Recommend electric folding scooter for end of commute (Mod Note Post #1)

paruss100 wrote: »

Does anyone know if Dublin bus allow you carry these on folded? Was considering this as an option to travel to work on and head for a few drinks after and bus home. I think it may be a little dangerous after a few pints!

Yes, you can. I have done this on the bus and dart, keeping the scooter with me on both occasions.

Don't use while intoxicated please. Last thing we need is a ban because some eijet decided to have a few pints and causes an accident.

Overheal wrote: »

Forgive me for just seeing this thread but catch me up:

Wouldn't this make a bicycle something that requires a license, tax, and insurance? It is also (bio-)mechanically propelled.

I am in favour of some form of small tax payment for adults using bicycles on our public roads, but that is a different thread.

...Ghost... wrote: »

...I am in favour of some form of small tax payment for adults using bicycles on our public roads, but that is a different thread...

Then why mention it. Daft idea.

That, and taxing scooters is a daft idea. Things that reduce vehicular traffic congestion shouldn't really be disincentivized.

They just need reasonable rules around them like ebikes.

Calahonda52

beauf wrote: »

Then why mention it. Daft idea.

They are road users, many for business and anything that is free is disrespected.

Calahonda52 wrote: »

They are road users, many for business and anything that is free is disrespected.

Those that pay "motor" tax disrespect it as much if not more than anyone else.

It not paying tax that makes people obey the law its enforcement of the rules.

Besides motor tax doesn't go into a specific fund for roads. It goes into the general tax take. Most people even people who only walk everywhere are paying into this with other taxes. So most of those people you infer are getting something for free are already paying for it.

None of this has got anything to do with scooters.

beauf wrote: »

Then why mention it. Daft idea.

What is daft, is your dismissive remark. If you are in need of clarification however, I mentioned "it" because the poster I quoted had made reference to a much related topic. I chose not to go into further detail, as I did not want to derail the thread.

cojomo2

...Ghost... wrote: »

What is daft, is your dismissive remark. If you are in need of clarification however, I mentioned "it" because the poster I quoted had made reference to a much related topic. I chose not to go into further detail, as I did not want to derail the thread.

Would you support a tax on footpath use also?

What scooters need is a legal classification. Not motor tax.

Maybe an argument can be made for personal liability insurance which is more common in other countries.

They struggle to enforce tax and insurance on cars. Never mind anything else.

cojomo2 wrote: »

Would you support a tax on footpath use also?

Living in the capital and paying property tax, I believe I pay that already and then some.

beauf wrote: »

What scooters need is a legal classification. Not motor tax.

Maybe an argument can be made for personal liability insurance which is more common in other countries.

They struggle to enforce tax and insurance on cars. Never mind anything else.

That was the logical response you were missing earlier. I agree, they need legal classification. But lack of enforcement on motor tax for cars should be the reason to exclude tax on other forms of personal transport.

The tax I would propose (admittedly without giving the subject a great deal of thought) would be a very small tax in the region of €30-€50 per year which would apply to the person, not the transport. This fee could be a compulsory personal liability insurance only for use on personal, micro transport vehicles. A higher fee would be payable for business users (couriers and deliveroo type cyclists). I didn't want this to form part of the discussion, but I would love to discuss it in another thread if there is an appetite.

You are using tax and insurance interchangeably when they are entirely different things.

They use tax to encourage and discourage consumer behaviour like low tax on diesel and EVs. So to put a tax on something like cycling or scooters suggest implies you want to discourage it.

Which makes no sense. The only people who generally want it are motorists who want other to share their pain.

They would save more money from getting rid of paper discs than taxing other forms of transportation that you want to encourage.

Get Real

I see Lidl have an electric scooter next week. 25km range, 24km/h max speed. I've no idea on any other specifications. (Charge time, incline performance etc)

200quid. Anyone think they'd be worth a punt?

It's a "Cat Berlin E Scooter". Google shows e scooter rental in Berlin, or a Lidl webpage that gives a 404 error message.

Might be handy for getting to luas/dart.

cojomo2

Get Real wrote: »

I see Lidl have an electric scooter next week. 25km range, 24km/h max speed. I've no idea on any other specifications. (Charge time, incline performance etc)

200quid. Anyone think they'd be worth a punt?

It's a "Cat Berlin E Scooter". Google shows e scooter rental in Berlin, or a Lidl webpage that gives a 404 error message.

Might be handy for getting to luas/dart.

Saw it, tbh it looks rubbish from the pictures, wheels are tiny too. No comparison to the likes of the m365. Also as you said, not enough details, you'd want to know that it's a lithium ion battery and the capacity too. If you want a budget scooter id go with something like the kugoo.

beauf wrote: »

You are using tax and insurance interchangeably when they are entirely different things.

I should have been more careful with my words, but the confusion is only because I am loose on what fee would be appropriate, be it a tax, or an insurance. I would lean toward the word insurance and restrict it to ages 16 and over in an effort to keep kids and teens off the roads with them. Confiscation would be the answer where someone has not paid their premium.

