Free Test Rides And E-Scooter Lessons In Brookline

BROOKLINE, MA — Eyeing those electric scooters around town but wishing you could just get a lesson on how they work first? Well, one of the two scooter companies that just launched the first program in the state is holding a scooter demo on Saturday in Coolidge Corner, featuring scooter riding lessons, helmet and swag giveaways.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lime staff will be outside the Trader Joe's on Beacon Street and will be hosting a practice course at the Coolidge Corner School (formerly the Devotion School) on Harvard Street right near Zaftigs.

The move comes almost a week after two California-based companies (Lime and Bird) rolled out 200 dockless e-scooters in town with the possibility that more will be added based on demand as the pilot program progresses for six months.

During the opening ceremony, one woman fell off a scooter and needed help from medical professionals. She was OK, but it highlighted for some a need for extra caution and safety education when trying out the new form of transportation.

Sad news for the family, though. The scooter program is for adults 18 and older. Lime said they won't let folks under 18 test the scooters.

Massachusetts State Legislature is considering authorizing e-scooters. The Boston City Council approved Mayor Marty Walsh’s proposed ordinance to regulate e-scooters in Boston in March.

But plenty of residents have their concerns. A number have reported seeing young people, who are technically not permitted to ride them, scooting around town without helmets. Others say they've seen folks blow through stop lights.

And others say it's trickier than it looks, and the roads don't help:

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