Startup ScoopScoot Is Impounding Wayward E-Scooters In San Diego (nbcnews.com) 114
McGruber shares a report from NBC News: In January, two San Diego businessmen launched a company, ScootScoop, that impounds e-scooters at the behest of private property owners. The company already has 4,500 of the e-scoooters packed in warehouses and garages. Most of the scofflaws pay their bounty, but a few of the half dozen or so e-scooter companies active in San Diego aren't on board. ScootScoop charges the companies $30 to release each e-scooter. Its freelance workers will also move or stand up a scooter that's blocking walkways or roads. The cost to the scooter firms is $3 to $5. ScootScoop contractors take photos to show their homework. ScootScoop is also developing an app where San Diego business owners can drop a pin on a map to alert the "scoopers" to an interloper that needs to be impounded within 24 hours. The pair also hopes to go global by using a model whereby satellite operators pay licensing fees. They say they've already had inquiries from entrepreneurs in Mexico and Australia.
The duo behind ScootScoop says their business shouldn't be so urgent. At least some of the e-scooter companies' user agreements specify fines as much as $150 for leaving the devices in forbidden zones, including on private property. But they say the rules aren't enforced by the firms for fear of slowing explosive market growth. Some e-scooter companies have threatened to sue ScootScoop, but so far none have filed complaints. "The community should be careful when engaging with pop-up companies claiming to provide city services like impounding or towing," Lime Electric Scooter Rentals spokeswoman Mary Caroline Pruitt said via email. "Impounding bikes or scooters requires compliance with the California Vehicle Code, and Lime is in the process of reviewing whether these pop-ups are committing violations which may subject them to liability."
The duo behind ScootScoop says their business shouldn't be so urgent. At least some of the e-scooter companies' user agreements specify fines as much as $150 for leaving the devices in forbidden zones, including on private property. But they say the rules aren't enforced by the firms for fear of slowing explosive market growth. Some e-scooter companies have threatened to sue ScootScoop, but so far none have filed complaints. "The community should be careful when engaging with pop-up companies claiming to provide city services like impounding or towing," Lime Electric Scooter Rentals spokeswoman Mary Caroline Pruitt said via email. "Impounding bikes or scooters requires compliance with the California Vehicle Code, and Lime is in the process of reviewing whether these pop-ups are committing violations which may subject them to liability."
BottomFeeders (Score:5, Insightful)
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These opportunists are weaponizing discontented locals to justify operating a protection racket.
We're all a bunch of assholes out here in CA.
I prefer the city government decide how to deal with scooters like they do with bicycles, cars and other vehicles.
No fucking way we're going to allow tax money to be used, or even collected, for that. We're all a bunch of assholes out here in CA.
P.S., Hey kid, try this Juul. It's just a flavor delivery device and 100% completely safe.
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No fucking way we're going to allow tax money to be used, or even collected, for that.
What the fuck are you talking about? There's nothing California won't piss away taxpayer dollars on.
Re:BottomFeeders (Score:4)
These opportunists are weaponizing discontented locals to justify operating a protection racket. I prefer the city government decide how to deal with scooters like they do with bicycles, cars and other vehicles.
Speaking as a discontented San Diego local, I'd point out that tow trucks are private entities already. You don't have to have the police present to tow a car; you can do that by calling them directly if you're a property owner so long as proper posting/notice is given in CA.
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...according to the Scooter companies. According to ScoopScoot, they do not.
I'm sure the truth is somewhere in the middle.
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Only if the car is parked on your territory. These thieves steal scooters parked on public land.
A) Scooters end up on private land all the time... just drive around and you see them.
B) Depending on the specifics of the street, establishments can have limited control over the sidewalk directly in front of their business, which is why "No Loitering" signs can be applicable even if it's a storefront and not a detached unit.
Re:BottomFeeders (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: BottomFeeders (Score:1)
They are profiting from illegal parking, but with a much lower cost base than traditional private towing services thanks to scooters being light weight.
There is no fundamental difference though, as long as you allow scooters and private enforcement of illegal parking this is simply the result.
Re: BottomFeeders (Score:2)
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I prefer the city government decide how to deal with scooters like they do with bicycles, cars and other vehicles.
That's fine, but this company deals with these things when they wind up on private property. The city doesn't, and shouldn't have anything to do with vehicles parked on your driveway, your businesses parking lot, etc. What if you own a restaurant, and a bunch of your parking spaces are taken up by these things, and nobody but nobody will deal with them?
I'd be pretty pissed, and dump th
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And the price for all that for the business is generally FREE as well.
The business gets a company to tow away nuisance parked cars, scooters, what have you, and it's done for free - the tow company makes money off the impound fees.
