Electronic scooters continued to contribute to a chaotic situation on WeHo’s streets this week, with Sheriff’s Deputies seemingly uninterested in issuing citations for riding on the sidewalk or leaving scooters in the way of pedestrians. Below, a gas-guzzling open-air pickup truck is used to gather scooters for recharging.
Since they were recently allowed on the streets of WeHo, poorly parked scooters have been strewn throughout our city sidewalks, obstructing pedestrians and presenting hazards to drivers.
It’s illegal and a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. But there’s something you can do about it.
Contact the city’s ABM Parking Services Division. They will promptly respond to calls and remove offending scooters from your way.
They can be reached via:
- The Weho App
- parkingconcerns@weho.org
- Luis.Banegas@abm.com
- (213) 284-7681
The real issue is unsafe and inconsistent designated bike lanes in our city. If we had protected bike lanes running east/west and north south those who bike and ride scooters wouldn’t have to risk their lives through the maze of painted bike lanes that start and stop having to dodge drivers opening car doors right in front of them possibly causing serious injury to bikers/scooter riders. The city does not treat bikers and scooter riders equal to car drivers and that is not fair.
Doesnt the sheriffs department have better things to worry about than these silly scooters. Corrupt cops in this town, scooters are the least of their worries.
There was a very good reason to prohibit scooters. There was no good reason to rescind the prohibition. QED.
The scooter drivers and bicyclists on the sidewalk know the police are not going to enforce the laws. They are laughing at us as they speed by.
Safer and more bike lanes will make sidewalk riding impractical relatively speaking. Scooter maniacs on the sidewalk are there bc they feel more safe than on the street. Automated camera enforcement (and related forced cooperation from the providers) can go a long way.
Look at the video. The scooter rider ignored the empty bike lane and instead chose to use the pedestrian path, and in the opposite direction of traffic. These are the choices typically made by most on-demand scooter users when taking an unaccountable, reckless and disposable joyride. All while compromising the safety of human powered pedestrians and their confidence in the walkable environment.
And I could post a dozen videos of scooter riders obeying the law. So, what is your point? This is hardly a scientific way of looking at things. It is self-serving, and you know it to be so. Would you change your opinion if I showed you a video of someone obeying the law? Nope, of course you wouldn’t.
That is a silly argument!
Touché
It doesn’t matter what we do with bike lanes. There are so many people riding illegally on the sidewalk down Santa Monica Blvd. I wouldn’t do a thing to help the bicyclists until they get off the sidewalk.
https://la.curbed.com/2018/9/6/17825186/los-angeles-streetcar-map-red-pacific-electric
We wouldn’t be in the midst of the opportunistic scooter mess today if we still had a well designed and functional system still in place. It originally was touted as one of the best in the world and likewise considered the worst blunder after it was disbanded in favor of new profiteers.
Can’t stand them in streets or sidewalks. Almost hit twice on Fairfax as i walked to a store but bam around the corner scared be backwards. Do scooters have the right away at a four way stop? Meaning they DON’T STOP THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW-Soon more pain when hit. actually NOT ONE OFFICER, PARKING, SAFETY POLICE, BOTHER ABOUT SCOOTERS. Hmmmmm no one accountable—gps controls on scooters shutting them off when on sidewalk, going through stop signs? I’m sure some one will look at a camera and see problems. Boy I get a parking ticket at broken meters, but scooters drive by… Read more »
While, in general, I haven’t encountered a lot of problems with people on scooters. I’ve even used them myself, and parked it in a responsible locations to allow differently abled people access to sidewalks. A couple of years ago, however, I had to contact one of the major scooter companies, and it was a different story. I needed them to stop dumping scooters en masse in front of the entrance to my building in the morning. They let me know, in a vocal fry voice, that they couldn’t care less!
As I have been saying for years, there should be Sheriff Deputies on foot in West Hollywood. What is wrong with that?
If not Deputies on the sidewalks, then give the “Safety Ambassadors” the authority to stop scooters, skateboards and bikes on the sidewalk and write tickets.
Also, have Athens Services pick up the scooters on the sidewalks. What other private company is allowed to leave their product on public property?
The $cooters was/is D’Amico’s baby.
Let’s have D’Amico initiate new legislation rescinding the scooter mess. Could they be funding his next campaign even though he denied running again? Once you feed from the trough it is nearly impossible to be weaned.
John D’Amico, always available, rarely sensible.
These companies continue to dump them out everywhere and not in the designated spots. The city seems to have NOTHING to deal with the issue. If not parked in the corrals, the city should confiscate them and charge companies $25 each to get them back until they fall in line with the system. Riders leaving them anywhere and everywhere is another issue altogether.
I have always hated the scooters!!
These devices represent a well-intended urban solution to last-mile commuting, but in reality and practice at the hands of ill-mannered twits and brats they are a malignant pestilence.
Yup.