OUR LEAD STORY

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THE INVASION OF THE LIME SCOOTERS

by Jacqui Birchall
(click images to enlarge)

This spring, at approximately 6 p.m., 78-year-old Comox Street resident Myra Davis was walking on the sidewalk close to her home when a teenager on a Lime Scooter hit her, knocking her violently to the ground.  She had only taken a few steps from her lobby entrance.

A Lime e-scooter rack along a quiet west end street.
(Jacqui Birchall Photos)

One teen had just whizzed by her when the second collided with her. He hit her rib cage and spun her to her right, knocking the wind out of her. Passersby came to help, one offering to call an ambulance. Davis declined the ambulance, not wishing for a lengthy emergency room wait, later musing she wished she had accepted.

The teen who hit her stopped and returned, apologizing, saying he did not know e-scooters were not allowed on sidewalks. It was his first time on an e-scooter and that he was trying to keep up with his friend.

Davis was unable to get up for some time. The next morning she could not get out of bed and was incapacitated for 30 days. Friends and neighbours took care of her.

Davis called the police to report the incident. She wanted an incident report. She said the officer was very nice, said that riding an e-scooter on the sidewalk was an infraction, and that the VPD were “monitoring the situation”. Two requests from The West End Journal to VPD media relations for information regarding police action that can be taken regarding e-scooter infractions had not been answered by press time.

this announcement went up barely a week before the station was installed on a West End street, and one resident made their views very clear. (KDM Photo)

City Hall has a department that deals with Lime Scooter enquiries. I was advised that all scooters have a number on the back. If a scooter rider injures you, be sure to obtain their contact information, the number on the rear of the scooter, and report the incident.

Ali Siemens from Vancouver City Hall advised that injured parties can file a report by calling Lime directly at 1-888-546-3345 or reporting online to the Lime Help Centre (see Related Links below).

Siemens also advised that a rider must be at least 18 years old, and only one rider is allowed on an e-scooter.

Who is managing these rules? I saw a rider one day who looked about 12.  Often, the riders appear to be high school students who have not yet reached 18. One can frequently observe two people on an e-scooter. Helmets are rarely worn. Zipping speedily in and out of traffic appears to be de rigueur for young riders.

I asked Siemens about the noise complaints from residents regarding late-night servicing of the e-scooter stations. Siemens responded, “As part of its service delivery, Lime is authorized to conduct rebalancing operations to maintain system reliability and ensure that e-scooters are available throughout the service area. These operations typically occur overnight and include tasks such as battery replacement, removal of defective devices, and redistribution of vehicles to high-demand locations.”

it says so, right on your scooter’s bumper! (Jacki Birchall Photo)

Regarding safety training for riders, Siemens sent this: “Safety remains a top priority for the City of Vancouver. The shared e-scooter system includes features such as slow and no-ride zones, helmet provision, sidewalk detection, a training mode for new riders and safety quizzes to promote responsible riding. Lime e-scooters conform to provincial regulations (e.g. speed-limited device) and have additional safety features customized for Vancouver, such as turning signals and continuous audible alerts to notify other road users of their presence when the scooter is in motion.”

Requests for comments from West End residents brought the following responses.

  • “Half of the parking in front of my building has been turned into Lime scooter parking. This means three car spots are gone, which is half of all available parking. Our high-rise doesn’t have any visitor parking at all.”

  • “As a vulnerable person with health challenges, this adds tremendous amounts of stress and takes away from the quality of peace, tranquillity, healing, and communion we normally experience in nature.”

  • “It's affected me, as I'm blind in one eye, and people zoom past me without me seeing them, then after I gently suggest they go on the road, they yell at me and berate me. A group of teenagers who were zooming past me on a day when I was wearing my eyepatch due to light and dust sensitivity called me a "one-eyed bitch." I've also seen them get dangerously close to mothers with small, unpredictable children.”

  • “They put a Lime scooter station in front of our wood-frame, low-rise building, taking out three spots. Parking was tough before; now it’s a nightmare. And even with all the windows closed, the constant slamming of the scooters and the van that comes at all hours of the night and continually all day, blocking traffic and slamming its door and scooters, is super irritating to say the least.”

  • “Imagine the kind of freedom you get when you’re on an e-bike, e-scooter, mono wheel or food delivery bike. No rules, no accountability, no one enforcing anything. Cruise at 50–60 km/h in a bike lane with a 15 km/h limit? Sure. Ride down sidewalks and plow through pedestrians with your SkipTheDishes bag bouncing on the back? Why not. Blow through four-ways, red lights, even ride against traffic—it’s all fair game. No insurance, no registration, no helmet. The VPD will just give you a friendly nod as you fly past.

    ”Meanwhile, I’m on my little 50cc Vespa, slower, lighter, and somehow more regulated—while electric bikes that are just as heavy (and often faster) zoom right by me without a care in the world. Honestly, it must feel amazing to be a professional scofflaw.”

enjoy your ride and follow these simple, clear instructions. (Jacqui Birchall Photo)

Lime and other e-scooter rentals have been banned in Paris, Madrid, Melbourne, and Milwaukee. San Francisco has temporary restrictions, while London, England, has restrictions on e-scooters, and Barcelona has banned e-scooters in certain parts of the city.

Mayor Ken Sim recently declared the Lime e-scooters “a huge success” and announced more Lime scooter stations would be installed.

One study shows a more than 30 per cent increase in e-scooter injuries across Canada last year. However, Dr. Brandon Yau with Vancouver Coastal Health said that, in Vancouver, there has been a “relatively small number” of patients under 18 going to the hospital for e-scooter-related injuries, and B.C. as a whole only saw e-scooter injuries increase by five per cent last year.

Please share your thoughts on the Lime Scooters in the comments section below.

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