Why we should all be scooting to work

Bin those useless share bikes and unleash the electric scooters. The greatest commuting revolution has arrived and I’m not getting off, writes Victoria Hannaford.

There’s no doubt dockless share bikes have been an unmitigated disaster.

Thrown in waterways, jumbled together in piles reminiscent of bad undergraduate art projects and “parked” up trees, they’ve blown the tyres on the previously runaway success of the share economy.

They seemed like a good idea, but for reasons best consigned to the “this is why we can’t have nice things” folder, the unwieldy share bicycles quickly became trash piles. Companies peddling these two wheeled debacles around cities in Australia have rightly hit the brakes.

But hold on to your helmets, because all is not lost for city dwellers in search of an easy ride: electric scooters are the future.

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They’ve been burning up footpaths in Brisbane, they’re currently on trial in Adelaide during the city’s Fringe Festival, and there are rumbles that they could be rolled out in other capitals in the near future.

And if my experience of burning e-scooter rubber is anything to go by, they’re utterly addictive too.

If my experience of burning e-scooter rubber is anything to go by, they’re utterly addictive too. Picture: AAP/Claudia Baxter

Best to get the obvious out of the way first. Yes, you look like a complete plonker on two wheels while riding a scooter. You will get more than a few loathing, bemused or mocking looks from trudging commuters stuck in their bipedal ways.

But it’s important to note that while using the electric two wheelers, something amazing happens.

You stop caring that you’re basically being judged by all who see you for being too lazy to walk, because you’re too busy exclaiming “wheeeee” as the world whizzes by, with the wind in your hair (filtered by a helmet: safety first). The faces of those who look on with disapproval quickly become a distant blur, and they’re balanced out by those who stare in admiration while asking if they can double dink.

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E-scooters are convenient, efficient and, according to Lime, the company currently trialling them in Australia, carbon neutral. They’re a much more city-friendly alternative to bikes, especially for anyone decked out in business gear. For women in particular, they represent an easy option as they’re more skirt, dress, high heel and handbag compatible than bicycles. A recent study from the US on attitudes to share e-scooters in cities there found that more women than men use the vehicles, and have a positive perception of them.

E-Scooters have taken off after a trial in Brisbane. Picture: AAP/Claudia Baxter

But most importantly, riding a scooter is fun, a term rarely — if ever — used to describe commuting.

Like most modern indulgences — Married At First Sight, Ikea hotdogs, every other iteration of the share economy — e-scooters are probably harbingers of the downfall of society, but going to hell in a hand basket has never been more enjoyable. And compulsive. After my first scooter ride, I’ve developed the view that any intra-city commute is a chance to jump aboard an e-scooter. Is a single city block a reasonable journey to make en-scoot? Is it wrong to organise nights out specifically so I can use a scooter to meet up with mates? Like I said, it’s an addiction.

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There have been reports of some glitches with e-scooters, which obviously need to be sorted if they’re going to become permanent city fixtures. But they should become part of commuting, post haste. They’re cheaper and more sensible than taxis for short city journeys, and they’re a practical option in cities where congestion means road traffic seems to trail the speed of a horse and cart. They make getting around a pleasure rather than just another part of the daily grind: once you experience the joy of a scoot, you’ll never want to use anything else for your city commute.

@vhannaford