WASHINGTON — Dear people of D.C.: We are 10 days into a new decade, and already we have hit peak scooter rage!
Reddit user @nldoty caused quite the internet stir Friday after posting a photo of a yellow Bolt scooter stuck in a tree near the Potomac River; it appeared to have been thrown off the Key Bridge.
Comments ranged from "hell of a toss though" to "I have to resist the urge to kick over every stupid scooter I see inconveniently strewn in the middle of a walkway/sidewalk/narrow space etc."
The interest in scooter abandonment got us wondering where the most common locations were for scooters to go to die. WUSA9 did a deep dive into the District's 311 calls regarding scooters, and found 21 complaints of abandoned scooters.
Changes are on the way for scooter enthusiasts in the District. While you may notice fewer brands of scooters in the new year, you will likely see more scooters around town.
The Department of Transportation only granted permits to four dockless scooter operators past March 2020 -- Jump, Spin, Lyft and Skip; Bird, Bolt, Razor and Lime were all given the boot. Each of the four chosen companies will be allowed to have an initial 2,500 scooters on the street, bringing 10,000 total scooters to the District. The 2020 plan also includes the installation of 100 off-sidewalk parking corrals, designed specifically for dockless scooters and bikes.
Perhaps our angry scooter thrower was simply helping Bolt get a jump start on removing their scooters from the city?