Seattle won't allow electric Lime scooters, but just south in Tacoma, they're legal. We checked them out.

One complaint about dockless bikes is that they block sidewalks. But these scooters are smaller. They take up less space and have a little kick stand so you don't need to lean it up anywhere.

In September, electric scooter company Lime scattered dozens of them throughout downtown Tacoma.

So, how unsafe are these scooters?





"I like them. I actually used the scooter and the electric bike a couple of weeks ago just to go to 6th Ave and go to a bar," said downtown resident Eric Jones.

"They're a great idea and I'm surprised that Seattle banned them because I thought that they'd be a little more keen to the idea than Tacoma," Jones said.

Jones's friend Tyler Poch hadn't tried one yet.

"I want one of these!" Poch said.

How does it feel riding one?

"I haven't ridden a scooter in a long time," Poch said. "A Razor was the last thing I rode. So if someone gets some practice on this thing, you can go places."

Lime says the scooters have a top speed of 15 miles per hour, but a sample ride felt faster — closer to 18 or 19 miles.

Where are you supposed to ride the scooters?

When you start your Lime scooter, you're told to always ride in the bike lane and not on sidewalks.

But, as is sometimes the problem for bicyclists, what happens where there is no bike lane?

If the street is quiet and wide without a lot of parked cars, it makes sense to ride on the side of the road.

If it's a busy road, it does feel safer to ride on the sidewalk, which is not desirable.

Another requirement of scooters: You have to wear a helmet.

But they're not provided. We spotted scooter-riders without helmets.

Also prohibited: multiple riders. We saw that happen, too.

Folks in Tacoma said they think these scooters will be more popular with tourists, not locals.

If Seattle did get electric scooters, would they be welcomed at tourist spots?

To find out, we went to Alki Beach.

Hundreds of bright green bikes lined the pedestrian path along the beach.

That's where we met Mary Jordan, a passerby, who was picking up a couple of bikes that had been knocked down on a windy day.

"I just like picking them up, putting them next to each other, and putting the little kickstand up," Jordan said.

She said she'd love to see the scooters at Alki.

KUOW asked Jordan if she's concerned about scooters blocking the path, like the bikes she picked up.