In other countries mopeds can be used at younger ages. Why not these. We are very 1950s in our thinking.

beauf wrote: »

In other countries mopeds can be used at younger ages. Why not these. We are very 1950s in our thinking.

Other countries are better at teaching their youth about responsibility and respect for other road users. In the likes of Germany, most people would never even dream of crossing the road without a green signal. Compare that to here where people cross the road wearing headphones and eyes fixed on their instagram account. A majority of cyclists seem to think that a red light only applies to motorists and some motorists see a zebra crossing as a finish line.

Our attitude to road safety can be jaw dropping at times. Just look a few posts back where the lad was talking about having a few pints and scooting home. If he veers out in front of a car and gets injured....who do you think pays for that inconsiderate, dangerous behaviour?

Johnboy1951

...Ghost... wrote: »

Other countries are better at teaching their youth about responsibility and respect for other road users. In the likes of Germany, most people would never even dream of crossing the road without a green signal. Compare that to here where people cross the road wearing headphones and eyes fixed on their instagram account. A majority of cyclists seem to think that a red light only applies to motorists and some motorists see a zebra crossing as a finish line.

All is required is enforcement.
No point in blaming people for not obeying a law that is not enforced.

Our attitude to road safety can be jaw dropping at times. Just look a few posts back where the lad was talking about having a few pints and scooting home. If he veers out in front of a car and gets injured....who do you think pays for that inconsiderate, dangerous behaviour?

I think if you read that post again it was about having a few drinks and NOT using the device to get home, but using Dublin Bus.

paruss100 wrote:

Does anyone know if Dublin bus allow you carry these on folded? Was considering this as an option to travel to work on and head for a few drinks after and bus home. I think it may be a little dangerous after a few pints!

...Ghost... wrote: »

...
Our attitude to road safety can be jaw dropping at times. ...

So basically age, tax or insurance makes no difference. At all ages we don't obey the rules regardless if walking or driving having paid nothing or a load of tax and insurance.

So the idea that new age limit or tax or insurance or new rules seems unlikely to have any effect on safety with enforcement unchanged.

...Ghost... wrote: »

I should have been more careful with my words, but the confusion is only because I am loose on what fee would be appropriate, be it a tax, or an insurance. I would lean toward the word insurance and restrict it to ages 16 and over in an effort to keep kids and teens off the roads with them. Confiscation would be the answer where someone has not paid their premium.

That seems utterly mad. Talk about promoting childhood obesity. Not to mention just another measure depriving a teen/kid of any independence.

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I think if you read that post again it was about having a few drinks and NOT using the device to get home, but using Dublin Bus.

I definitely remembered that post the wrong way

But it doesn't deflect from the point being made. Somewhere on this thread was a recollection of some woman scooting through town with a beer in her hand. It could be BS, but it's not even remotely unbelievable.

Overheal wrote: »

That seems utterly mad. Talk about promoting childhood obesity. Not to mention just another measure depriving a teen/kid of any independence.

I think you may have misunderstood my post. I would not want under 16s using these scooters on our roads. How would not using the scooters promote obesity?

paruss100

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

All is required is enforcement.
No point in blaming people for not obeying a law that is not enforced.

I think if you read that post again it was about having a few drinks and NOT using the device to get home, but using Dublin Bus.

Thanks for the clarification, wouldn't dream using one after drinking. Something you need your wits about you for.

On the tax argument we want to try and reduce congestion as much as possible and scooters and bikes will help this. Taxing them for that reason won't help and will have the net effect of making things worse for motor vehicles. But if you do I think you need to make the same argument for bicycles.

Thought you were still going on about taxing bicycles

It was about taxing bikes...

...Ghost... wrote: »

....
I am in favour of some form of small tax payment for adults using bicycles on our public roads, but that is a different thread.

Tbh feels like there's a define agenda here to penalise anything that gets around easier than a car and is cheaper to run. Be it bicycle or scooter.

It's all based on bias and no research of the facts or the experience in other countries. We seem to be determined to ignore past experience and reinvent the wheel repeating all the same mistakes over and over again.

colm_c

See a good few of these on my commute every day (up and down the quays in Dublin).

Some are grand, a good few need to learn basic road positioning and awareness of other traffic.

Surprised there haven't been more accidents with them.

See them all over. Phoenix park at night no lights, back country roads no lights. City all over. They think that toy light on the rear is enough. It isn't.

ongarite

Got a Mi 365 from Gearbest last week after ordering it over 2 months ago.
Very impressed with it. Build quality is good, very sturdy.
You can hop on it for the first time and be comfortable using it within a minute.

Did 16km spin to and from gym at weekend at its ease.
Cruise control function is a great idea.
LED front light is good, strong light with large angle of light emitted.

Recommended.

It's has a tiny back light. Very low to the ground. On dark road against oncoming traffic they are invisible from behind.

El Inho

Did a side by side comparison of the Lidl scooter and the Xiaomi (that I ride myself).

On paper, they're surprisingly close to the m365, but I'd have concerns about how well this translates into real world performance.

At the same time, that's a whopper price difference so if it's any use at all.....that's not bad!

https://goosed.ie/lidl-e-scooter/