While e-scooters from companies like Bird and Lime can provide customers with cheap transportation, some scooters are ending up in places they don't belong -- including a lake in California.
In October alone, 60 e-scooters were pulled from Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, Lake Merritt Institute Executive Director James Robinson told KTVU-TV.
The e-scooters pose several problems for the lake, Robinson said. The batteries could be harmful to the environment. Some scooters are in water shallow enough to retrieve with nets, he said. But if a scooter is in deeper water, maintenance workers have to launch a boat to reach it.
“It's sad because you come to work every day and you want to do the best you can for the lake, and when you have these scooters being thrown into the lake with seemingly no end in sight, it's very concerning," Robinson said.
Lake staff have found both Lime and Bird scooters in the water. Both companies have been contacted about the issue, Robinson said, but so far only Lime has sent employees to help fish the scooters from the lake.
Lime told KTVU-TV they would implement a "no-park zone" around the lake and would donate an undisclosed amount to the Lake Merritt Institute. Bird did not respond to a request for comment.
The e-scooter problem isn't unique to Lake Merritt. Scooter dumping has also been a problem for the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, and the Spokane River in Spokane, Washington, among others, reported Slate.
About the Author
