Agreed, scooters (and skateboards) replace walking, not biking or driving.
IMO, they’re also an Attractive Nuisance, in the legal sense of the term. They encourage people to ride them who are not adequately trained or equipped, by virtue of their stunningly low price and easy availability. Then those people are much more likely to hurt themselves or someone else, thus driving up trips to the ER and local healthcare costs.
The old method of drug dealers giving away the “first hit for free” seems to be very apropos here.
If the scooter companies were required to provide health and liability insurance for every rider, and get a hefty fine every time one of their riders was seen using the sidewalk and/or not wearing a helmet, at least those costs would not be externalized on society.
The original Segway device had large wheels that were set horizontally, and incorporated software and hardware to make them as stable as possible. We’ve thrown out all of those advantages in the name of chasing a “cheaper” device.
Disclaimer: I am currently recovering from my own accident from riding a scooter, and so I may be a bit biased. Or maybe That gives me a unique insight that many others in this discussion do not. You decide.