Dangerous e-scooters in Sydenham

[El Cid]

Am I the only person who is concerned about being hit by an e-scooter in Sydenham? A couple of weeks ago walking up Kirkdale, one flew past me, brushing my shoulder, and yesterday, walking past Pure Gym with my son, I narrowly escaped being hit by another. As far as I’m aware, it’s illegal to ride them both on the road and on the pavement. Yet I see people doing this all the time. E-scooters can go quite fast, so if you were to be hit by one, you could be seriously injured.

[chrisj1948]

I agree with you that they are an increasing danger. The top speed is supposed to be 15mph but I suspect some have been 'breathed on'. In the event of a collision there is a good chance that the rider would be hurt more, since they wear no protective clothing, but that is cold comfort.

Regards
Chris

[JMLF]

Yep, have seen people whizzing around without too much safety concerns unfortunately. Additionally though it’s not just the people on scooters, I’ve seen a big increase in people on bikes cycling on pavements or on roads unsafely as well as people crossing roads at the most idiotic places and times (particularly the crossing at newlands park and the high street). It’s not that hard to give some courtesy and thought to others but a lot of people just don’t and won’t for whatever reasons

[The Scorpion]

Seen this for a couple of years, in Lewisham, daily, despite it being illegal. Now, since they stated a trial in progress to allow more usage, I have seen far more people on them, on roads, pavements, without helmets etc. I think some people presume they are immune to the laws the rest of us follow? Some innocent person will die from a collision with one of these soon and I am sure there have been a few bad accidents already, with pedestrians.
NOT GOOD!
I could not care less about the ignoramous ones riding them who may suffer pain from themselves being the cause of an accident. Illegal is easy enough a word to understand. Some people think it does not apply to whatever they want to do however, so, others will get hurt.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e-scooter-t ... -for-users

[CATLADY]

So agree they are a pest on the road and pavement. There is even one guy on Sydenham High street who uses the scooter on fhe pavement with a young boy on the front. Seen him a few tines. Dangerous and ridiculous !

[Andwar]

To add to this argument, yesterday I was clonked on my left side by an electric scooter outside The Greyhound. Three lads were riding them on the pavement at speed and totally unaware of other pedestrians.

The time was 6pm and therefore the light was poor, the pavement was crowded with people attempting the follow social distancing rules. When I shouted back after I was hit for them to slow down, all I got was nothing, not even an raised hand to apologise because they were gone.

I appreciate that they are here to stay but there must be some sort of awareness training for users. The same can be said for some mobility scooters, which I have witnessed can travel at a far rate.

It will only be a matter of time when someone is injured by irresponsible e-scooter user riding on the pavement or road or jumping the lights in Sydenham.

How can this be resolved? With difficulty unless we can have our own dedicated community Police Officers to patrol the area, which will be impossible.

[El Cid]

And it's not just e-scotters that make walking in Sydenham hazardous. It's also cyclists using the pavement. As I stepped out of Billings this morning, I was nearly hit by two kids on bikes, who were flying along the pavement. This is not the first time I've seen this kind of thing in the high street. The police seem to turn a blind eye to both e-scooters and cycling on the pavements. They shouldn't. If you get hit by either, you could be seriously injured.

[perryman]

One of the main dangers in Sydenham is the amount of traffic.
If people could give up their cars for escooters, that would be a fantastic positive for the area.
If they could be used for commuting into central london in these covid days, that would be a plus and no parking issues either. People cycle the route from here so it might be an attractive and cheap way to get to work.

It will be interesting if they are still popular now it is dark and wet in the afternoon, and how they cope with gritted roads and icy conditions. They may well be fine.
And we need to know how reliable they are, although if they break down, you presumably fold them up and get on a bus.

I welcome them.

[Nigel]

There is no reason why powered scooters could not form part of our transport system - but as it stands its basically thuggery and intimidation . As a society we love to virtue-signal our concern about the diverse needs of disabled people, children , the elderly, visually impaired - unless of course we fancy bombing uninsured and oblivious down the pavements - the people who get hurt , or at least frightened out of their wits are not worthy of " respect" in that often won't be confident to challenge thugs on scooters so we end up with a kind of law of the jungle dressed up as sustainable transport - and all because there are too many cars or people who work with tools which need to be transported to worksites .Perryman try calling out a roofer on an e-scooter next time your ridge tiles blow off .

[Nigel]

There is no reason why powered scooters could not form part of our transport system - but as it stands its basically thuggery and intimidation . As a society we love to virtue-signal our concern about the diverse needs of disabled people, children , the elderly, visually impaired - unless of course we fancy bombing uninsured and oblivious down the pavements - the people who get hurt , or at least frightened out of their wits are not worthy of " respect" in that often they won't be confident to challenge thugs on scooters so we end up with a kind of law of the jungle dressed up as sustainable transport - and all because there are too many cars or people who work with tools which need to be transported to worksites .Perryman try calling out a roofer on an e-scooter next time your ridge tiles blow off .

[Sideofham]

If youngsters on e-scooters don't get you one of the marauding elderly thugs driving high powered mobility scooters will.