Not all scooter riders with hoons or nuisances. There are many, like me, who genuinely want to share the road and dual paths. |OPINION by Melbourne doctor Nicole Hallett
Last year, during one of our countless lockdowns, I bought a scooter. I had seen them out and about in the city and they struck me as a cost-effective, fun, environmentally friendly alternative for the daily commute.
I’m a doctor in a city hospital, and I genuinely thought I was doing the right thing by my fellow commuters: nobody wants to sit next to the woman who has spent an entire day in the COVID ward.Penny Stephens Fast forward about a year and if you believe the commentary, I’m now public enemy number one. So please, let me explain: not all of us scooter riders are out to terrorise pedestrians or ride 20km/hour over the Bolte Bridge. Most of us just want to get to work.
I wear a helmet. I stick to the bike lanes. My scooter has a brake light and a headlight. I’m courteous to pedestrians, even when they step in front of me while fixated on their phones. It is true that I am not a perfect rider all the time, and I have made the occasional mistake. But I’m responsible.
It has been very frustrating over the past few weeks to witness tandem rides on hire scooters and helmet-less clowns clumsily navigating their way through foot traffic on footpaths.I do question the wisdom of legalising e-scooters only for hire companies. The cheap, brightly coloured scooters are designed for visitors and passersby to enjoy. I’ve made an investment in mine, and plan to use it daily for practical purposes.That’s not to say that all scooter owners are responsible.
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