Bird is an electric scooter company, started by a former Uber executive. “Birds” are electric scooters that are shared by city members. They function like Citibikes or Hubway, but I find them to be more fun. One key difference, is that Bird scooters can be docked anywhere. They don’t require specific racks for pickup and deposit, and so, they’re particularly convenient. All one must do to ride is unlock a scooter using the bird app. They do require that users wear helmets, which are not provided. Birds have been implemented in cities like Austin and Los Angeles, where I tried one out. A single ride of three miles cost me only one dollar. I think what’s most desirable about Birds, and still feels odd, is the lack of a need to park at a specific location. One can literally leave the scooter anywhere in public, which may not be the best thing for pedestrians. For riders however, it’s far better than having to find a specific rack to park (which may be full) and then walk a few blocks. The time saved really adds up!
