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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Sirin Kale

‘I know they’re exciting – but calm down!’ Britain’s love-hate affair with the e-scooter

Sirin Kale tries out an e-scooter in London.
‘More than anything, e-scooters are great fun’… Sirin Kale tries out an e-scooter in London. Photograph: Anselm Ebulue/The Guardian

There is a crime wave on our streets, being committed by insouciant teens, commuting executives and even pensioners. Gleefully they glide across our inner cities, scarcely breaking a sweat as they overtake cyclists on stiff climbs. They descend with ease, hair whipping in the wind, gravity and electric engine working together to deliver them to their destination at sometimes staggering speeds.

There are hundreds of thousands of these lawbreakers in the country today. They flout the law openly. You will have seen them in cycle lanes, main roads and even on the pavements. Perhaps you’ve almost been knocked over by one yourself. London, Hampshire, the West Midlands and Sussex appear to be particular hotspots. They’re the e-scooter riders of the UK, and they have already come to a street near you.

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