SAN DIEGO — With a rash of recent crashes and injuries involving e-scooters on the boardwalk, a group in San Diego plan to rally Saturday in Mission Beach. They say they have a couple concerns, one is the danger, another is the claim that they break easily and create trash on the boardwalk and some say it’s gone too far.
While News 8 was reporting on the boardwalk near Belmont Park in Mission Beach on Friday, an unidentified man came along and vandalized about a dozen scooters by drawing a black mark over the scanning code, disabling the scooters. San Diego police say they've seen a string of similar acts, where people vandalize the scooters to keep them from being used.
San Diego City Council is set to debate over a proposal put forth by Mayor Faulconer to establish new rules for e-scooters, some of those include establishing a per-scooter fee, regulating speeds in designated areas, as well as, specifying where and when scooters can be parked. The City Council's meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Protest organizers say it has reached the breaking point for many residents who can no longer enjoy the boardwalk. They've even called it a war zone. On the other side, are those who say most of the crashes are because people are not using the scooters properly or use them when impaired.
A protest is expected to be held on the west end of Ventura Place in Mission Beach on Saturday at 9 a.m.