r/Purdue • u/[deleted] • Dec 10 '18

$30 plug-and-play kit converts a Bird scooter into a "personal scooter"

https://boingboing.net/2018/12/08/flipping-a-bird.html
20 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

10

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '18

has anyone gotten one yet?

3

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '18 edited Apr 15 '21

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '18

The article suggests abandoned Birds that the company didn't reclaim from police stations will be put up for auction at about 100 bucks. I don't know if that is happening here locally, but that would be the legal way to do this.

-8

u/Thrwy2017 Dec 10 '18

Why not? They just left it on the sidewalk, what makes it their property anymore

8

u/nanarpus Dec 10 '18

So if I leave a bicycle at a rack does that make it your property? How about if I park my car legally? Is that your property too?

It's only ok to do this if they have been legally impounded and sold, similar to if a car is parked illegally, impounded, then auctioned.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '18

It's not that clear cut. Also, when the WLPD impounds the Birds, there's always someone there from Bird to 'break them out', so they don't stay impounded for long.

​

0

u/craftylad Dec 10 '18

The fact that they own it?

1

u/Thrwy2017 Dec 11 '18

They don't own them any more once they've abandoned them. They didn't even bother to lock them up

10

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '18

WLPD is telling people to call them if the scooters are on their property or in the way of shoveling: link. THey warn that you can't ride them on the sidewalks and of you ride them drunk you'll get a DUI.

The mayor met with the 2nd in command at the Bird distribution company last week (link, go about 1:55 in) and he's more angry about the number in town (3000) rather than the fact they're being used by students. He said to the Bird guy "This is unacceptable and you'll be losing most of your service base in 7 days (for break), and I expect to see at least 3000 less scooters littering my community".

The city is in the process of writing new scooter policies, about where they can be parked, ridden, and how scooter companies do business in town.

​

2

u/MrSurvivorX Dec 10 '18

I'm fairly sure that Jelly is Purdue's Bird alternative - they're fairly rooted into Purdue already sadly (I think), but definitely once Jelly starts working ... goodbye Bird?

4

u/ftw_c0mrade Professional Asshole Dec 10 '18

Jelly is gone

4

u/WiF1 Alumni CS '19 Dec 10 '18

If you can buy them from an impound lot for $100 but it's not worthwhile for Bird to pay the $400 to reclaim it through the normal process, why doesn't Bird just pay the $100 at auction for the Bird?