Vehicle Photography: Bird Scooters!!!
image source: Me
Today I was cruising around the Brentwood area of Los Angeles when I came across something odd yet very cool. I have been seeing scooters scattered around Santa Monica and Westood and wondered what was going on.
It turns out they are part of the Bird Scooter program which is launching is a few cities in the United States. It's an interesting concept. It's run by and ex Uber employee and it is pretty much Uber for scooters.
Here is how it works. You download an app which will unlock a gps enabled scooter. You pay $1 to unlock the scooter and then 15 cents a minute to ride it. You leave it wherever you want and it is automatically available for the next person with the app who wants it. Cool concept and just weird enough to be run out of Santa Monica.
Once you see one you begin to see them everywhere. They are not without controversy. (read more here) I happen to notice them in the oddest places and wonder if they are not a nuisance piling up on the sidewalks unattended.
But, I figure they are cool enough for today's vehicle photography contest from @photocontests . What do you think? Would you ride one around town?
Ha! I agree that it's unlikely that Santa Monica will be happy about this. I doubt most of Brentwood would like it either. But I bet UCLA students in Westwood would love it!
To answer your question, I would use it in another city where I was visiting and didn't have a vehicle. In LA, I have my car so it's unlikely I'd need this.
I've been without a car here for 10 years lol. I have a BMW somewhere in Fl and when I lived 2 years in Vegas in between my stints in LA I had a cool Ferrari F430 but I'm happier without a car. I've read more about these scooters now and it seems they worked out a deal in Santa Monica where the company is based . I've read that they collect the scooters at night and stage in popular pick up spots in the morning. That's why there are 3 here in Brentwood lined up. There are a few in front of the Apartment building next to mine as well. I'm tempted to download the app and take a spin around but I don't want to crash. I have crappy insurance lol.
@banjo @originalworks
Not really... Do you like Deer in the Headlights?