On the Santa Monica and Venice Beach oceanfront, alternative modes of transportation are nothing new. This is where the Dogtown skateboarders ruled in the 1970s, where Jimmy Buffet saw a man rollerskating naked through a crosswalk in the 1980s, where Rollerbladers led the inline trend of the 1990s, and where I've seen unicycles, bicycles, tricycles, pedicabs, Segways, ElliptiGOs, horses, dog sleds on wheels, and a shopping cart modified by a homeless man into a motorized conveyance.
Everyone has to make do with urban infrastructure designed for cars, if they venture onto the streets, or pedestrians, if they keep to the sidewalks. So do riders trying the newest craze on the Westside: Bird, the slim, stand-up electric scooter that maxes out at 15 mph. It's an alternative to a long walk, a bike ride or a short drive to an area without parking. Unlocking one requires a smart phone, a credit card and a driver's license.
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