Sven Berg: I almost died my first time on an e-scooter

I had to try one of these scooters I’d been hearing — and writing — about. How could I not? Journalists need to know their topics. Fun had nothing to do with it.

I started off by downloading the Bird app Tuesday morning. I picked Bird over Lime because I like their colors better and someone told me they have speedometers. I wanted to see how fast I could get one of these things going.

The app is pretty simple. You plug in an email address and turn on your phone’s location services. A map comes up showing the locations of available scooters in your area.

I picked a cluster of scooters just downhill from the Boise Depot. The roads there should be calm enough for a rookie, I figured. As I walked up to the scooters on the sidewalk, the app turned on my phone’s camera and told me to scan a code on a box next to the handlebars. Then it wanted my credit card info. After that, I had to scan my driver’s license to prove I’m 18. The city tells me it requires Bird to destroy that information in short order.

All of that took maybe two minutes. Because it was my first ride, the app took me through a quick tutorial. Don’t block public pathways. Park next to bike racks when you can. Obey the law. Wear a helmet. I didn’t.

And then, I was off. It was easier than I expected. You just push the scooter into motion and get on. The throttle is a button below the right handle. A bicycle-style handbrake is mounted on the left handlebar.

The top speed was practical, not exhilarating. The scooter, disappointingly, didn’t have a speedometer. The ride was quiet — the soft whirr of an electric motor. I rode around the Depot Bench neighborhood for a while and then turned down Americana Boulevard toward Ann Morrison Park.

How I almost died

I rode through the park and was leaving through the northeast exit when disaster almost struck. A sedan coming out of the River Edge apartments stopped before entering Royal Boulevard. I thought the driver saw me. I guess not. The car swung onto Royal and headed east as I proceeded in the same direction on the right side of the road. The car sped up, getting closer to me. I moved farther right, but the car kept getting closer. Within a second or two, I was running out of room between the car on my left and a row of parked cars on my right.

I hit the brakes and jumped off the scooter. The side of the floorboard banged into my left ankle. I was pretty angry. I might’ve cussed. I was relieved to see a Nevada plate on the back of the car.

You can see why bicyclists are so keen on good bike lanes. You feel the cars when they’re a couple feet away and there’s nothing to protect you from them.

Overall, though, my first ride was a pretty good experience. It was easy, cheap and kind of fun. I could see people using it for commutes of up to five miles if the weather’s nice enough.

The scooters don’t seem any more intrusive or dangerous than regular bicycles. If you’re on the Greenbelt or a sidewalk, you should follow the same rules bicyclists do. Mostly, that boils down to being courteous. Also, watch out for cars.

This story was originally published October 25, 2018 at 12:42 PM.