SEATTLE RED

Spady: E-Scooters are coming, and you can’t stop them Jenny Durkan

May 8, 2019, 11:18 AM | Updated: Oct 10, 2024, 2:25 pm

Bothell dockless scooters, lime, scooter share...

Scooter shares continue to grow in the Northwest. (Lime)

(Lime)

I had a conversation over the weekend with a millennial friend of mine who does a lot of work with the local chamber of commerce. She informed me that the topic of e-scooters coming to Seattle is actually being discussed in our local government consulting circles. This is incredible news and it means the conversations we are pushing, are working!

The core philosophy of the Rational Opposition is simple — We will drive true, substantive change by supporting fiscally responsible politicians who are transparent and accountable to results. We encourage our listeners to break out of the political boxes we’ve been shoved into and create a new millennial movement finds new solutions to old problems.

While not the traffic panacea, e-scooters and other private transportation solutions are an important part of the 21st century transportation network we build in Seattle. When solutions are this simple, it’s no surprise that our Mayor Jenny Durkan has done everything she can to stop you from having joyful scooter rides.

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I have been pushing for Seattle to allow scooters since the beginning of my show. I think they could help make progress in solving our transportation issues. What we need to help get people out of their cars is options. Not just buses and bicycles. I also want them because Tacoma has them, and it infuriates me that Tacoma is becoming cooler than Seattle.

Sure, there are bigger issues in our region than scooters. But we can’t miss the fact that leaders in our community are starting to listen to the rational opposition and our message. When you engage those from different backgrounds and opinions, and engage those who disagree with you in new conversations, we can drive true change.

Neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump have defined how we should think about scooters. I joke about that all the time, but there’s an element of truth to it. We are so fixed into our political boxes that we sometimes fall into a habit of forming our opinions around what our most recent presidential candidates believe. When we discuss topics outside of national echo chambers we create an opportunity to think for ourselves and build bridges with our opposition.

We’re not going to stop talking about these issues and neither should you until the rational opposition is whooping and hollering with joy while riding scooters to lunch after the Saul Spady Show.

If you’d like to lend your voice to the Rational Opposition and our quest for scooters please join us as we take the fight to city hall this Thursday, May 9 at 11 a.m. Register here.

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Spady: E-Scooters are coming, and you can’t stop them Jenny Durkan