Following the collapse of the dockless scooter rental industry in late 2023, and the declaration of bankruptcy by Bird Global, San Diego has been free of motorized rental scooters now for over six months. Pedestrians throughout the city but especially in the beach communities and downtown have expressed their relief that they can largely walk more safely on sidewalks and disabled citizens especially the mobility and vision impaired can get around without fear of having their access blocked or falling and injuring themselves by scooters carelessly strewn around on sidewalks by thoughtless people.

The attempt by CM Lee of District 6 to have safety measures rolled back in order to encourage the scooter companies to return failed when he presented his proposals to Council in January 2024. It seems as though Council Members like Stephen Whitburn, Raul Campillo, Marnie VonWilpert, Jennifer Campbell and Joe LaCava had come to realise that claims made by the companies that they helped the environment were just hot air and that there was no sense in endangering the safety of pedestrians in order to give a failed business concept more opportunity to prove that it had failed.

We followed up on CM Lee’s efforts by asking whether he intended to continue flogging a dead scooter, (sorry, couldn’t  help myself), and were relieved to be told that there are no such plans in process. For the moment it seems then that this abomination of an idea is dead and buried in San Diego. Six years on from the start of our advocacy work I can honestly say that’s not a moment too soon.

On behalf of Janet and myself I thank all those who helped us achieve this significant result.

(In memory of our dear friend Phil Pressel and in honor of his tireless wife Pat and my friend and co-author Dewey Szemenyei).