Electric scooter company Bird files for bankruptcy | TechCrunch
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Bird has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, capping off a turbulent year for the electric scooter company after it was delisted from the NYSE.
  • Seathru@beehaw.orgEnglish
    25·
    11 months ago

    I can’t believe people were buying into their “franchise”. They approached me in 2020 when they were trying to expand into the town I live and I had a downtown warehouse to operate out of. After they got done explaining everything, I laughed until they hung up.

    You had to buy the scooters from them at around $600 each, you were responsible for all the recovery/batteries/maintenance/damage/theft caused by customers, warranty was non-existent (“call our chinese supplier and they will totally hook you up”), and after that they took 20% off the top. Some quick math put it at over 6 months before each scooter became profitable IF nothing happened to it in that time. Someone throws it in the canal just to be a dick? Sucks to be you, you’re out $600 + whatever else you’ve put into it every time it happens.

    Really came off to me that they were making their money selling to suckers who thought they were going to be entrepreneurs.

    Edit: They did apparently did get someone here into it because I saw them around for a few months before disappearing completely.

  • Silverhand@beehaw.org
    13·
    11 months ago

    Good fucking riddance. I hate these things, people leave them just lying across the sidewalk all the time.

    • pbjamm@beehaw.orgEnglish
      6·
      11 months ago

      Which is only a mild annoyance unless you are in a wheel chair. Then it is a serious one and possibly dangerous if you have to navigate into the street to bypass them.

  • yads@lemmy.ca
    3·
    11 months ago

    The scooters are really popular in our city. Currently we have 2 companies operating: Bird and Neuron. The positives have definitely outweighed the negatives. Hope they can keep going.

    • acastcandream@beehaw.org
      3·
      11 months ago

      I’m of the total opposite mindset. I love having them where I travel, and I will fight to my dying breath to keep them out of my city lol.

      Before I am called a hypocrite I am totally fine with other cities keeping them out. But if they’re there, I’m using them (and putting them where they belong instead of leaving them scattered everywhere like an asshole)

        • FIash Mob #5678@beehaw.org
          2·
          11 months ago

          As much as the scooters used to annoy me, the Atlanta ban demonstrated that their presence has a significant positive effect on both pollution and traffic, so now I’m fine with them.

        • acastcandream@beehaw.org
          1·
          11 months ago

          Hence why I clarified that I have no issue with them being removed. They’re terrible when you’re not the one using them.

          It’s my same outlook with cruises. I don’t do them, but if my family wanted to take one I would probably join. I am also super cool with them being banned from the world. Feels pretty consistent to me lol

          • Gamma@beehaw.orgEnglish
            1·
            11 months ago

            I agree that you’re consistent, that’s why I said the strong initial statement sounded hypocritical

        • conciselyverbose@kbin.social
          0·
          11 months ago

          That’s not what the term means. NIMBY refers to people trying to prevent other people from using their own property in ways they don’t like, not people who don’t want shitty companies actively throwing trash in the commons.

          • Gamma@beehaw.orgEnglish
            9·
            11 months ago

            You’re wrong:

            a person who does not want something unpleasant to be built or done near where they live

            Another!

            a colloquialism signifying one’s opposition to the locating of something considered undesirable in one’s neighborhood.

            Maybe one more?

            opposition to the locating of something considered undesirable (such as a prison or incinerator) in one’s neighborhood

            • conciselyverbose@kbin.social
              0·
              11 months ago

              None of those contradict my definition.

              Not wanting a company dumping fucking trash in the streets is not and does not even vaguely resemble NIMBYism.

              • sim_@beehaw.org
                6·
                11 months ago

                You’re omitting the part where OP is fine with the “trash dumping” in the streets of other locales. That’s what makes it NIMBY (as OP admits).

        • acastcandream@beehaw.org
          4·
          11 months ago

          I’m fine with them in no backyards. They are corporate waste the way people treat them 90% of the time. If people were better about them (and wore helmets!!!) and the companies actually lifted a finger to keep them out of waterways and blocking sidewalks then I’d be down to have them here.

          I get you were trying to cleverly call me a NIMBY but please actually read what I am writing. Including the original comment. I was very clear.