Scooter Sweep in the Slope
Are the city’s powers that be conspiring to rid Brooklyn sidewalks of scooters? Yes, according to a poster on the Forum who says the mayor’s office directed the police to “get them all off the sidewalks last week.” When we walked down a stretch of Third Street on Sunday, there were a number of scoots…
Are the city’s powers that be conspiring to rid Brooklyn sidewalks of scooters? Yes, according to a poster on the Forum who says the mayor’s office directed the police to “get them all off the sidewalks last week.” When we walked down a stretch of Third Street on Sunday, there were a number of scoots and motorcycles parked on the sidewalk (like the ones above), but a couple of guys we talked to who live on the street said they’d noticed some scooters being impounded last week, which “happens from time to time.” An officer from the 78th Precinct said that as far as she knows, the precinct hasn’t been ratcheting up pressure on scooter owners who park on sidewalks. “I don’t think we’re doing it any more lately than usual,” said Office Ashby. “We tend to respond to complaints from home owners.” Whether or not cops have been towing more scooters than usual lately, we sympathize with the plight of two-wheelers who don’t want to see their rides wrecked by parking in the street. And it doesn’t seem like taking up a bit of sidewalk on a wide thoroughfare like Third Street really gets in anyone’s way. But beyond that, as one person on the Forum commented, “Here’s an enlightened idea for the Mayor’s office… just provide safe and legal scooter parking SOMEWHERE and watch the scooters in that area just fly off the sidewalks!”
Scooter Parking [Forum]
Let’s face it, trying to keep anything secure
and free from damage while it’s parked in the public streets is a crap shoot…. our family has had a stroller stolen, a car stolen, bikes stolen, car headlights knocked out while parked, by a larger vehicle , (no the careless driver didn’t leave us a note)… mind you this all happened over a 32 year span while living in Brooklyn… if you want to avoid these issues you have to find off street storage for your “stuff”, but parking weighty scooters and ‘cycles on residential sidewalks is a self-serving solution that endangers others and is illegal.
Perhaps this fairly new and pressing “need” could be addressed by an enterprising young entrepeneur, because if bikes, ‘cycles and scooters aren’t parked off street they will always be at a higher risk of theft and damage… if you wait for the city to come up with a solution, all any of you will be looking to park will be your “jazzy” mobility scooters! 🙂
As a car owner, cyclist, and occasional motorcyclist (don’t currently own one) I can say that this city is ridiculously biased towards car ownership at the expense of every other form of transportation, including public transport but especially 2 wheeled transport. Motorists alike harass and sometimes kill cyclists and motorcyclists with impunity, and the city harasses them.
In most european cities, where 2 wheeled vehicles are considered serious transportation, not just lifestyle accessories (due no doubt to the $9/gallon gasoline), there is dedicated moto parking on every block.
These cities are a lot more pleasant for the smaller, narrower motos and relatively few cars.
Also dedicated bike lanes…but don’t get me started on that!!!
Thank you 6:33 PM for stating the case so well.
Your point about leaving a note is the biggest issue I think. I had my bike knocked over and dragged for over 6 feet once. A kind neighbor picked it up for me, but the marks on my motorcycle and the street bore testament to the act. Around $600 in damage that time alone, not to mention towing fees to get it to the shop.
If people didn’t break the law by damaging others property then not compensating them we wouldn’t be even talking about this issue.
And if we’re talking about enforcing all laws, how about that no vehicles over 3 tons allowed on the Brooklyn Bridge. There are plenty of SUV’s that easily hit that mark by themselves, let alone with the weight of passengers added – and I see them on the bridge everyday.
This is ridiculous. The (presumably car-owning) posters keep saying that scooter- and motorcycle-riders should have to play by the rules. But when we park our bikes on the street, they get knocked over, often causing hundreds of dollars in damage. Are the car drivers who cause this damage going to “play by the rules” and leave a note, and pay for the damage? Of course not; they slink away like weasels, tell themselves it’s not that big a deal in the long run, and sleep just fine at night. It is, literally, criminal (recklessly causing more than $250 damage to the property of another).
So why should the riders bear all the expense here? Look at the photo above: those bikes are parked on the sidewalk in such a way that they are not blocking any cars doors, are not blocking pedestrians… they cause no moer obstruction than a tree or hydrant or trash cans. I agree that they would look better without those covers on, but again, that has to do with tickets, i.e. the bike owners will bear more expense of they take the covers off.
Basically, you’re punished for riding a scooter or motorcycle. It sucks, because 1) getting your property damaged by careless drivers and not having any recourse is crap – we live in a society of laws, and there should be justice in such situations; and 2) if more people owned motorbikes, there would be less smog and pollution, and more parking spots (!), etc.; so why do we have these institutional disincentives? Those are two very different reasons, but at the end of the day you can’t argue they’re not both valid.
The system really has to change, it really is unjust right now. Either there should be designated on-street parking for scooters and motorcycles, or they should be allowed to park off street, in such a way as not to inconvenience others (no reason cops couldn’t make this judgment call, and if house owners didn’t want it in a particular spot in front of their property, they could just write a note or have cops issue a warning to move the bike elsewhere… riders actually tend to be very considerate people, more so than drivers).
2:22 here and they do go thru my trash. Are you joking? Of course they ticket trash! I’ve had 2 tickets in 4 years. It’s usually a beer can someone thru into my cans, but that’s life. I can handle it.
If you want to change the law, fine. But it’s illegal to park on the sidewalk. If you do, you’ll get a ticket.
That would be great- too bad Gore isn’t running.
2:22 — maybe a team of people can follow you around all day to write you a ticket everytime you jaywalk; everytime you put t he wrong items in your trash and recycle bins (or better yet, maybe they can go through your recycle and trash containers when left on sidewalk and ticket you even when a passerby throws the wrong item in the wrong bin). more schoolbooks! yippee!!!
1:56 PM – how is that contradictory?
Hit by a car =knocked over
Messed with by someone =knocked over
Falling of it’s own accord? Not.