Queens speech, micro-mobility movement expected

[Mr Gus]

AE, they really know how to spin a story from air at that paper

Cobble proof = air filled compared to the typically solid tyre hire scooters.
Cobbles mess you up, eyeball earthquake when it's airless type tyres.

[Mr Gus]

& whilst no-one is bringing this up, a prominent Lord in association with disability groups mentioned these things "whizz past me daily" ..well so do cars, bikes, fast walking pedestrians, mate, you are in a wheelchair! ..context.

On the same front, I've had to keep my wits about me so many times over the past 20+ years as electric shoppers (disability 3 & 4 wheel type) have reversed into me, ditto illegally used roads, or come barging past.

Likewise any sport, or situation, you encounter the less aware, less able, less concerned, & plenty of momentarily distracted "m'lud" moments.

The rule of thumb on the slopes has always been "those in front have priority position" ..be spatially aware for both you & them. ..this is common sense whether you are on foot, bike, car ..whatever not just coming into effect when you apply to become a driver, & I don't think this is being hammered home (taught) enough.

Then again, being brought up in a time of the IRA bombing & ongoing terrorist campaigns & "take a life" religious fervour, I still look for strong body cover, these days preferably "ram proof" street furniture, doorways, shutters, etc.

Ordering some LED handlebar end orange colour indicators, nearly £70 for "dragons den" ones, or Chinese genetics for under a tenner. ..gotta try to comply in unwritten times. (You tap the end cap button to activate both) ..maintaining balance is priority, sticking limbs out is worse than on a bike, & pretty useless in the dark.

What do you folk think, should (rear) indicators follow the flow of an oblong number plate with a clear two side led strip that signals intent to turn?

My grandma on her croft up the hill, this sort of small scale transport would have likely been an option to keep her home & still be part of her community, she had no car & couldn't justify it for trips into the small but spread out highland village.

The wife, currently is anti-scooters (scared of them) too much so to try them herself, but sees the potential where carers rushing job to job are concerned for instance, or student nurses on campus etc (less expenditure compared to car) ..she's just started a new job at a city based healthcare set up, & is looking at local staff, transport & rostas, ..ebikes & scooter parking & charging spots under consideration, ..she'd like a ev charger spot too but that'd be taking the mick currently.
Let's face it a few exterior grade, 3 pin plugs, & secure dry storage isn't big project implementation, but the hand to mouth empty pocket nature of healthcare workers at the low end of the pay scale retention is a constant battle.

Mobility affects jobs, in London with her other company people were getting up to commute at stupid o clock to get public transport across & out of the city, for some that was a 3 hour trek reliant upon walking connections & timetable reliant, shaving time off this sort of movement (never mind last mile) can free up so much time, ..Myself as a 20 year old, I would have got home 2 hours sooner every night for example, precisely because I'd have been able to make that connection. ..give a man a fish etc.

[Mr Gus]

The other day with time against me (on the outward leg) I went a mile across the village to post a time sensitive planning letter (council trying to offload unsuitable land without due diligence demanded of the rest of us, (also good agricultural grade fields)

An active 82 year old stopped me to ask how e-scooters were (she's due to cycle her trike 800 odd km in spain september 2022) but has mobility issues walking, & was interested as an option to not get stuck in the house (she's doing 16 weeks in a local gym for core muscle prep work) I get the impression that a mobility scooter (4 wheeled battery car type) would be too much like giving up compared to the more compact e-scooter.

Looking forward to seeing more use by silver surfers when things become legal.

[Mr Gus]

The latest "slow walk" talk in commons..

https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/5 ... c8be4ef63b

Starts properly at 9 mins 40 sec.

I note another piece doing the rounds in the press is another death & the mother insisting on this & that in memory of her "child" ..who was actually by law a man of 20 years, dumb enough to double up capacity by taking a female passenger, he died, she was badly injured, by the sounds of it by colliding with a car in wolverhampton.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... m-58708800

The BBC piece ought be reprimanded for allowing such bad emotive reportage without squaring up the facts, once again..