The Wall-E effect (Or, why I dislike e-scooters...)

So people ask me why I don't like the e-scooters that are flooding the streets, so I thought I'd shed some light on why I personally don't like them.

When I mention this to people, they usually start throwing arguments at me:

* Is it because on an e-scooter, you don't seem to have to adhere to any kind of traffic rules at all? (I mean, you've seen the 6-year olds on their kickbikes on the pavement, so pavement should be ok right?)

Nope that's not it.

* How about the idea that they are "really fun to ride so it's almost just like playing when you were a kid, and the more the merrier, we are usually two or even three people riding at the same time so we don't have to pay for more than one bike"

No, even though it's unsafe enough for one person to ride, it hardly gets safer with two or three on the same scooter.

* Or, connected to the one above, is it because an adult person looks really stupid on a 6-year old's vehicle?

Nope, not that either.

* Might it be because they are said to have such terribly short life span? (People are mentioning numbers ranging from 28 days to 6 weeks, making them probably the most unsustainable newly introduced transport method ever)

Nope. And that's even considering that I don't believe in those numbers (they just CAN'T be correct, right?)

* What about all of the kickbikes left by their users exactly where they need to get off, not where they should have parked, turning our pavements (that used to be safe places for people with wheelchairs, visual impairments or other difficulties) into obstacle courses.

This could be it, but alas, no, not this either!

* Did I mention that they are really dangerous? Small, hard wheels means an unstable ride, not to talk about in the rain or snow (!). No one seems to be wearing a helmet (why should I? it's a tech gadget, a toy, not a vehicle for chrissakes!) the brakes are bad and in combination with the disregard of all traffic rules, this could be a winner.

Good try, but no, that's not it.

* Is it because they are exclusive? The toys of the rich kids? Some say that in a cashless society, the poor become even poorer, with no smartphone or credit card (and considering the price you pay to ride one) the electric kickbike is something for the chosen few.

No, that one wasn't even on my list actually, but now you mention it, it could have been,

* Isn't it just because you are really old and just don't get it? Come on gramps, move out of the way and let progress past!

Well, that's probably one of the best ones you've mentioned so far, I have been dreading the day I found myself complaining about "the young people and their habits", so you might be on to something here, BUT:

The no1 reason for me really disliking e-scooters is:

The Wall-E Effect

Do you remember the movie Wall-E from 2008?

A dystopian image of the future where Earth has become a giant landfill and is thus considered uninhabitable, leading to the planet being evacuated by a large tech e-commerce company. The humans have since then "degenerated into helpless corpulence" due to sheer laziness (and lack of earth gravity) and they live their lives with a hovering screen in front of their noses 24-7 (sound familiar?) and they are constantly streamed commercials in order to consume even more, all meals come as a shake, ready to drink, and to top it all off, they are shuttled around on hovering sofa-chairs, not needing to take a step for the rest of their life, resulting in eternal obesity and inability to stand or walk.

11 years has passed since the movie was released, and it's kind of scary to see how much of it is coming true; the environmental impact of our waste, the screen addiction, and even the "meal as a shake" (Huel or Soylent anyone?).

But with that written, I must say that it's never too late to reflect and consider the choices we make in our everyday lives.

As marvels of modern technology, the e-scooters are making it just that little bit easier to NOT have to walk those last 300 yards. In a time and age when we should be grateful for all the physical activity we manage integrate into our day, the last thing we need is something that makes us want move even LESS.

I will argue that they make us just that little bit lazier, just that little bit more comfortable and make it just that little bit harder to motivate ourselves to walk even 100 yards. Why walk when you can comfortably whizz along on a rolling sideboard, preferably with your phone in one hand, or soon with your heads-up-display so no hands needed.

That's what I call the Wall-E effect.

Remember, I'm a tech guy, I spend my days helping tech innovations come to life, so don't get me wrong here, I love progress. As long as progress helps us evolve, and not deteriorate. We're already seeing the backlash of screen addiction and social media, when will we start seeing facts and figures on deteriorating health?

So sure, go ahead, use an electric kickbike, but do it consciously, safely, in accordance with traffic rules and only when you really really need to. For all other times, please make time for a walk up that hill or those last 300 yards. Or just buy/rent a normal, old-school muscle powered bicycle, I promise your body, and our planet, will thank you, in the long run.