So ... we are so glad we live in America, where we have freedom .... to tell everyone else how they need to live to make us happy.
And we are so glad we have a form of free-market capitalism because we have access to an amazing range of products ... but nobody ever better ever produce a product we don't like or approve of. Who cares what other people want? I f I don't want it, no one else can have rights of freedoms. Screw everybody else.
Another thread here deals with the unbelievable outrage of people Walking on a multi-use path designed for walking and riding. And there have been threads which descried people rising pedal-powered bikes too fast on MUPs (shouting "Strava, Strava!" as they blew through crowds.)
So ... people like to ride electric scooters. Yeah, I can see how letting people do what they want is a real problem. They also drive cars .... and kill 30-40 Thousand people each year. And cars Are heavily regulated. Where is your list of the people who have caused injury and death on these scooters?
Should they be allowed on MUPs? Well ... should pedal bikers? After all, one butthead on a pedal bike can create as much havoc as on any other transport modality. Should peo0pel be allowed to bring dogs? We all know of times butthead dog owners have created hazards on MUPs. How about kids? Let's ban kids entirely----you want a child, keep it indoors until it is 18. Then our residential streets and MUPs would be more available for people on pedal bikes who think they own those streets and paths. And let's ban headphones anywhere except in the home or on public transit.
First point---things aren't that bad. Second--if there is a serious issue, prove it, and then get active. Whining here just makes you all look silly. If these scooters are universally hazardous, getting legislation should be easy. If not ... then you are just looking for outlets upon which to vent your general anomie .... so get a life, or make your own life better, and stop blaming the world. it isn't the world.
I see a lot of these mini-electric motorcycles. They are usually ridden by older teens and younger adults, in the bike lanes, and rarely are the riders pedaling. What does this mean? It means there are fewer cars, and fewer people using all the resources cars use. I'd wager that a short commute on an e-bike uses a Lot less energy than doing anything in a car, and since almost all cars have only a single person inside ......
If the issue is abuse, demand enforcement. Demand enforcement for All road users, or for whoever actually and demonstrably breaks laws and creates hazards. if you truly do see a lot of people using these things in an illegal fashion treat it as you would any other crime. Document it and report it. Publish the video online and put pressure on local politicians. That's how change starts ... not by whining here.
If your issue is just fear then get over it.
If the issue is that you are offended that someone might think You are actually an "e-cyclist" and not a "Real Cyclist™" get over yourself.
There are a lot of ways to live life. You can tell when a person is satisfied with his/her options---it is when they start trying to limit everyone else;'s options. "I got mine. Everybody else needs to be shut down so I don't have to share."
Yeah ... a lot of people like the idea of riding a small, maneuverable, inexpensive vehicles. heard of mopeds? Somehow, mopeds and gas-powered scooters, with all the same performance abilities, have failed to end the world in a century of trying. Probably e-scooters will not end the world either.
Go ride your bike.