The only thing is you often have to call them to report the mis-parked vehicle, and it can take anywhere up to a couple of
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According to the repo guys, they only take the scooters from private property when an owner gives them a call. If you had people leaving scooters in front of your business and cluttering the side walk, what would you do?
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They are serving people being trespassed upon. It's American!
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Re: BottomFeeders (Score:2)
Let's remember that these "discontented locals" you dismiss ARE THE ONES THAT MATTER HERE. Not the faux-dot-com startups that design their vc-magnet business oblivious to the desires of the people of that community.
If I found someone else's shit in my yard, I'd just dismantle it and toss it into recycling like any other garbage.
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Alternate take: Enterprising individuals save local tax dollars by cleaning up after other worthless companies that are behaving like assholes. The scooter rental companies COULD take care of their own shit, but they don't, so now anyone else is free to do so. If they don't like the cleanup company's terms, too fucking bad -- they should have dealt with their own mess.
Let's level the playing field (Score:4, Insightful)
...between cars and scooters. Cities should either (1) force property owners to provide parking for scooters, or (2) stop forcing property owners to provide parking for cars as they currently do in most cities in the USA including San Diego.
Otherwise it's government deciding how everyone should get around and what people can do with their own property. Freedom is still a good thing, right?
Re: Let's level the playing field (Score:1)
Certainly. But property owners do not need to provide space for Lime and Bird's scooters. Just for those their tenants own or lease.
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...between cars and scooters. Cities should either (1) force property owners to provide parking for scooters, or (2) stop forcing property owners to provide parking for cars as they currently do in most cities in the USA including San Diego.
Otherwise it's government deciding how everyone should get around and what people can do with their own property. Freedom is still a good thing, right?
I don't think you want these cities to start passing laws and regulations around the scooters. Because it's not going to go the way you suggest.
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Otherwise it's government deciding how everyone should get around and what people can do with their own property.
Good. That's what they are there for. Governing. What you do with your own property should be your prerogative providing you don't in any way impact others. Parking facilities are a great example of where sensible government regulation is for the better good and fuck the freedoms of the property owners. We've destroyed enough cities with property freedoms, which typically include building in a way that maximises sellable space without ever providing parking or logistics services.
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So you believe then that cities should force property owners to provide abundant, free scooter parking, and that cities should continue to require businesses to provide more car parking than the market wants.
Basically you want what's called a "command economy" which is fascism/communism. That's fine as long as you're honest about it.
The worst part is how such meddling in the market has gutted our cities over the years. Take a look at Buffalo [ou.edu] for example. Between 1963 and 2014 it has turned into a wasteland
It's bad information (Score:2)
Both Bird and Lime are suing impounders. [sandiegouniontribune.com]
Then how's this? (Score:5, Insightful)
The community should be careful when engaging with pop-up companies claiming to provide city services like impounding or towing," Lime Electric Scooter Rentals spokeswoman Mary Caroline Pruitt said via email. "Impounding bikes or scooters requires compliance with the California Vehicle Code, and Lime is in the process of reviewing whether these pop-ups are committing violations which may subject them to liability."
How about if they're abandoned on public or private property anyone is free to toss them in the nearest dumpster because fundamentally they're no different than any other kind of litter (albeit expensive litter)?
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Cars are allowed to park on public roads within limits - not anywhere they goddam please. Scooters are, or at least the idiots who use them seem to think so.
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Well cars have registered owners, and permission (license plate) to be parked on the road.
But that's not the issue here, please pay attention. The scooters are being scooped up from private property. So imagine if a Hertz rental didn't need to be taken back to a certain location, and the customer can just park it anywhere and click a button that the rental is finished. Now imagine this conversation:
Property owner: "Hello, Hertz. Another one of your rental cars is parked in my driveway again"
Rental Agency: w
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How about if they're abandoned on public or private property anyone is free to toss them in the nearest dumpster because fundamentally they're no different than any other kind of litter (albeit expensive litter)?
If you're not treating them differently than anything else of value that belongs to someone else you can identify, then you're ostensibly legally obligated to inform them before taking the item or throwing it away.
I am so good at hurting feelings (Score:2)
Looks like someone's real offended by scooters. Show us on the picture where the scooter touched you
Re: Then how's this? (Score:2)
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Don't forget, Lime is also a pop-up company, as it came out of nowhere with a business plan that involves littering cities with dangerous devices.
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Should just toss them in the trash (Score:3, Insightful)
If I find a scooter in my driveway or on my lawn it's going in the trash.
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I've seen tutorials on how to convert them into regular scooters. You have to buy a circuit board from the OEM and wire it in, but that's a lot cheaper than buying those sorts of scooters new.
Re:Should just toss them in the trash (Score:4, Informative)
Why do that, when for a small investment you can turn it into something you can sell?
