Look Out!
If you’re looking for a quick and
fun way to zip around town, be
sure to try out one of the electricpowered
scooters that can be
rented from conveniently placed kiosks
downtown. St. Pete joins Paris, Austin,
San Francisco and other cities around
the world in offering shared rentable
e-scooters as an alternative, environmentally
friendly way to get around
without a car.
After months of watching people
scoot around town, I decided to give it a
spin myself. Armed with my phone, my
driver’s license, a credit card and a bike
helmet, I grabbed a friend who was up
for some fun and we headed out for the
day. There are two companies collaborating
with the city to rent e-scooters:
Veo and Razor. Before we left the house,
I downloaded the free app from one
of the companies and used it to locate
a “corral” where the e-scooters are
parked when not in use. To save time,
it’s a good idea to enter your payment
information in the app before you go.
You’ll also need to scan your driver’s
license with the app—only licensed
drivers are allowed to participate in the
program.
You stand up, rather than sit down
on the Veo scooter, which is the one
I rented. It’s easier to operate than I
expected; just a little balance and a
smidgen of core strength will get you
from point A to B. If you prefer to sit
down, the Razor offers a nice, comfy
seat. It also has a handy basket, which I
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Pete’s weekly Saturday Morning Market,
located near the downtown waterfront.
Or, the basket could hold a very happy
little dog. St. Pete locals love their dogs,
so I certainly saw plenty of them, not
just in bicycle baskets, but also walking
or in little strollers.
Feeling quite cool in our brightly
colored helmets, my friend and I maneuvered
our scooters onto the city streets.
We needed to use a little human propulsion
to get going and then the scooter
did the rest of the work. We hung a right
BEFORE YOU GO
Download the app to either Veo
or Razor from wherever you get
your apps.
Be sure to review:
• Rules and instructions for riding
• Pricing
• A boundary map
and headed toward The Hangar restaurant
at the small city-owned Albert
Whitted Airport. But as soon as we
crossed First Street North, my scooter
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that I’d gone too far and needed to turn
around. The technology will simply turn
off if you ride out of bounds, so check
out the map on the app before you go.
It’s also important to know that the Pier
District is a no-go zone—off limits to
e-scooters.
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overall, I felt very safe. Scooters aren’t
allowed on sidewalks, but they are
allowed on the many designated bike
lanes on city streets, or on streets with
a speed limit of 30 MPH or less. We
stayed in the bike lane or, when those
weren’t available, hugged the curb and
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ate and gave us space. Just be aware of
your surroundings, look in all directions,
and watch for cars that may be backing
out of parking spaces. The e-scooter
brakes just like you’re on a bike. The
front brake, applied too fast, could send
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the front brake lightly.
We rode over to Beach Drive with its
row of trendy restaurants and parked
the scooters in a corral by the Museum
of Fine Arts, then grabbed a bite to eat
at a place across the street.
Next time you’re downtown, ditch
the car and go green with an electricpowered
scooter. Or, consider parking
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tination, so you can experience a fun
e-scooter adventure. Soak up all the
great St. Pete sunshine and enjoy the
sights and sounds of the city’s vibrant
downtown core.
E-Scooters Are a Super Fun
Way to Get Around St. Pete.
Carrie
Grass
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