VIDEO: Riding on pavements, blocking cyclists - the tweets that show why Paris is fed up with scooter riders

With public transport services running a skeleton service during the strikes and the streets of Paris choked with traffic, a motorbike or scooter seems to be a sensible way of getting around - but some anti-social riders are making themselves seriously unpopular with their fellow Parisians.
Ongoing transport strikes are seeing many people who normally take the Metro or the tram walking or cycling to work - which puts them square in the path of scooter riders.
Two-wheeled scooters or motorbikes have long been a favoured solution to Paris' famously gridlocked streets, but over the years scooter riders have earned themselves quite a reputation for anti-social behaviour.
From riding on pavements and in bike lanes to inappropriate parking and some seriously dangerous riding, one Twitter account is on a mission to expose the worst scooter behaviour.
The account Ras le Scoot (from the French phrase ras-le-bol, meaning to be fed up with something) features photos and videos of some of the worst incidents in the French capital.
The account described itself as a "group of ordinary citizens who want to stop the nuisance of motorised two-wheelers". Here are some of the frequent problems they document.
Parking
Anyone who has tried to find a parking space in Paris will understand the desperation that soon descends, but some scooter owners seem to take a more casual approach to where they leave their machines.
Un trottoir parisien pic.twitter.com/aNMAcrSZe9
— Thomas V (@ThomasVeniant) December 9, 2019
And apparently signage does not help.
Sérieusement il faut mettre quoi de plus ??? #GCUM #raslescoot pic.twitter.com/12wG9NFRwo
— SimonTaupenas (@simontaupenas) December 10, 2019
Riding in cycle lanes
Anyone cycling in Paris, particularly during rush hour, is a pretty brave individual, given the reputation of the city's drivers.
But at least in more and more places there are cycle lanes, giving them some protection from cars. Although not, apparently, from some scooter riders who seem to think that the lanes are for them too.
Bizarres ces #velo sur la BiDir #REVe Sébastopol ? Je croyais que depuis #malikoussekine on avait supprimé les #voltigeurs... ah les mânes de #Pasqua ! Avec un #RasLeScoot en rab ! #velotaf #Paris pic.twitter.com/dkLrDgwmKy
— Xavier2CV (@Xavier2CV) December 10, 2019
This rider gets a few well-deserved hand gestures
Quand la sonnette ne suffit plus @RasLeScoot @Paris #velotaf pic.twitter.com/DK8VlB3rGV
— Bikonaut (@lefebvti) December 14, 2019
Riding on the pavement
Pavements/sidewalks are - fairly unambiguously, one would think - for pedestrians.
There was a brief period when uncertainly in the law meant that electric scooters, or trottinettes, might be allowed on the pavements, but that loophole has now been closed and pavements are very much reserved for people on two feet. The only time it is acceptable to be travelling on wheels on the pavement is if you are a wheelchair user or a baby in a buggy.
But that hasn't put off these scooter riders who find the roads a little too crowded.
Too much traffic? No problem - this asshole weaves his way through the pedestrians on the pavement... #raslescoot pic.twitter.com/DzSNxs25fX
— @JSD0099 (@JSD0099) December 14, 2019
Here one receives a stern telling off from a woman out walking with a small child.
Auj #défiléSaintNicolas dans #Paris9 avec de nbrx enfants et un abruti en moto qui force le passage alors que la rue est piétonne pour l'occasion !
ASSEZ ! @dburkli il aurait fallu prévoir des policiers ou agents de sécu aux entrées de la rue non?! Dingue ! @RasLeScoot pic.twitter.com/d1E5eScQqJ
— Nicolas Marly (@nico_mly) December 14, 2019
Dangerous riding
And some scooter riders move from the anti-social to the plain dangerous - both for themselves and for other road users.
This mum was walking her two-year-old daughter to nursery when they encountered a speeding scooter rider on the pavement.
Ma fille a deux ans. Elle aime marcher de la crèche jusqu'à la maison. Est-il normal qu'elle doit partager le trottoir avec des criminels qu'y roule à 50km/h ? @C_Najdovski @SecuRoute_PP @prefpolice @Prefet75_IDF @Parisjecoute #raslescoot pic.twitter.com/k8UswBqnVr
— pretzel666 (@pretzel6666) November 22, 2019
This scooter narrowly avoids a head-on collision after riding the wrong way up a cycle lane.
Et toujours autant de connards de @RasLeScoot pic.twitter.com/zwALEQfZh3
— Romain Pellerin (@romainpellerin) December 2, 2019
This pedestrian looks rather shaken as a scooter passes straight over the pedestrian crossing at speed, not even slowing down, never mind stopping.
Ce piéton a mis longtemps avant d'accepter de traverser : refus de priorité sur la première partie, puis un motard est passé à fond, et derrière ça klaxonne. Il y a un an, un homme est mort à cet endroit, sa femme vient y déposer régulièrement des fleurs (visibles à 0:06). pic.twitter.com/gs6yPYDPbW
— Observations Cyclistes (@OCyclistes) December 4, 2019
And this woman has filed a criminal complaint saying that her bike was badly damaged by a scooter rider
Merci au commissariat #Paris7 d’avoir enregistré très sérieusement ma plainte pour agression, dommage matériel et délit de fuite hier soir contre le motard qui roulait sur la PC du quai d’Orsay et qui s’en est pris à ma roue quand je lui ai signalé qu’il était dangereux. #FE839PF pic.twitter.com/LuRDXCps6b
— ximena ?? (@marie_ximena) December 14, 2019
Ras le Scoot is also running a petition calling for a crackdown on scooter riders who persistently flout the rules of the road.
