If you work or play in downtown Winston-Salem then you have likely seen the Bird electric scooters parked on the sidewalks. They are everywhere in downtown, including 4th, 5th and Trade Streets. You can also find them in the West End, Hanes Park and along some side streets.
If you haven't been on a scooter in a while, or ever, it can take a few minutes to get use to. Meaning balancing, turning, stopping, etc. When you get past this, I will say these are a hell of a lot of fun. These damn things will go up to 15 miles an hour. Operating it is basic, steering wheel has a button on the right is to go, break on the left and a bell.
A few notes
- They do not go up steep hills very well
- You are technically not supposed to ride on the sidewalks but I see people doing it all the time.
- Be courteous to people walking. These are very quiet and folks walking may not hear you come up on them. Don't be a johnson and blow by folks!
- There is no cupholder for your beer. They need to rectify that on the next model.
- Use the Bird app to rent. It is easy to do. Bird app tells you the battery life and can help you find available Birds.
- You can only rent one at a time, so if you have multiple people then they have to use their own smart phone to rent one
- Unlike the bikes for rent downtown, you don't have to take the Bird back where you rented it. Just leave it in an appropriate and safe place (not blocking businesses or sidewalks) when you are done.
Again, these are fun as hell. Recommend, but just be safe with them.
How it works
- Download the Bird app to your smartphone
- Open the app to find the nearest Bird scooter
- Scan the barcode on the scooter
- Select start to ride
- Select payment method (Apple Pay accepted and cards) and scan your drivers license
- Note, you only have to select payment method and scan your drivers license the first time you rent one. It remembers this the next time.
- Hop one and take off
- $1 to start and 20 cents a minute
- When done, select End Ride on the app and leave the Bird scooter somewhere safe on the sidewalk
The app does have instructions on how to use the scooter and how to park it when done. read more