Scooter ‘wasps on wheels’ destroy harbour stroll

FOR the first time in many months, I undertook a Sunday afternoon stroll upon the lovely harbourside promenade at Ravensbourne.

In the past, such an excursion was always a tonic, and one would usually meet with parents taking their young children to explore the seashore, dogs taking their owners for a walk, puffing joggers trying to get in shape and grunting cyclists enjoying the sea air.

This latest outing revealed a new class of traveller has been attracted to the seaside in some numbers — unfortunately, one with whom sharing this esplanade is a lessthanpleasurable experience.

Within a few minutes of starting my perambulations, from behind and without warning, Lime scooters went flying past, the juvenile drivers intent on proving their worth on the racetrack. An unexpected movement of a few inches on my part would have resulted in a collision, incurring bodily harm.

Later, I observed with trepidation another posse of unsuspecting scooterists passing close by an unpredictable toddler who was concealed by some bushes.

On my trek, I counted as many Lime scooters as pedestrians. Sharing this pathway with these wasps on wheels means that this is no longer a pleasant afternoon stroll but an exercise in risk management.

If left unchecked, the number of scooters, and associated risk of accident, will only increase. The result will be that those who use Lime scooters will drive away those who use Shanks’ pony.

Time to invoke a harbourside scooterfree zone. Otherwise, pedestrians will lose the ability to enjoy this precious asset. Brian O’Neill

Dalmore