> These scooters (despite their benefit) are ultimately taking money out of the community (if they’re profitable) and they’re budgeting for loss and damage, so why not let the kids play on them and damage them?

This is pretty much the same argument as people who litter at ball games and then say "The cleaning crew will pick it up. That's their job."

There is no moral quandary about teaching children to respect property that isn’t theirs. If you want them out of your community there are myriad channels for addressing that.

I think its about the same as telling your kids not to vandalize vending machines, newspaper boxes and store fronts.

If they're damaged too much or too often, then either they'll be taken away, or else the service will become more expensive to offset the cost.

So, ultimately, it will be to the detriment of anyone who wants to use the scooters. If your kids don't know anyone who uses them or even see them getting used ever, it may not be a very compelling argument.

>These scooters (despite their benefit) are ultimately taking money out of the community (if they’re profitable) and they’re budgeting for loss and damage, so why not let the kids play on them and damage them?

Any business is predicated on a win-win proposition. Lime / Bird provides the capital, maintenance and network that maintains the scooters, and the people that use them pay the cost of their usage. The money they "take out of the community" is likely outweighed by the positive externalities brought to the community:

1. Traffic is lessened.

2. Jobs are provided to community members to pick them up and charge them.

3. Businesses make more money / pay more sales taxes from higher foot traffic.

4. Community members have a pleasant scooting experience readily available to them on demand.

Of course, scooters also have negative externalities:

1. They are not useful for people with disabilities, and can actively prevent people with disabilities from participating in public spaces when people park the scooters like assholes.

2. People will hurt themselves using the scooters.

3. Piles of dead scooters are aesthetically unappealing.

But these must be weighed against the benefits.

I have to think it's going to be harder and harder for theft to occur. The GPS, cell network, and constant iteration on the design is going to make it very hard for thieves.