Why Venice Beach is the Scooter Wars' Latest Battleground
*By Jacqueline Corba and Carlo Versano *
Venice Beach is the latest battleground in the scooter wars ー the polarizing mode of transport has most tourists excited but many locals groaning.
Bird and Lime seemed to launch overnight, taking the streets by storm and attracting enemies in city councils up and down the West Coast this summer. They both have billion-dollar-plus valuations.
It costs $1 to start a ride via an app, and 15 cents each minute. Scooters can go up to 15 mph, are tracked by GPS, and lock remotely so they can be left virtually anywhere. That is, indeed, part of the controversy.
[Social media accounts](https://www.instagram.com/birdgraveyard/) have spread just as quickly as the scooters themselves, documenting the "creative" ways they're parked, vandalized, and destroyed. The accounts are partially a response to the way in which these scooters were introduced ー suddenly and without any public input.
Regulators are scrambling to account for scooters in their mobility plans. Local lawmakers seem conflicted by emission-free, short-distance transport that's good for the environment but also poses a hazard to public safety.
Santa Monica, where Bird is headquartered, said last week that it's all for electric scooters on its streets ー just not those owned by Bird or Lime. Instead, city officials endorsed companies run by Uber and Lyft for its shared mobility pilot program which consists of e-bikes and scooters. The municipality will make its final determination on Aug. 30, and other cities are watching closely.
For Bird, the move was a slap in the face ー and from its hometown, no less. Both Bird and Lime [protested](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santa-monica-scooter-suspension-20180814-story.html) by shutting down their apps in the city for a day, while the companies' supporters [staged] (http://www.smdp.com/scooter-protest-descends-on-council-meeting-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-scooters/168572) a rally.
But just down the beach in Venice, scooters are very popular among tourists and commuters who flock to a neighborhood now known for both its tech start-ups and the famed Muscle Beach.
Sam Cooper, owner of the popular neighborhood cafe Great White, said the scooters are particularly welcome in an area known for its lack of parking.
But he does prefer Bird over Lime.
"You've got to support the locals," Cooper told Cheddar's Alyssa Julya Smith.
Elaine Low, Senior Entertainment Business Reporter at Insider
joins Cheddar News to discuss the Animation Guild's upcoming contract negotiations, hoping to close pay gap with live-action counterparts.
The Supreme Court will be hearing arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health on Wednesday over a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks. Jimmy Hoover, the Supreme Court editor-at-large for Law360, joined Cheddar to break down the momentous legal fight. "This is the biggest abortion case at the Supreme Court in 30 years," he said. "It is a … a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade."
In recent years, extreme weather events like flooding and wildfires have become more frequent, and more severe - and scientists say global warming is to blame. Climate crises could leave people in need of help, and that's where Global Rescue steps in. The crisis response firm employs former Navy Seals and Army Rangers to rescue travelers from climate-related emergencies. Global Rescue CEO Dan Richards joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Cloud-based AI-powered writing assistant Grammarly recently raised $200 million in a funding round that values the company at $13 billion. The funding will be used to help Grammarly achieve its goal of becoming more ubiquitous, as the company says it wants to be the go-to writing assistant for wherever people type. Grammarly also says it aims to solve what it calls one of the most critical problems facing people and businesses today -- ineffective communication. Grammarly global head of product Rahul Roy-Chowdhury joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Jennifer Lotito, president and COO at the non-profit (RED), joined Cheddar to discuss the CODE (RED) campaign as the organization looks to expand its mission to support both AIDS and COVID-19 relief. She explained that people can get involved in the campaign for Giving Tuesday and ahead of World AIDS Day by shopping (RED) branded products and even using credit card rewards points to add their own support. Lotito also pointed out that COVID-19 has also impacted HIV testing as people avoid clinics out of fear of the other pandemic.
The Movember Foundation is celebrating the end of Movember, the annual fundraising event that involves the growing of moustaches as a way to draw attention to men's health issues, including suicide prevention and prostate cancer. Mark Hedstrom, the U.S. executive director for the Movember Foundation, joined Cheddar to discuss the organization's goals and the fundraising partnerships it's secured. He also talked about normalizing conversations around men's mental health.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Dr. Dorothy Kim, Assistant Professor of Medieval Literature at Brandeis University, discusses the roots that modern-day white supremacy has in Viking history, despite its many factual inaccuracies; Vikings are often misunderstood and while their brutality is what's shown in popular culture, there are many misconceptions about who they really were. Philip Parker, Historian and author of 'The Northmen's Fury', helps break down the true Viking history.; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Viking Women.'
Dr. Dorothy Kim, Assistant Professor of Medieval Literature at Brandeis University, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss the roots that modern-day white supremacy has in Viking history, despite its many factual inaccuracies.
