Did someone block your driveway with a scooter? These guys will tow it

Dan Borelli and John Heinkel want to tow the dockless scooters and bikes that are blocking your driveway. And they’ll do it for free.

Based in San Diego, Borelli and Heinkel were frustrated with the abandoned scooters and bikes that littered San Diego’s boardwalk, seemingly overnight.

They believe the scooters are a liability when left on private property.

So the two guys teamed up to start a business they call ScootScoop. Give them a call, and they’ll tow the scooter off your lawn and impound it.

Then they charge the scooter companies, places like Bird or LimeBike, to retrieve them.

“The cost is $50 for the impound and then we charge $2 per day on storage,” Borelli said. “$110 is the total, is the max that can be charged.”

So far, Borelli and Heinkel estimate they’ve scooped 12,000 scooters and bikes. Several companies have bitten the bullet and paid their fees. But others are putting up a fight. Borelli and Heinkel are currently in civil litigation with several companies.

“They like to use the word hostage, they like to use the word ransom,” Borelli said, referring to ScootScoop’s battle with the companies Heinkel likes to call “electric pimps.”

“We do have companies that engage with us daily, and pick up their products daily, and they respect the private property rights. They pay their invoices and they get their products and they get put back on the street the same day,” Borelli explained.

While they wait, police in San Diego don’t seem bothered by the business. Heinkel and Borelli even got the star treatment from one officer.

“He came up and took a picture with me and shook my hand, and said thank you guys for what you’re doing,” Borelli said.

Several officers recently started their own program, scooping up scooters that block public walkways and handicap ramps.

We might see a ScootScoop service in Seattle area soon – they’re hoping to franchise. Borelli and Heinkel say they’re already in talks with potential partners in Los Angeles and Texas, and they put in a special shoutout asking anyone who’s interested in a Seattle partnership to reach out.

If anyone’s interested, you can contact Borelli and Heinkel here.