Traffic congestion. Unreliable public transit. Dearth of parking spaces. In the context of increasing urban density.
As societal conditions have hindered our inherited modes of transportation, they have laid the conceptual groundwork for the use of an alternative. One that may navigate pavement agilely —if not indiscriminately— and so avoid delays. Providing a solution to the need for efficient travel within cities.
Only, need does not explain use. What drives demand does. Per the American mind, a cost-benefit analysis.
Electric scooters are cheap. Cheap to rent with two tools that you already have: your phone and credit card. Cheap for time because you go exactly where you want to.
Cheap to insure because you don’t. Cheap to maintain because you don’t. Cheap to secure because you don’t. Cheap to make safe because you don’t.
Cheap to use because you do not pay for parking or for gas. Fines or excise tax. Cheap to use even when you do not need to use them. But you do because they’re cheap.
Use that is an utter nuisance, which does not bear on its incentive.