Comment by tguvot | Hacker News Reader

Comment by tguvot | Hacker News Reader

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"love" it that you got downvoted for expressing common sense based in your expirience

In Israel ebikes/escooters became popular 15 years ago if not more. They are universally hated by non riders, because

- riders tend not to obey any rules

- there is a bunch of deaths every year because e-whatever run into pedestrians on high speeds

- it's very fun to ride car on road and have somebody on e-whatever play chicken with you. especially during night. (once, one of those riders chased me to my home and demanded "compensation" for something)

- a whole bunch of fires due to exploding batteries (there is now Israeli startup that installs fire-proof charging stations/enclosures)

- no enforcement as policy too busy to deal with other stuff

So yes, for those who use it, it's probably comfortable and fun. Adds another drop into solving transportation/environmental problems. But at absence of proper legalization and enforcement it's not fun not be around them

I think just about everyone agrees that e-bikes need regulations with strong enforcement. We just don’t agree that they also require training, licensing and insurance.

However bad you think e-bikes are, the fact remains that cars are worse. As long as e-bikes are replacing cars, they’re a good thing.

You will never have proper enforcement without training, licensing, and insurance. For proof on that look at the lack of enforcement of traditional bikes and basic road safety for our entire lives

Not sure how that’s proof of anything? Traditional bikes are not dangerous to other road users, why would enforcement need to be super strict?

lets talk about insurance. do you think cars shouldn't have insurance as well ?

Of course not!

e-things, due to their speed/mass tend to kill/injure people, damage cars. why shouldn't they be insured just like cars ?

They don’t cause anything even close to the number of issues that cars cause. I hope my city turns as many insured car drivers into uninsured ebikers as possible.

what about cancelling insurance for planes (i guess there is one). They don’t cause anything even close to the number of issues that cars cause.

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