this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
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A Boring Dystopia

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[–] herrvogel@lemmy.world 67 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

I fail to see the problem with this. It is their property you are renting, and they are telling you to not fuck with it too much. Looks very reasonable to me. And all of those can be detected without any violation of privacy too.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 28 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

IMO it kind of depends on whether their 'riding violation' detection system is overly sensitive, this could be a reasonable response or absolute bullshit depending on what the scooter pilot actually did.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Yeah this. It's reasonable if the companies are and the system is.

But for instance Ryde scooters in my city had most of their brakes set pretty friggin tight, so that pretty much any application of the rear bake lead to skidding.

I know kids do it on purpose, and I did enjoy skidding a corner or two, but tried doing it minimally. Couldn't help myself though, especially because 50% at least were just useful accidents.

But my point is that if the rear brake wasn't as tight, I wouldn't have skidded at all.

[–] waldfee@feddit.org 13 points 2 weeks ago

Agreed, but

without any violation of privacy

just seems wrong. They know your payment info, your habits, the places you visit, the routes you take, and exactly how you're using the scooter. Not to mention whatever the app might be doing in background. Their only way to violate privacy even more would be by filming the driver and the surroundings and selling all the data

[–] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, fair enough not wanting people to take their equipment to a skate park or otherwise abuse it.

People on this platform have some bizarre opinions sometimes.

[–] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For real. Like, they aren't even giving you a fine. This is a polite warning to not do dumb shit on an expensive e-scooter. Beyond not wanting the things damaged, they probably also don't want customers losing control and concussing themselves. Scooters are absurdly easy to crash as is.

This post is stupid.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Scooters are absurdly easy to crash as is.

Agreed with all of your comment but wanted to discuss this. A vehicle you are unfamiliar with is easy to crash and a rented scooter can have weird weight distribution. Still, like with a rented car it comes down to how reckless you are being as a driver. We (and I include myself in this group) tend to generally be a lot more comfortable being reckless on bikes and scooters than in cars in part because the potential damage from a bike crash is trivial compared to the potential damage from a car crash. So like, it's likely not a simple, black and white single variable issue like "how bad a driver are they" in their database

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I left a portion of my face on the sidewalk in Austin TX from one of these scooters. My drunk ass sure didn’t respect the danger these pose.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oof. I hope your face grew back, I like your face.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

Thanks, my face appreciates you. It grew back, with some scars that are hard to notice unless you’re looking for them. First and only time I got to ride in an ambulance (so far).

[–] toynbee@piefed.social 2 points 2 weeks ago

My erstwhile manager told me that he once fell off a scooter and broke his leg very badly. According to him, the ER doctor said the only other time he'd seen that type and severity of breakage was when someone was parachuting, messed it up, and hit a tree.

[–] turdas@suppo.fi 0 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I don't understand how jumping curbs is supposed to be a problem, that's just something you have to do to get around sometimes. It also seems like something that hitting potholes would easily get confused for.

[–] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago

You can get around without having to jump curbs, and potholes are also avoidable.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Scooters are supposed to be on the street. There is no need to jump any curbs.

[–] turdas@suppo.fi 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Where I'm from there's still a plenty of combined pedestrian/bike paths that have an annoyingly high curb after every crosswalk.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, I ride a bike a lot and escooters usually are treated the same as far as road laws go where they are allowed. Can't think of when I have had to jump a kerb.

[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 35 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

How is it dystopian to not damage things that don't belong to you? Ride the scooter like a normal person, or buy your own for stunting...

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And when you get warned anyway after not treating the scooter poorly?

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

Take all the copper, duh

[–] HailSeitan@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Did everyone in the comments suffer brain damage and forget about Hertz and its bullshit AI “scratch and dent” scanners? Or the hotels charging non-smokers $500 “smoking” fees because an AI smoke detector said so? Do people defending this shitty company not see the obvious and unavoidable conflict of interest companies have to make a system like this overly sensitive in order to rack up fines? It would be one thing if the threat was a ban from the service, but it’s just so clearly an excuse to generate more profits I’m shocked this needs to be pointed out.

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 29 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

I don't think it's corporate dick-sucking to say that if you use an e-scooter share, it's not dystopian that the company administering them tries to track if you're using them in a negligent way that causes unnecessary wear. It's not yours.

The fact these corporations are running this kind of thing is itself problematic, but I also wouldn't object if a government-administrated e-scooter share tried to detect poor behavior on a piece of equipment you don't own.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 9 points 2 weeks ago

I would be more accepting of escooter rentals if it wasn't the only legal option to use an escooter in the UK. It's fucking bullshit that they are essentially given a monopoly on renting a method of transport.

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The things they listed are not negligent, and not even about wearing tear, bet you it's about insurance. Liability insurance for personal injury.

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Burnouts aren't negligent and wear-causing? Do I need to stand behind one long enough before I can understand this logic?

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago

Burnouts or spinning wheels it said. The automated nanny on the spy scooters is not a very good source apparently.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I mean, get your own scooter and you can do all the burnouts and hit all the curbs you want.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's illegal to use your own here, only allowed to rent one from which ever company has the monopoly to rent them out in your area. Or can't use them at all as there isn't anyone renting them out in your area.

Of course because there is no legal option to use your own many just do it illegally.

[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 weeks ago

That's like an entirely different set of dystopian problems than a company protecting their assets from abuse. Sorry your laws are fucked up.

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca -5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You can own nothing and be happy about it, which looks like it's going to be the case with you. Giving a corporation the benefit of the doubt ha.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

You could also own a scooter and be happy about it. Because then nobody would be telling you how to ride it.

[–] FilthyHands@sh.itjust.works 18 points 2 weeks ago

DANCING IS FORBIDDEN

[–] Saapas@piefed.zip 14 points 2 weeks ago

I hate the scooter kids who do this shit

[–] Azzu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 weeks ago

How is everyone acting like the poster is at fault here? How do you know their AI detection system isn't bullshit and they didn't drive entirely reasonably, and the detection system is actually the problem?

Use some common sense, people... Both things are possible here, a reckless driver or an overzealous detection system.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 9 points 2 weeks ago

It's not long before "Abuse you like a rented scooter" becomes a new idiom.

[–] sexy_peach@feddit.org 9 points 2 weeks ago

I met someone that said that there are cracked apps that will allow you to "rent" these for free

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Now I'm just going to grind harder. Tell me again and I'm hitting the half-pipe.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I'm just gonna keep on grinding forever

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 4 points 2 weeks ago

How about don't break rental shit?

[–] darthsundhaft@piefed.social 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

What they don't want is either you or somebody else to sue them because they know they're enabling you to use an alt method of transport that offers no real guardrails.

[–] Xanthrax@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

This is random, but thank you for the uno reverse card.

[–] Zexks@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I've worked service and repair jobs for decades. I will always default to the user was a jackass unless provided direct proof to the contrary.

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago
[–] vext01@feddit.uk -2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Stop taking rentals down the skate park.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Stop taking skate parks down to the rentals