Bird:https://scootertalk.org/viewtopic.php?t=405 [scootertalk.org]
Lime:https://scootertalk.org/viewtopic.php?p=2856#p2856 [scootertalk.org]
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Rat shack gave away the cuecat, it became yours. These scooters are only rented, so repurposing them is just theft.
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I have long discarded any moral qualms I have about ripping off corporations. I do it at every possible chance.
I did not seek to address morality in my comment, only legality. What is legal is one thing, how you feel about it is your business, and another.
Thanks Trump! (Score:1)
They're doing God's work. (Score:1)
And hell, I don't even believe in any gods!
These silicone valley companies think they can just dump their shit on a city, and expect everyone else to deal with it. Maybe not everyone wants your scooter littering their parking lot?
Silicone Valley is so addicted to "disruption" they sort of have no clue that disruption isn't always good. Often times it's disruptive to more than just some business. It's about time another company start fighting these bastards. Screw 'em!
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Bird Scooters, at least, is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, not Silicon Valley, so that pretty much nullifies your criticism of the latter.
No profit if on public property (Score:2)
There's no profit for them to take them from public property and seize them. The owners paid once to get them back but haven't paid since. The only profit is to charge businesses to pick them up to declutter their property
Love the name... (Score:2)
The name is implying "Scooters are *poo*".
IMHO, the owner of the scooter should be charged for the removal of the scooter from private property regardless of whether they want it back or not.
That's only the right thing to do. The whole thing exists because the owners didn't take responsibility in the first place.
Startup ScoopScoot Is Impounding Wayward E-Scooter (Score:2)
DUH!
Find 'garbage' / 'junk' / whatever left on your property, and someone will start a 'trash-collection' service - - - for a fee
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Is biking and San Diego gets too hot for that.
San Diego isn't too hot for that (except today), but it is too hilly to ever make biking a viable commute mechanism for anyone who doesn't want to end up sweaty on the other end.
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Is biking and San Diego gets too hot for that.
San Diego isn't too hot for that (except today), but it is too hilly to ever make biking a viable commute mechanism for anyone who doesn't want to end up sweaty on the other end.
e-bikes are a thing. They make hills much less of a problem.
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Is biking and San Diego gets too hot for that.
San Diego isn't too hot for that (except today), but it is too hilly to ever make biking a viable commute mechanism for anyone who doesn't want to end up sweaty on the other end.
e-bikes are a thing. They make hills much less of a problem.
No one is moped-ing around San Diego unless they're trying to virtue signal. This is San Diego, not the Bay Area, and only the most recent of hipster transplants would try to maintain this lifestyle. I live in Gaslamp and even the East Village recent arrivals give up quickly on hyper-locality.
Re:Seems rife for abuse if this is allowed... (Score:5, Interesting)
>If anyone can start impounding scooters parked poorly, what's to stop people from impounding scooters parked correctly? All you gotta do is pick it up and put it in an illegal parking position, grab a photo, and you're good to go.
Oh, you mean like how the freelance "chargers" take scooters and hide them out of GPS range (basement, etc.) until their recovery value increases, and then miraculously "find" them and get the recovery fee?
You mean like that?
The companies DO NOT CARE. They have idiots with deep pockets "investing" in their companies.
They really do not care if every single scooter is impounded and never recovered. The "investors" will just keep replacing them!
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They are a HUGE menace in San Diego. San Diego was actually one of the later cities they rolled-out in, and city officials ignored the warnings from cities where the scooters were deployed earlier.
The city itself finally started impounding with earnest during ComicCon. So far, the companies have largely elected to not recover the scooters.
The bikes are pretty much all dumped into the canyons (by the homeless) by now. Bikes are so passe'! Oh, but the addicts still get use from them - they (and their suppliers) stuff drugs in the tubes for "stealth" transport. Which is why you see them in little groups all over town "repairing" the stolen bikes. Which generally involves removing a seat, handlebar, etc. doing some stuffing/unstuffing and putting the same parts back on.
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There is a dirty trick to that you might be fascinated by.
See, unlawfully parked or abandoned stuff can (and does) get impounded by the city. If nobody claims it then they sell it at auction, and not long afterwards - 30 or 90 days or so.
Since the scooters don't work without the app (or some hacking) nobody claims them, and nobody bids on them at auction except the original scooter companies (same reason), they get their stuff back for a dollar or two.
If they did claim them as theirs, they'd have to pay th
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The scooters usually have precise GPS tracking that regularly phones home so the operators already know when they are aband.. parked on private land. Such a move from a public space onto private land would be provable and lawsuits would result. The real issue is that the operators don't care and are not doing anything themselves to deal with the issue... possibly because even those $30 release fees are less expense and/or effort than them doing anything themselves. And the state/city/police/whatever gove
So... (Score:2)