Longtime Best Buy employee Gilbert Moore was excited about his recent move to a new store in San Francisco, but getting there quickly proved to be a challenge.
He tried taking the bus — a 10-minute ride followed by a 12-minute walk from the stop to the store. Sometimes the bus was late or didn’t show up.
He tried riding his bicycle, but the crowded morning commute and finding space to store the bike was difficult.
“One day, I came to work and one of the managers was riding an electric scooter, and I said, ‘We sell those?!’” Gilbert said. “So I bought a scooter and now I ride it to work every single day. The trip only takes 10 minutes total.”
Electric transportation’s popularity growing
Gilbert is among a growing number of commuters looking for alternate forms of transportation to accompany public transit or bypass it altogether. That’s why electric bikes, electric scooters and electric skateboards have become popular in dense cities, where traffic can be a pain and commuters often have farther to go once they get off the bus or train. It’s sometimes called the “last-mile problem.”
Many cities are seeing rentable electric scooters and bikes popping up for people to travel short distances.
Gilbert says owning electric transportation has benefits, including convenience, size and time.
“I don’t have to find one on the street somewhere and pay for it,” he said. “I can come and go as I please, and it folds up and hardly takes up any space. Plus, I’ve cut my daily commute time in half.”
Gilbert has a few tips for anyone new to personal electric transportation:
- Stick to the bike lane (or riding rules in your city): “A general rule is you’re not supposed to ride up on the sidewalk with pedestrians or on the road with cars. That way you’re in your own lane with other bikes, scooters and skateboards.”
- Take safety precautions: “Wear a helmet. You can even buy a GoPro to act as a dash cam just in case something happens. Also, act like a defensive driver – you’ll always be safest if you’re very aware of your surroundings.”
- Pay attention to the battery life: “When you’re selecting a bike, scooter or skateboard, get one that can travel a good distance on a full charge. My scooter has enough power to get me to and from work, but I have to charge it every night.”
To learn more about electric scooters, bikes & boards, stop by a Best Buy store or visit BestBuy.com.