'We'd get a lot of accidents'
Revel insider rips ‘cheap’ rent-a-scooters
A former Revel employee has opened up about problems at the scooter-rental company after it suspended city operations this week following the deaths of two riders — claiming its “cheap” mopeds are often unsafe to use.
“As a rider with experience, I did not trust them,” the ex-employee, a motorcycle hobbyist who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Post. “They’re cheap. They’re plastic. The wheels are very small in circumference. It’s a bouncy ride. In the rain, we would get a lot of accidents.”
The vehicles’ batteries are prone to dying in the middle of traffic, claimed the ex-Revel-er — who was one of 19 laid off at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, just as use of the rental scooters skyrocketed across the city.
And users also often failed to report damaged bikes, the worker said — meaning the mopeds, which are left on city streets, could be picked up by the next rider without being repaired.
“You never really know if you’re going to get a safe and reliable vehicle. It’s kind of like a lottery,” said the former employee.
Revel — which came to the city in 2018 — slammed the brakes on its Big Apple operation Wednesday, promising to “review and strengthen . . . rider accountability and safety measures” in light of two user fatalities in the span of just 10 days.
The deaths of both Nina Kapur, 26, and Jeremy Malave, 32, involved riders losing control of their mopeds, according to police reports.
The company remains active in Miami, Washington, DC, Austin, Texas, and Oakland, Calif.
Riding a regular motorcycle requires a special permit — but all it took to rent a Revel in the city was a regular driver’s license.
“It’s not that far off from a motorcycle. It takes less skill, but the risks are the same,” the ex-worker said.
Revel offers voluntary training courses, but company leaders rejected an internal push to require that users pass a strict safety course before being allowed to ride, the exemployee claimed.
A rep for Revel responded that the company has “strict safety policies in place” and is “continually evaluating the most effective strategies to promote safe riding.”
The spokesperson noted that moped battery life “is clearly displayed to the rider before and during their ride” and defended the maintenance of the vehicles.
“Revel does regular maintenance checkups on its mopeds. Full-time service technicians also quickly respond to user complaints and repair Revels in the field or, when necessary, will bring the vehicle into our facility for repairs,” said the spokesperson. “The moment we are notified that a Revel is not fully functional, we immediately make it unavailable to rent.”