"Educate them" he said

[Ronaldo47]

On 03/08/2021 at 10:19, ditchcrawler said:

There were electric bikes wizing up there a couple of weeks ago, not the pedal assist type,

We have two elderly "Powabyke" electric bikes that can be used in either assist or power mode. They are limited to 12mph in power mode. While new  electric bikes with power mode can no longer be sold for use on public roads, ours were legal when sold and are still legal to use under  "Grandfather clause" provisions of the present legislation.

 

N.b. our nearest canal, the Chelmer & Blackwater, is well beyond their range, so it wasn't us!

Edited August 5, 2021 by Ronaldo47
typos

[Midnight]

We were at the bottom of the Wolverhampton 21 when a nitwit on an electric scooter whizzed by twice at about 30mph. I'll be carrying my Calder & Hebble spike for the next few miles. Mr Parry's "Education" program doesn't seem to me to be working and it didn't for him either. 

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by Midnight

[Sir Nibble]

Electric scooters are the next big disaster for towpaths. Regardless of the illegality they are de facto tolerated. 

[Heartland]

Electric scooters on the footpath or the towpath are becoming more common.

 

I await  CRT's response on risk assessment for Cyclists at Brindley Place.

[matty40s]

7 hours ago, Midnight said:

We were at the bottom of the Wolverhampton 21 when a nitwit on an electric scooter whizzed by twice at about 30mph. I'll be carrying my Calder & Hebble spike for the next few miles. Mr Parry's "Education" program doesn't seem to me to be working and it didn't for him either. 

 

We were descending the Northampton 17, and were hollered for help.by a guy speeding past on one. He was waiting at lock 14 for us to empty it so he could retrieve another one who's GPS indicated its location as the bottom of the lock.

It was, and retrieved with grappling hook. Quite heavy buggers they are. 

[Jon57]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

We were descending the Northampton 17, and were hollered for help.by a guy speeding past on one. He was waiting at lock 14 for us to empty it so he could retrieve another one who's GPS indicated its location as the bottom of the lock.

It was, and retrieved with grappling hook. Quite heavy buggers they are. 

Nice bit of up cycling on your part Matty 🤣🤣👍

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

We were descending the Northampton 17, and were hollered for help.by a guy speeding past on one. He was waiting at lock 14 for us to empty it so he could retrieve another one who's GPS indicated its location as the bottom of the lock.

It was, and retrieved with grappling hook. Quite heavy buggers they are. 

I moved on on the Aston flight in Birmingham, it had been left lock side in the arc of the bottom lock beam. As you say they are quite heavy. I dragged it to the other side of the towpath

 

[Heartland]

The aspect of hiring scooters is another factor and whilst they can be tracked by GPS it would be of interest to know how the company manage the system. Any body can hire one, as long as they have the technology on their phone, it seems, but why should they be abandoned in such places as the canal side ?

[Rob-M]

2 hours ago, Heartland said:

The aspect of hiring scooters is another factor and whilst they can be tracked by GPS it would be of interest to know how the company manage the system. Any body can hire one, as long as they have the technology on their phone, it seems, but why should they be abandoned in such places as the canal side ?

You need to have a driving license to hire an electric scooter or certainly in Bristol you do as you have to submit a picture of it on the app. And you can get points on your license if you commit an offence.

[JamesWoolcock]

Was in the Craven Arms in Upper Gough Street (back of the Mailbox) in Birmingham last night and there were two guys tearing around the streets on unregistered quad bikes with no lights!

Just no, absolutely no enforcement.

[JamesWoolcock]

On 06/08/2021 at 17:09, matty40s said:

We were descending the Northampton 17, and were hollered for help.by a guy speeding past on one. He was waiting at lock 14 for us to empty it so he could retrieve another one who's GPS indicated its location as the bottom of the lock.

It was, and retrieved with grappling hook. Quite heavy buggers they are. 

They got batteries!!

[JonesBoy]

It is illegal to use an e-scooter

• on a public road without complying with a number of legal requirements, which potential users will find very difficult

• in spaces that are set aside for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-riders; this includes on the pavement and in cycle lanes

You can use e-scooters on private land to which the public does not have access without legal restrictions. The permission of the owner or occupier of the land must be obtained however.

You can only use an e-scooter where the government is running trials and the scooter is provided by a rental company approved by the department for transport.

You must have the category Q entitlement on your driving licence.

You may use a trial e-scooter on the road (except motorways) and in cycle lanes. You must not use an e-scooter on the pavement.

There are lots round where I live and it’s not in a trial area but no enforcement.

[Hudds Lad]

On 07/08/2021 at 07:38, Heartland said:

...but why should they be abandoned in such places as the canal side ?

 Same as Boris bikes and their ilk, when your period of hire comes to an end you just leave it wherever, or if it runs out of charge in the case of an e-scooter i suppose, you're not obliged to take it back from whence you got it. Couple that with people too lazy to leave it in a convenient spot for retrieval and there you have it.

 

Whilst out last week we saw another two e-scooters belting along the towpath at a guesstimate of 30mph-ish. Oddest one was a grey-haired chap on an e-bike at the bottom of the Atherstone flight who kept going back and forth on the towpath, stopping out of sight and then throwing apples at either the boats waiting to go up the flight or at the canal, not sure which but very odd behaviour none the less.

[Midnight]

20 minutes ago, JonesBoy said:

......................... not in a trial area but no enforcement.

 

That's the problem with this self-entitled society we seem to have created. Yet if my Calder and Hebble Spike or windlass accidently comes into contact with an idiot scooter rider doing 30 mph along a narrow towpath you can bet your boat on me being arrested and charged with GBH. 

Edited August 9, 2021 by Midnight

[Ronaldo47]

The last time our family used them (pre-lockdown), London's Boris Bikes had to be returned to a docking station to terminate the hire period. .

Edited August 9, 2021 by Ronaldo47
typos