
Confessions of a Grown-Up Kick-Scooter Rider - monort
http://www.wsj.com/articles/confessions-of-a-grown-up-kick-scooter-rider-1431098923
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toothbrush
Haha, what a cultural difference. Here in good old France people have no
shame, i see people on these things (called ‘trottinettes’ here) quite
regularly. Must say i thought it was rather lame when i first saw it, i am
more partial to cycling, myself (faster, less dependent on pristine road
surface, _etc._ ).

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david-given
Here in Zürich it's one of the main means of getting about in the city. People
have them everywhere.

You can also get Mountain Trottys:
[http://www.druesberghuette.ch/Druesberghuette/Trotty.html](http://www.druesberghuette.ch/Druesberghuette/Trotty.html)

I haven't tried one of those (I want to live).

~~~
faster
Same in Lyon, France; I saw scooters over 100€ in the stores (because adults
weigh more and want a smoother ride, I guess), and dozens of adults on
scooters during commute hours. It was a big surprise to me because it's very
rare to see adults on scooters in the US, except maybe that one uncle who
drinks too much.

Maybe my self-preservation instinct is weak, but I'd love to try one of those
'Mountain Trottys'.

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fungi
Shame? really, people feel shame for using a scooter?

Scooters are pretty common is Sydney, nobody you care about would bat an
eyelid. My friend riders hers around Singapore and nobody other then the
occasionally overzealous security guard cares.

Really is says more about the city/society you live in if you are looked down
upon for something as simple as a scooter.

~~~
fapjacks
Well, I think a big part of why it's considered "lame" (if that) here in the
States is primarily because these scooters made a HUGE hit _among children_
about ten or fifteen years ago. So they are considered mostly for children.
That being said, there is certainly a prejudice against some kinds of
transportation that is considered "low class" or juvenile, like skateboards,
mopeds, or public transportation, which is extremely unfortunate, as for most
of my life it's all I had, and it's the same for many Americans without the
luxury of a fancy automobile.

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JoeAltmaier
Mopeds are used by 20-somethings e.g. college students, not children. Or maybe
I'm confused since I live in a college town. And who can't afford a bicycle? A
scooter is pointless, not childish, because bicycles are a superior option.

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kevin_thibedeau
> bicycles are a superior option.

Except when you need to carry your vehicle on public transportation. Then it
becomes a hassle. This was the original purpose of the foldable Razor scooter
for use among Japanese commuters. I always thought they were a silly
compromise for suburban children to use in light of the classic, larger
wheeled scooters.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
Cool, good to know!

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mc32
Unlike other aspects of life where adults infantilize, or want to remain hip
well after graduation from university, I see this as plainly one of a number
of many modes of transportation.

I don't see it as a way of carrying over youth into maturity but rather
continuing the convenience of this very portable form of transportation.

The only distress I feel is from gas powered ones which drive by late at
night. Those people have no decency. Be quiet, don't upset the quiet night.

~~~
nkrisc
Agreed, this isn't about "staying young," it's totally about practicality.
It's almost certainly more energy efficient than walking but a folding scooter
is more convenient to carry around than a bike.

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profinger
I don't understand the shame here. I've been wanting to buy one of these for
the efficiency but just haven't had the money or found one made for adults
that isn't way above what I want to spend. I'd love this. Are you telling me
there are people out there with so little to worry about that they judge
people who are riding a scooter? lol

~~~
profinger
Also, I hated the razr lux a5. I literally bought it and took it back before
leaving the parking lot. The foot space was so tiny that I couldn't even fit
one full foot on it. At least, as far as I can remember.

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AnthonBerg
skateboards take up even less space and don't necessitate as much swallowing
of pride, although they come with a stereotype

skateboarding is easy!, the trick is to keep your center of gravity between
the axles. that's it. i learned to ride at 32 when bored on a business trip.

~~~
vdnkh
>skateboarding is easy!

True, but it's hard to look cool on a skateboard. I've been skating for over
10 years now and it's really easy to tell when someone is a beginner (nothing
wrong with that). The difference is that the experienced skater rides the
board, while the beginner looks like they're chasing after it. Easy to learn,
hard to master.

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pascal1usa
What city are you in? I scoot in st all the time and have never ever had a
negative look. Actually, chicks dig it. Once in a while I get a complement on
a5 lux scooter.

It works great at the office too.

~~~
pascal1usa
I'm in San Francisco

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Paul_S
You can't fit it in a bag so I don't really see the point beyond the novelty.
Folding bikes are faster and you can take them on a train/bus.

~~~
monort
Folding bikes weight more, take more space and they are less maneuverable.
Kick scooters are better if your typical distance is less than 10km,
especially if your city has sidewalks, but not bike lanes.

~~~
Paul_S
How long does a 10km commute take on a scooter?

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monort
50-60 minutes for me.

~~~
Paul_S
Ever considered something halfway, like an electric skateboard to save time?
Don't you get sweaty after 10k?

~~~
monort
I use it as exercise so I don't really want electric as my main transportation
mode. I'd like to try one of that boards, but the price is too high.

When it's hot yes, I'm getting sweaty. You can ride slower, but it's less fun
for me.

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yitchelle
Not actual article, but should give you a sense of what is being talked about.

[http://adultkickscooters.com/confessions-of-a-grown-up-
kick-...](http://adultkickscooters.com/confessions-of-a-grown-up-kick-scooter-
rider-by-wsj-reporter-michael-hsu/)

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subpixel
My wife snickers, but I love my ride: [http://www.nycewheels.com/kickped-kick-
scooter.html](http://www.nycewheels.com/kickped-kick-scooter.html)

11 lbs but rides smooth and silently and quickly.

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mk3
Paywalled article though I believe article should be quite good.

~~~
RBerenguel
Just Google for the title, WSJ has to comply with Google's first-click for
paywalls:

[https://www.google.es/search?q=Confessions+of+a+Grown-
Up+Kic...](https://www.google.es/search?q=Confessions+of+a+Grown-Up+Kick-
Scooter+Rider&oq=Confessions+of+a+Grown-Up+Kick-
Scooter+Rider&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l2.518j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8)

~~~
Terr_
Doesn't work for me, it's still register-walled.

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quaffapint
The Amish around here use these going up and down the roads all the time.
Never thought it was weird - though I do wonder why they don't use bikes?

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reustle
I see plenty of amish on bicycles in PA, if that is the Amish you're talking
about.

~~~
quaffapint
I just see buggies and scooters around Lancaster. I'm only on the 'main' roads
though. But, that answers my question though - they do ride bikes, I'm just
not observant enough to notice.

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e40
As long as they aren't on the street (like pictures in the article's lead
photo), nothing wrong with it. Once they're on the sidewalk, I have a problem,
because sidewalks are for pedestrians and fast moving vehicles have no place
there.

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throw7
downvote. paywall. and the google indirection does not work.

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girfan
Someone please post it here in the comments. We believe in an open internet!

~~~
bulte-rs
Paywall workaround via google search in... 1...2... ;-)

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atlbeer
[https://www.google.com/#q=Confessions+of+a+Grown-Up+Kick-
Sco...](https://www.google.com/#q=Confessions+of+a+Grown-Up+Kick-
Scooter+Rider)