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Ongoing transport strikes are seeing many people who normally take the Metro or the tram walking or cycling to work - which puts them square in the path of scooter riders.
Two-wheeled scooters or motorbikes have long been a favoured solution to Paris' famously gridlocked streets, but over the years scooter riders have earned themselves quite a reputation for anti-social behaviour.
From riding on pavements and in bike lanes to inappropriate parking and some seriously dangerous riding, one Twitter account is on a mission to expose the worst scooter behaviour.
The account Ras le Scoot (from the French phrase ras-le-bol, meaning to be fed up with something) features photos and videos of some of the worst incidents in the French capital.
The account described itself as a "group of ordinary citizens who want to stop the nuisance of motorised two-wheelers". Here are some of the frequent problems they document.
Parking
Anyone who has tried to find a parking space in Paris will understand the desperation that soon descends, but some scooter owners seem to take a more casual approach to where they leave their machines.
Un trottoir parisien pic.twitter.com/aNMAcrSZe9
— Thomas V (@ThomasVeniant) December 9, 2019
And apparently signage does not help.
Sérieusement il faut mettre quoi de plus ??? #GCUM #raslescoot pic.twitter.com/12wG9NFRwo
— SimonTaupenas (@simontaupenas) December 10, 2019
Riding in cycle lanes
Anyone cycling in Paris, particularly during rush hour, is a pretty brave individual, given the reputation of the city's drivers.
But at least in more and more places there are cycle lanes, giving them some protection from cars. Although not, apparently, from some scooter riders who seem to think that the lanes are for them too.
Bizarres ces #velo sur la BiDir #REVe Sébastopol ? Je croyais que depuis #malikoussekine on avait supprimé les #voltigeurs... ah les mânes de #Pasqua ! Avec un #RasLeScoot en rab ! #velotaf #Paris pic.twitter.com/dkLrDgwmKy
— Xavier2CV (@Xavier2CV) December 10, 2019
This rider gets a few well-deserved hand gestures
Quand la sonnette ne suffit plus @RasLeScoot @Paris #velotaf pic.twitter.com/DK8VlB3rGV
— Bikonaut (@lefebvti) December 14, 2019
Riding on the pavement
Pavements/sidewalks are - fairly unambiguously, one would think - for pedestrians.
There was a brief period when uncertainly in the law meant that electric scooters, or trottinettes, might be allowed on the pavements, but that loophole has now been closed and pavements are very much reserved for people on two feet. The only time it is acceptable to be travelling on wheels on the pavement is if you are a wheelchair user or a baby in a buggy.
But that hasn't put off these scooter riders who find the roads a little too crowded.
Too much traffic? No problem - this asshole weaves his way through the pedestrians on the pavement... #raslescoot pic.twitter.com/DzSNxs25fX
— @JSD0099 (@JSD0099) December 14, 2019
Here one receives a stern telling off from a woman out walking with a small child.
Auj #défiléSaintNicolas dans #Paris9 avec de nbrx enfants et un abruti en moto qui force le passage alors que la rue est piétonne pour l'occasion !
— Nicolas Marly (@nico_mly) December 14, 2019
ASSEZ ! @dburkli il aurait fallu prévoir des policiers ou agents de sécu aux entrées de la rue non?! Dingue ! @RasLeScoot pic.twitter.com/d1E5eScQqJ
Dangerous riding
And some scooter riders move from the anti-social to the plain dangerous - both for themselves and for other road users.
This mum was walking her two-year-old daughter to nursery when they encountered a speeding scooter rider on the pavement.
Ma fille a deux ans. Elle aime marcher de la crèche jusqu'à la maison. Est-il normal qu'elle doit partager le trottoir avec des criminels qu'y roule à 50km/h ? @C_Najdovski @SecuRoute_PP @prefpolice @Prefet75_IDF @Parisjecoute #raslescoot pic.twitter.com/k8UswBqnVr
— pretzel666 (@pretzel6666) November 22, 2019
This scooter narrowly avoids a head-on collision after riding the wrong way up a cycle lane.
Et toujours autant de connards de @RasLeScoot pic.twitter.com/zwALEQfZh3
— Romain Pellerin (@romainpellerin) December 2, 2019
This pedestrian looks rather shaken as a scooter passes straight over the pedestrian crossing at speed, not even slowing down, never mind stopping.
Ce piéton a mis longtemps avant d'accepter de traverser : refus de priorité sur la première partie, puis un motard est passé à fond, et derrière ça klaxonne. Il y a un an, un homme est mort à cet endroit, sa femme vient y déposer régulièrement des fleurs (visibles à 0:06). pic.twitter.com/gs6yPYDPbW
— Observations Cyclistes (@OCyclistes) December 4, 2019
And this woman has filed a criminal complaint saying that her bike was badly damaged by a scooter rider
Merci au commissariat #Paris7 d’avoir enregistré très sérieusement ma plainte pour agression, dommage matériel et délit de fuite hier soir contre le motard qui roulait sur la PC du quai d’Orsay et qui s’en est pris à ma roue quand je lui ai signalé qu’il était dangereux. #FE839PF pic.twitter.com/LuRDXCps6b
— ximena ?? (@marie_ximena) December 14, 2019
Ras le Scoot is also running a petition calling for a crackdown on scooter riders who persistently flout the rules of the road.
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