9 chapters across the catalog
California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2989, which regulates motorized scooters. The new law allows scooters on highways with speed limits up to 35 mph and removes the helmet requirement for riders over 18. The hosts criticize the "braking requirement" in the bill, which only mandates that the brake can cause a wheel to skid on dry pavement.
In San Diego, entrepreneurs have started a business impounding illegally parked electric scooters from companies like Bird and Lime. By treating the abandoned scooters as trespassing property on private hotel or business lots, they charge the companies $30 pickup fees and daily storage rates. The scheme is described as a "genius" application of property rights against the "plague" of dockless scooters.
Eight new lawsuits have been filed in Austin against e-scooter companies Bird, Uber, and Lime, alleging negligence and faulty equipment. One rider was reportedly run over by a bus after being thrown from a scooter. Separately, a host recounts a hostile encounter with a panhandler in downtown Austin who threatened his family after being denied money.
Lime pulls its scooters from the streets of Basel and Zurich, Switzerland, after a software glitch caused the vehicles to brake abruptly during use. The malfunction was linked to a reboot that engaged the anti-theft immobilization system, throwing riders off. The hosts mock the company's offer of a 15-minute credit to affected users.
Electric Scooter Regulation, Silicon Valley Arrogance, San Francisco Model
The rapid deployment of electric scooters in cities like Austin and San Francisco is criticized as an arrogant "market flooding" tactic by Silicon Valley startups. San Francisco's new regulatory model, which requires companies to provide helmets and on-the-ground assistance, is praised for holding these businesses accountable. The hosts note that unlike Uber, scooters are physical property that cities can easily impound if regulations are ignored.
Adam Curry describes the aggressive behavior of swans in Lucerne and tourists' tendency to ignore signs prohibiting feeding them. He also reflects on his ability to function in Europe as his knowledge of Dutch, French, and German melds together. Additionally, he notes the arrival of Lime electric scooters in Swiss cities.
Austin Dockless Mobility Policy and Scooter Vandalism
The City of Austin implemented emergency administrative rules to govern dockless bikes and scooters from companies like Bird and Lime. Critics argue the policy encourages dangerous sidewalk use and discriminates against those without smartphones. One host threatened to use indelible Sharpies to scratch out QR codes on the devices to render them useless in protest of the city's management of the program.
Electric Scooter Backlash, Bird Graveyard, Tech Worker Culture
Residents in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills are increasingly hostile toward dockless electric scooters from companies like Bird and Lime. An Instagram account called "Bird Graveyard" documents people destroying, burning, or pooping on the scooters. The backlash is attributed to a general disdain for "douchebag" tech worker culture and the perceived unsustainability of the current "Silicon Beach" economic boom.
Ride-Sharing Serial Rapist, "Bike-Sharing" Moniker Critique
San Francisco police arrested a serial rapist who posed as a ride-share driver to lure victims. The hosts use this to criticize the term "ride-sharing," arguing it is a "bogative" moniker for what is actually a commercial taxi service. They similarly criticize "bike-sharing" and electric scooters (like Lime), calling them "scooter rentals" that have become a "scourge" on city sidewalks.
