In Defense Of The E-Scooter

The motorized two-wheelers are as ubiquitous as they are loathed. Here’s what the world (including Elon Musk) doesn’t understand— there’s no better way to get around.

- Devin Gordon

EARLIER THIS FALL, the day before my 43rd birthday, I fell off an e-scooter and tore my labrum. It was raining, and I was listening to a basketball podcast—dumb and dumber. But I wasn’t going all that fast, and I wasn’t trying to land a trick. I was on a quiet street. I hit a bump, skidded, clipped my dumb stupid foot on the scooter as I hopped off, and landed on my right forearm, causing my shoulder to bend in a direction my body would consider unnatural. I didn’t even land that hard, but when you’re a day shy of 43, you can tear your labrum falling from a standstill. Luckily, I’m left-handed, and at this age, honestly, who needs two working labrums? Not me! I’m not Jacob DeGrom. All I do is type.

Some of you might consider this a comeuppance. You might consider my tumble a message from God telling me that I’m wrong about e-scooters.

Sorry, God, you’re wrong.