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0 pointsbeambot7y ago0 comments

Curious thought: Disincentivize bad behavior. Scooter companies know who the last user was, so they could develop techniques to apply "parking violations." Whether that means GPS-enabled (sufficient resolution?) or crowdsourced (next rider taking picture) doesn't really matter. But this is like the automobile equivalent of a parking ticket.

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asdff7y ago

The first company to do this is the first one that's dead in the water. Right now many users have both apps on their phones since they are functionally identical. Add a con to one, and the userbase will jump ship.

ravenstine7y ago

What incentive would Lime and Bird have to do this? I think that'd have to come about through policy being passed in enough cities.

cortesoft7y ago

Right, this is what makes it an externality... Lime and Bird don't care about it, because the cost is born by people who are not customers. They have no incentive to fix the problem unless forced to.

beambotOP7y ago

I assume they care about it massively, lest cities drop the hammer a la SF.

Also: it's a fun exercise to go back in time and look at all the laws sponsored by automotive & oil companies to create today's car culture (case in point: streetcars). I assure you: there was a lot of protectionism & it wasn't always about the consumer.

beambotOP7y ago

Fine the offending user on their next ride? Offer discounts that promote good behavior (to avoid unnecessary regulatory over reach)? Experiment in various locations to figure out what method works best?

It's an entirely new mode of transportation; there are lots of fun things to try as we refactor our world. That's what startups do.

stingrae7y ago

Skip in SF is sort of doing that. The app makes you take a picture of the scooter in its parking spot when you leave it.

masonic7y ago

But they don't verify that a neatly parked scooter in a photo is the specific one you used.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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asdff7y ago

ravenstine7y ago

What incentive would Lime and Bird have to do this? I think that'd have to come about through policy being passed in enough cities.

cortesoft7y ago

Right, this is what makes it an externality... Lime and Bird don't care about it, because the cost is born by people who are not customers. They have no incentive to fix the problem unless forced to.

beambotOP7y ago

I assume they care about it massively, lest cities drop the hammer a la SF.

beambotOP7y ago

It's an entirely new mode of transportation; there are lots of fun things to try as we refactor our world. That's what startups do.

stingrae7y ago

Skip in SF is sort of doing that. The app makes you take a picture of the scooter in its parking spot when you leave it.

masonic7y ago

But they don't verify that a neatly parked scooter in a photo is the specific one you used.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse