An Electric Scooter Community on a Mission to Stamp out Transportation Mediocrity.

Making money in the scooter game.
#1576
Hello Everyone!

I am a hoarder of bird and lime scooters. Yep, I’m the person keeping several un-captured scooters locked up waiting for the bounties to approach $20.

I’ve been at this scooter game for about 6 months now. The first couple of months were fine and I played by the rules. Spent my evenings rounding up scooters to drop off in the morning and was averaging $30 daily for a couple hours of work. As time went on my city became filled with chargers and I noticed my earnings were taking a hit as a result. The nights I’d spend hunting scooters started to decrease until I wasn’t doing it at all. It just wasn’t worth my time.

I had been aware people were hoarding scooters and considered myself above it. This changed once I realized I wasn’t charging anymore. If Bird or Lime deactivates me for hoarding that’s fine, I’ll do something else.

At first I was hoarding in my garage. This led to people coming onto my property at night, confronting me while I’m outside, and coming to my door. Obviously this wasn’t going to work long term. Instead I started looking for other places to hoard scooters. I quickly decided to pay for a storage unit with power and signed a year lease.

This was a game changer. I’m now able to hoard more scooters in a place that’s gated with surveillance at all times. To limit my trips to the storage unit I keep a journal of all Scooter IDs and capture them remotely once the bounty is maxed.

I’ve been doing this for several months now and heard nothing from Bird or Lime about my activity. I survived Birds “hoarder crackdown” as I never take scooters that aren’t currently available to riders.

Many of you reading this are likely condemning my actions. That’s okay, I would have too when I first started. Bird and Lime could easily figure out what I’m doing and stop me if they wanted to but they aren’t. So I ask you, if the companies who own the scooters don’t care enough to stop me then why do you?
User avatar
By humanbeing21
#1577
Well that’s a different way to look at this. What you are doing is unethical and you will eventually get caught. Probably sooner rather than later since you posted this.
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By druinthor
#1578
Dude, your post is the same thing to me as shop lifting and justifying it as okay because the store hasn’t stopped you yet. Bird and Lime will make you repay all the money you’ve taken.
By TopHoarder
#1579
@druinthor I obviously disagree. I’ve read Bird and Lime’s terms and conditions and it does not specifically define what I’m doing as wrong. How in the world do you think they’ll get the money back they’ve paid me? Take me to court over a few $1000s, yeah right.
By surlywynch
#1581
Are you just being obtuse?

Directly from Birds Charger terms of service:

'Your Provision of Charger Services for Bird
You can provide Bird Charger Services by clicking the “Bird Charger” button on the Bird App and entering or scanning the code on the Bird Scooter into the App. The Bird Scooter will unlock, so that you may take and charge the Bird Scooter. You must capture and unlock the Bird Scooter in the App before moving it.'

Bold and underline text highlights by me, not in agreement.
By TopHoarder
#1582
surlywynch wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:57 am
Are you just being obtuse?

Directly from Birds Charger terms of service:

'Your Provision of Charger Services for Bird
You can provide Bird Charger Services by clicking the “Bird Charger” button on the Bird App and entering or scanning the code on the Bird Scooter into the App. The Bird Scooter will unlock, so that you may take and charge the Bird Scooter. You must capture and unlock the Bird Scooter in the App before moving it.'

Bold and underline text highlights by me, not in agreement.
Not obtuse, just don’t think the Charger terms and conditions apply until I click the charger button.

The way I look at this is Bird and Lime each take advantage of unexpecting cities by flooding their streets with scooters. If they can take advantage of these cities through questionable actions what’s wrong with me doing the same to them? Keep in mind the ethics behind each of these companies, especially Bird, is quite questionable. I don’t see what I’m doing as hurting anyone other than Bird or Lime.
User avatar
By guisar
#1583
@TopHoarder Pretty bold to let everyone know what you're doing. If Bird/Lime don't stop you after such a brazen detail of how you're breaking the rules then maybe they really don't care. I'll keep playing by the rules. I'd loose sleep over hoarding shared electric scooters on a large scale. My conscious tells me it's wrong.
By Chris
#1585
How much have you made?

Have you ever thought about grabbing 100 at 7 am and just filling up the storage with fully charged birds?
Do you wait for 20$ ?
How long does it take?

Are you worried about charges being pressed for grand theft?
By TopHoarder
#1587
Chris wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:41 pm
How much have you made?

Have you ever thought about grabbing 100 at 7 am and just filling up the storage with fully charged birds?
Do you wait for 20$ ?
How long does it take?

Are you worried about charges being pressed for grand theft?
I’m averaging about $1000 a week. I have a full time job that pays the bills and this is a side thing.

Hoarding an excessive number of Birds increases the likely hood of getting busted by Bird or Lime. I pick them up around 7pm to limit the amount of time riders can mark them missing. I always go for the box top scooters and have a trick to keep the SIM card from communicating a new location to the app. Figured that out about a month ago and it took away a lot of the stress of being caught.

I usually wait 48 hours before capturing. They usually get to $20 by then.

I’m not worried about Bird or Lime filling chargers. In the unlikely event they did I turn it into a media spectacle. Should be entertaining. :D
By DmpstrrrDvrrr
#1595
Wait, what about this SIM card trick? Wondering if it's the same as mine :?: :idea:
I as well have a journal of all scooter codes. Honestly, I thought everyone would do that, as I have been since Day 1. Then again, I do love useless data collection. Very useful in this case though lol :shock:

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