Originally Posted by jon c.

If you want this communication to have any impact, it had to contain useful and persuasive information. The constant refrain that there's a giant conspiracy against car free alternatives will convince no one to use their car any less. You have to present alternatives that work. Which is where personal experience comes into play. If you can tell people "I do this every day and here's why it is a better alternative," you have a much better chance of achieving real change.

In the case of scooters, they really don't seem to most people to be a viable alternative. At least not at they are currently being marketed. The operations that have been been launched in the last year or two seem intended only to make money for those who are introducing them. The possibility of long term profit seems slim at best and the potential utility of the vehicles for the majority of commuters appears to be very limited. People are not arriving at this conclusion because they want to protect the auto industry. It's simply a badly flawed business model.