I’m completely at a loss for understanding electric scooters in a city like San Francisco (reminder for those who aren’t familiar: wildly hilly!).

I tried one of the scooters when they first hit the streets here and it promptly gave up the second I tried going up even a moderate hill. So I guess they’re great if you happen to need to go on a totally non-hilly route in one of the hilliest metro areas on earth?

I am, btw, otherwise a massive alternative-transportation fan. The e-assist bikes (Uber/Jump in particular) are life-changing. Enough of an electric kick to keep you from breaking a sweat, but you’re still moving your body and getting some cardio (even if a small amount), and if you need to go over a hill (likely), you can put a bit of muscle into it and actually make it to the top.