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You don't need a license to ride scooters. Yesterday I saw a gaggle of preteens riding a squadron of scooters.

We don't have them in my city (thankfully), but in the cities I've visited most of the people using them were teenage joyriders who would otherwise be walking.

M50 here. Have it, use it, love it.

Hopefully you are responsible and keep off pavements/sidewalks

My jurisdiction actually allows the use on pavements/sidewalks, under the same rules that apply for bicycles.

Must be awful for pedestrians. Where is that?

Incorrect. In London they replace people getting trains for the most part. They also make flagrant use of pavements.

Somehow I doubt that where you live, those "two ton death boxes" are often driven on a sidewalk.

If scooters keep to the road, they are perfectly fine. When they drive on sidewalks, eventually one of them will be biting my elbow.

I've never seen somebody drive a car on the sidewalk.

I see scooteridiots going 15+ MPH on the sidewalk all the time.

To purport that these people drive cars and ride scooters in the same manner is unfair. Same with bicyclists - I witness dozens of them running stop signs and red lights every single day. Can't imagine they do the same in cars.