Since the German approval for E-Scooters has occurred....it's been almost a daily thing for problems to be reported, and the authorities getting all 'huffed-up' over implications going beyond what they imagined.
What the German government wanted was simple usage.....only on streets, and with a limited amount of speed.
So it came up today in commercial news reporting....about 20 km's west of Dusseldorf....a E-Scooter was noted on the autobahn.
The basic story? Some 28-year old German guy had been at the railway station in Erkelenz, and apparently the train was cancelled (yeah, another negative about the Bahn). This guy has a E-Scooter though.
So he looks at the smartphone map, and realizes that he can be at his destination within a short period of time, with the help of the E-Scooter....but has to transit the A46 autobahn. So he proceeds on the road.
Well.....the E-Scooter is officially limited to 20 kph. Yes, there are E-Scooters that can go 60 to 80 kph, but those aren't legal in Germany. And it's written in strong language....E-Scooters can't use the autobahn.
There's a general law over vehicles on the autobahn....you have to be able to go at least 60 kph. Anything below that....gets you a ticket.
Well, two Germans (not cops) see this guy, and proceed to pull in front and the rear of the guy, and lead him to the next exit, and call the cops. Cops arrive, and ticket the guy. He'll have to appear in court, and it's likely that a hefty fine (probably over 200 Euro) will occur.
The first of hundreds of court cases? I suspect so.
The Germans simply weren't going to allow wild and massive use of E-Scooters to occur. The problem is....when you go to cities like Barcelona and Prag....you see a lot of things which the Germans simply won't go along with.
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