4:49 pm
by DaveKCMO
earthling wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2019 4:26 pm
Do any of the scooter companies just swap the battery pack instead of the whole scooter? Seems to be a much more efficient way to do it, but would mean Chargers would need to have several batteries onhand.
Nope. The swappable battery throws off the center of gravity.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 4:52 pm
by earthling
Not following, if the battery snaps and locks into notches or battery holding dock, shouldn't be an issue.
The logistics of battery tracking management might be though. And suppose that swapping batteries means that scooters wouldn't be 'reset' to regular morning locations. Would be surprising if one scooter company hasn't tried at least in one market as the efficiency for Chargers would be worth it.
Chargers wouldn't need a large vehicle and space at home to charge many scooters. Any Charger could do several dozen every night. They could have quick access extra batteries charging from their car.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:39 pm
by DaveKCMO
For the battery to be swappable, I'm told it has to be in the stem (rather than under the deck). That's why it throws off the center of gravity.
I'm sure someone will figure it out eventually.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:59 pm
by KCPowercat
Spin is 15 cents a minute. Didn't bird go up to 30?
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:51 am
by earthling
Bird now 33 cents/min. Spin 15. Drop hasn't listed pricing yet.
Dave, yeah am saying removable battery could still snap into place on stem. Seems worth trying to figure out a way to make battery swapping work whatever the challenges are.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:40 am
by KCPowercat
Spins all look very lonely
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2019 12:06 pm
by earthling
Drop scooter pricing is on the app now, though apparently no scooters yet. $1 check out and 15/cents a minute like Spin.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:51 pm
by earthling
Looks like Spin now raised rate to 33 cents/minute. Drop app still showing 15 cents but no scooters yet.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 5:23 am
by gfenn11
The Drop scooters are live.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:02 am
by DaveKCMO
gfenn11 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2019 5:23 am
The Drop scooters are live.
40 to start, growing to about 200. First trip is free when you first load the Drop app.
Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 8:28 am
by KCPowercat
So ride KC scoots are out?
