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]
1.For the record, I didn’t say that I disliked two wheelers… just objected to the parking of two wheeled gas powered vehicles on residential sidewalks… it truly presents some issues that no one wants to deal with… who’s liable if two wheelers
parked illegally on sidewalks injure someone or damage property… sometimes, and I have seen it happen, vibrations from a truck barreling down the street, or heavy winds
knock two wheelers over… even when they’re parked legally.
2.Gas powered vehicles of any sort are not kind to the environment… so lets skip that rationale about two wheelers… all gpv’s create noise pollution and toxic emissions.
3. I walk, take public transit, or ride my bike mostly all the time… goes into my co-op’s basement when I’m not using it… have a car, very fuel efficient and small… my husband needs the use of the car for his job, if he didn’t we would probably not have one.
4 It’s not one group against another… but at this point all gas powered vehicles are entitled to park in a regular parking space with other gas powered vehicles…
5.Have a safe and beautiful day , no matter what your “ride” is!
So the parking regulation should read…? No motorized vehicles on the sidewalk? Only two wheeled vehicles on the sidewalk? What? I think that these discussions don’t always have to become a personal attack or digress to “you’re such an idiot”. Tolerance, baby! Open minds! Respect for your neighbors and their opinions!
I think that there is a valid point about the danger of something heavy falling on pedestrians, but I also see that a scooter in a whole car parking spot is not very sensible. I also see that while the number of scooters now is probably not a big deal- that if the numbers really increased it would not work. In the end I think that motorized vehicles should be in the street. As for the environment- it seems that, in the city, we could all probably get around on bikes. Obviously- it’s idealistic.
BTW- Are scooters heavy? Do they tip easily?
What’s the easiest way to destroy a motorcycle? Sugar in the tank or something? I want to get that a-hole who blows out my eardrums. Those bikes should be banned!
Aplogies for going DEEP
But this City has to rethink its allocation of space on the streets.
I read on the Transportation Alternatives web page that about 40% of public space is given over to parking. And mostly this is for FREE (tickets or a few quarters notwithstanding). Compare that to the hundres of dollars people will pay for a private lot. Even if only the public spots are worth a fraction of the private (25%, 50%, etc) this is SERIOUS MONEY. They City should cash in on this, and put the money into mass transit.
Even worse than the free give away, this public good goes to minority of NYC residents– I happen to be one of them, as a car owner in Bed Stuy, so thanks! Less than 50% of NYC household have a car.
Even worse, not only to we give this valuable resource away for free to a minority, this then interferes, intimadates (yes even kills) lots of other peopel trying to use the streets for some other purpose (a truck actually trying to make a delivery; me on my bike riding to Manhattan– quicker than my car!; people on scooters or trikes or whatever!).
We need to realize that the streets are CASH. We need to decide how we want to use them. Free parking for cars? Swing sets? Bike lanes? Micro-parks? Scooter parking? Obviously–to me at least– we need more diversity of uses than what we have now. What we have now is HOMOGENOUS MONOCULTURE of CAR/SUV parking as the default regime — see the convo above about scooter parking–which everyone one else must accomodate. eah, the new bike lanes are great, but only .00001% of the total surface streets (I made up that stat by the way, but bet you its right)!
Hey– I love my car. And my bike and my scooter. But we have got to rethink this issue. CAR PEOPLE: we’ve been living high for too long (hey I got a alternate side ticket yesterday, so I know its not entirely free!). Its time to PAY UP. Its time to accomodate others.
SO HOW DO WE WANT TO USE OUR STREETS!!???
Speaking of scooters…ever been to hanoi, or bangkok, or any other major asian city? It’s like living amid a swarm of locusts. If it were easy for people to keep scooters in the city, everyone would use them rather than walk a few extra blocks to the bus or subway stop (lord knows I probably would!).
I say: keep internal combustion vehicles off the sidewalks. If you want to own one, you have to play by the rules. Dedicated spots…dunno; I suppose every 3 blocks on major aves. might not be a bad thing.
electric cars are better for the environment. so I guess that means I can park my golf cart on the sidewalk outside my home whenever I goddamn please?
fine…..xoxoxox bren.
just stop talkin shit about the 2 wheelers.
they are better for the environment.
you pepole have way too much time on your hands. your logic defys me. if one can lock a bike (2 wheels) to a pole why can’t a scooter (also 2 wheels). most of the complainers on this thread i am sure are suv-driving yuppie-ites still living in park slope so i would think you would be happy to have more room to park your 30-gallon a day gas guzzler emission spewing vehicle! get a life everyone! this is city living!
10:05 here again. To the poster who asked if i was parking in spots way too tight — i can assure you i’m not. i’m incredibly careful to always park with plenty of room between my scooter and the next car and almost always park in a space where there’s only one car near my scooter — like on a corner or at the last spot before a space for a driveway or fire hydrant. that way it isn’t sandwiched between 2 cars and lessens the liklihood of it getting hit (one would hope). And i always leave plenty of room between my scooter and any car. but still my scooter gets knocked over often or moved, etc. etc.
Just restating the dilemna scooters owners face and why it would be nice to get a little understanding from our neighbors and police. If a scooter on a sidewalk is parked in a postion that blocks car access or sidewalk access, that’s one thing. But if there’s a spot that absolutely causes no inconvenience to passersby or parked automobiles, why are some people so adamant that the scooter owner MUST OBEY THE RULES. DON’T HAVE EVEN ONE TIRE ON THE SIDEWALK!!
and.. one time when i filed a police report about an SUV that backed into my scooter and pushed it along the street several feet before driving off (and yes there was SO much room between my scooter and the damn SU Monster) one of the police officers who came to take the report actually asked me why i didn’t park my scooter on the sidewalk to keep it from being hit. seriously.