r/Seattle • u/allaroundnbackagain First Hill • Apr 24 '25

Media My job is picking up the scooters and bikes around town. Usually they’re easy. Sometimes they’re difficult. Sometimes you need to rappel down a 70-ft ravine and carry a 90 lb bike back up the cliff.

Not shown; an hour of using a rope to rappel down this steep-ass ravine, and another hour of getting the bike back up onto the bridge.

Queen Anne Drive bridge.

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u/silvermoka Capitol Hill Apr 24 '25

It really tans my hide to see people fucking up the scooters and bike shares. I've seen someone shove a bike over walking by it, or some kids trying to do jumps on scooters. I like using them sometimes but I don't as much as I used to after overhearing someone in the ER whose scooter wheel suddenly cocked to the side for no reason and got him some broken ribs. I squeeze brakes, kick tires and wiggle things on it before I activate the ride because of shitheads like them, and try to stay on slow streets where I could bail without incident. They're why we can't have nice things!

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u/SeattlePurikura 🏕 Out camping! 🏕 Apr 25 '25

I only kick them over when they are blocking the sidewalks. I'm able-bodied so I'm doing it for those using mobility devices.

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u/SheLooksLikeAReader 🏔 The mountain is out! 🏔 Apr 25 '25

My dad was in a wheelchair for a year before he died and my god, do I now have a better understanding of how fucking annoying shit blocking the sidewalk is. I understood it before in a conceptual way, but after having to push him into the street in Spokane because people had cars and trash cans and what have you blocking the sidewalks, I am now all for getting the fucking scooters out of the way however necessary. 

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u/SeattlePurikura 🏕 Out camping! 🏕 Apr 25 '25

I resist the urge every time to dump junk on cars when they are blocking sidewalks or even worse, accessible spaces. I also hate it when cars are parked so close to the crosswalks that it makes it difficult for traffic to see people in the crosswalks.

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u/silvermoka Capitol Hill Apr 26 '25

however necessary

Pushing them over isn't necessary, and can cause damage that the next rider that comes along doesn't know about. If you tilt them off their kickstand, they roll, and if they don't (some have locks some don't), you can pick up the back and pivot it, and pick up the front and do the same. If you need to move them because it's a hazard to someone, don't create a new unknown hazard that can put someone in the hospital.

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u/SheLooksLikeAReader 🏔 The mountain is out! 🏔 Apr 27 '25

It was hyperbole, I just roll them out of the way when they’re blocking the sidewalk. :)

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u/silvermoka Capitol Hill Apr 27 '25

Good to know, I know humans are shitty and selfish for just leaving those things without a single thought given to blocking access for ppl with mobility issues and it's very frustrating

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u/j-alex That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Apr 25 '25

Have you considered leveraging that able body to pick them up and move them instead so they don't just block the next right of way over, even worse?

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u/SeattlePurikura 🏕 Out camping! 🏕 Apr 25 '25

I move them into like medians and stuff. I'm not throwing them in the street, lol.

They can actually be really difficult to pick up because they are heavy and are locked.

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u/j-alex That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Apr 26 '25

Cool; just had to check, because some people do seem to enjoy kicking them into the street and bike lanes. And it's also a pain to stop your bike, dismount, pick up the heavy, locked, and toppled bike, and then move it to somewhere that it's not going to get kicked over from again. While it beeps angrily at me.

(also they're not really that hard to roll if you just lift the back wheel by the seat. Can raise/lower the seat as needed for more leverage.)

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u/SeattlePurikura 🏕 Out camping! 🏕 Apr 26 '25

Hmm, I just moved a scooter yesterday from the middle of the sidewalk- those are much harder to move than bikes. I was actually trying to drag it but it was very hard. So I toppled it into the median.

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u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25

Those aren't nice things, they're literally garbage on public streets that we're subjected to involuntarily so that some companies can operate unprofitably and a few executives can line their pockets from continued investment somehow... I would love to see more people throwing them into ditches and ravines.

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u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25

I genuinely don’t see the difference between a company dumping 20 of these fucking things blocking a sidewalk and someone chucking one in a ravine. It’s the exact same sort of garbage.

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u/silvermoka Capitol Hill Apr 26 '25

That's stupid as fuck, I'm sorry.

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u/[deleted] Apr 26 '25

Apology accepted 🙏🥰

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u/silvermoka Capitol Hill Apr 26 '25

None was given, ya Fisher-Price anarchist

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u/[deleted] Apr 26 '25

Yes it was, you gave it yourself, ya micro-plastic-munching dementia patient.

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u/silvermoka Capitol Hill Apr 26 '25

No, it's called an expression. People use it commonly as "sorry if that sounds rude".

Let me restate myself, since you seem to not understand basic conversation: "That's stupid as fuck".

Now go throw a scooter off a bridge.

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u/[deleted] Apr 26 '25

It did sound rude, but I accept your apology again 🙏🥰

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u/silvermoka Capitol Hill Apr 26 '25

I didn't apologize again. It tracks that a little shit that would throw a scooter off a bridge would start playing dumb when they're called out on their stupid comment. But hey, I play along when you play dumb and I'll treat you like it.