New rentable Chicago scooters already have fans, detractors

CHICAGO (FOX 32) - Just four days into the city's pilot program for shared electric scooters, some aldermen are already getting complaints. However, the city says the early returns show the scooters are a hit.

The scooters are everywhere in Chicago’s West Loop and Wicker Park. 

”It's fast, easy and fun,” said Jillian Brynarski. “Gets you where you need to be faster than walking."

The city says 11,000 people used shared scooters the first weekend of the program, which is limited to an area west of Halsted, south of Irving Park and north of the river.

However, not everyone is onboard.

32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack says his office has been flooded with calls about scooters.

"Getting left on the sidewalks, bus stops, blocking the way of pedestrians, or even in the bike lanes,” said Ald. Waguespack.

There is even a new Twitter account called “Chicago Scooter Fails”, with pictures of scooters left in trees, dumpsters and on garbage cans.

"I think we have to hold the companies responsible because they're the ones who wanted it this way,” said Ald. Waguespack.

We also noticed that not every single person we saw on a scooter was wearing a helmet, which the city requires.

A city spokesman says they're pushing the 10 scooter companies to do a better job of educating the public, which the companies say they're trying to do.

One alderman says the response to the scooters in his ward depends on age.

"Of course the baby boomers, they had a couple of complaints,” said Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th Ward. “The millennials were like ‘man, they're fun, we're having a good time on them.’ And the generation Z's, they were like, ‘what's the big deal?’"