Should we ban e-scooters to protect pedestrians?
Electric scooters are fast. I have cycled after people on scooters, and some scooters can reach speeds of up to 30 mph. A vehicle that can reach 30 mph cannot ride on the sidewalk, nor can it reverse through a one-way bike lane in the dark. The other night I almost had a head-on collision with an idiot who was doing just that.
So far in Honolulu, there are no regulations on electric scooters and they are not being enforced. I don't like to ban them, but I do think there should be regulations on where and how they are ridden. If they are ridden in the correct direction, they can share the bike lanes, but they cannot ride on the sidewalks. They must also be ridden in a courteous manner. I think that is what should be policed. If a cop sees you riding like an idiot, you should get a ticket.
A ticket or two might teach bad scooter riders some manners.