Hoboken's e-Scooter hysterics

GA's watched the reaction to Hoboken's e-Scooter  roll out with amusement.   

24 hours after the first day, apoplectic press releases from incumbent council members attacking the Mayor's office began rolling out.  I get it, horses eat hay.  Incumbent council members are hungry for political hay, and if they can't find it, they'll make it. 

If the Council is finger-pointing after the fact because inconsiderate nitwits aren't obeying the rules, why didn't they mandate public education in the ordinance prior to launching the e-Scooter pilot?  Right? Were they more concerned with kudos than safe implementation?

WHINY MIKE THE LEGISLATOR FAILED TO MANDATE RIDER EDUCATION- HE "RECOMMENDED" IT 

Weak!  The Council created the rules and conditions for the approval of Hoboken's e-Scooter program.  In his own words, Mike DeFusco admits that public safety was a "recommendation" not an element of his law.

Hence, self-serving press releases from incumbent council candidates pointing fingers, deflecting responsibility to City Hall for their own failure to mandate education about e-Scooter rules shows why we need to replace them.  They continue to focus on politics not policy.  

Stop whining to the media and do a better job,  Mike DeFusco!  

But, calm down people.  The rules are clear, if you know how to read. 

In order to ride a scooter you must register first on an App. I installed the LIME app; registration required an email address.  A few minutes later, I got a "Welcome to Lime" email with this "How-to" link https://www.li.me/how-to-lime

Go to the link.  It's all there.  Read. Then ride. 

In a perfect world, everybody has read the rules before they hop on their e-Scooter.  

It's not a perfect world, it's Hoboken.  The same guy that let his dog shit on your sidewalk, is going to ride his e-Scooter on your sidewalk.  The other guy who scooped up his dog shit and carried it a mile to a dumpster is going to learn and obey the e-Scooter rules.  That guy will ride his e-Scooter in the street, with the traffic flow, donning a helmet.

And when enforcement gets rolling, Hoboken coffers will enjoy a steady revenue stream from ticketing e-Scooter violators.   

People, this is a PILOT program. Hoboken is on a learning curve.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Safety first. Council members should be urging constituents to read the "How To" rules, wear a helmet when riding, and obey the law. That would be helpful, not meandering self-referential press releases.   

Once upon a time, the automobile was brand new...

In the first decade of the 20th century there were no stop signs, warning signs, traffic lights, traffic cops, driver's education, lane lines, street lighting, brake lights, driver's licenses or posted speed limits. Our current method of making a left turn was not known, and drinking-and-driving was not considered a serious crime.

There was little understanding of speed. A driver training bulletin called "Sportsmanlike Driving" had to explain velocity and centrifugal force and why when drivers took corners at high speed their cars skidded or sometimes "turned turtle" (flipped over).

Well, 21st Century Hoboken is fully equipped with the all of the requisite infrastructure for safe e-Scooter ridership.

Maybe self-education won't work, and the City Council has to mandate a class or a program or a test.  Until then, incumbent Council members should be educating, not complaining.