Longtime Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital nurse Darren Riesz was blindsided on July 12, knocked off his bicycle by a Lime scooter-rider speeding the wrong way on a one-way street. While Riesz was bleeding on the pavement, he says the young male rider proffered an apology — and then motored off.
And, when Riesz walked into the Mission police station the next day, he was blindsided again. The 52-year-old says that he was matter-of-factly told by the woman staffing the front desk that a motorized scooter was “not a vehicle,” and he had no recourse.
“You can’t file a report,” Riesz says he was told. “It doesn’t matter that it was going the wrong way down a one-way street. It’s like a pedestrian walking the wrong way down a one-way street. Nothing illegal happened. It was just an accident.”
That added insult to injury for Riesz, who has bruises on his face and body and a black eye — but is pleased and surprised he wasn’t injured far more seriously. The collision took place in the evening, when Riesz was cycling from his job as a mental health nurse at San Francisco General to his home in the Mission during his “lunch break,” around 7:15 p.m. As he began to turn right off 21st Street onto San Carlos Street, he was shocked to see a pair of young people on Lime scooters, riding side-by-side and bearing down on him, rolling the wrong way on San Carlos — a one-way street.
Riesz says he had just enough time to register what was about to happen when he was hit at the intersection. He estimates he was moving at about 10 mph and the scooter was traveling at perhaps 15 mph. The scooter-rider’s shoulder hit Riesz’s face, and he was knocked from the bike and onto the street.
Mission St
San Carlos St
At around 7:15 p.m., Riesz
was cycling west down 21st
Street. As he turned into
one-way San Carlos Street,
he was struck by a scooter
moving in the wrong direction
21st St
Lexington St
Bartlett St
Mission St
San Carlos St
At around 7:15 p.m.,
Riesz was cycling west
down 21st Street. As
he turned into one-way
San Carlos Street, he was
struck by a scooter
going the wrong way
21st St
Bartlett St
Graphic by Will Jarrett. Basemap from Mapbox.
“I had the wind knocked out of me. My nose was bleeding. The guy on the scooter said he was really sorry; he had a burrito, I’m pretty sure it was Taqueria Can-Cun, and he gave me some napkins out of his bag,” recalls Riesz. “And then they both got back on the Lime scooters and took off.”
Riesz says the rider who collided with him was a young man or teenage boy, and his companion was probably a girl or young woman. While you must officially be 18 years old to use a Lime scooter, Riesz is unsure if the two riders he saw were that old. While he has no desire for the person who crashed into him to face serious penalties, Riesz would hope for some manner of accountability to reinforce that riding the wrong way on a one-way street, flattening a cyclist and then leaving the scene demonstrates poor judgment.
These are all details he’d hoped to include in a police report. That didn’t immediately happen.
Collisions involving scooters
Fatal injury
Severe injury
Mild to moderate injury
220
200
Scooter injuries rose
31 percent last year
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Fatal injury
Severe injury
Mild to moderate injury
Collisions involving scooters
220
200
Scooter injuries rose
31 percent last year
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Chart by Will Jarrett. Data from TransBASE.
‘Isn’t a vehicle’
The explanation Riesz was given as to why he could not file a report — that a scooter “isn’t a vehicle” and is “like a pedestrian” — is mind-boggling. Clearly a scooter is a vehicle and is not like a pedestrian.
“Scooters (and bikes) are subject to all the same rules and responsibilities as a driver of a motor vehicle,” confirmed the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
The California Vehicle Code specifically states that “Every person operating a motorized scooter upon a highway has all the rights, and is subject to all the provisions, applicable to the driver of a vehicle.” This means you can’t drink or do drugs while operating a scooter — or, for that matter, ride side-by-side the wrong way on a one-way street.
(While the term “highway” is confusing, under the state vehicle code it’s simply a place that’s “open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.” That would include most any street, including the intersection of 21st and San Carlos).
After being spurned by the police, Riesz wrote to his supervisor, Hillary Ronen. Eight days after the collision, Ana Herrera, Ronen’s legislative aide, sent an email to Mission Station captain Thomas Harvey.
“Our constituent Darren Riesz was injured by a motorized scooter driving the wrong way on one-way San Carlos St. and was rebuffed at the window of Mission Station when he attempted to make a police report,” she wrote. “Given the recent fatality involving a motorized scooter and another dangerous incident on Market Street recently, does SFPD not take police reports in these incidents? Can you please advise here?”
This seems to have done the trick: Riesz says he was quickly contacted by officers offering to come to his home to take a report. As he lives only three blocks from the station, he met them there on July 21.
Mission Local’s email to Harvey, questioning how this matter should’ve been handled, was shunted to the police media relations department, which has not answered it.
Telemetry, shelemetry
Riesz has also made only limited progress in his communiques with Lime. While company reps have been communicative, they tell him they can’t find any data regarding a collision happening at the time and place where he was struck.
This, too, is confusing for Riesz, who notes that an Apple Watch could provide more telemetry data than what Lime’s customer service representatives say they’ve got. He also noticed that the law-enforcement portal on Lime’s site induced warnings on his computer that it’s a security risk — which he feels would probably discourage police officers from using it.
Mission Local emailed Lime, but has not yet received a human response. Following publication of this article, a Lime spokesperson sent the following: “Lime is saddened by the allegations surrounding this incident, and wishes the victim a full and speedy recovery. We stand ready and willing to work with law enforcement as we do with any serious incidents involving our vehicles.”
It has, altogether, been a less than comforting experience for Riesz, and there’s no indication the person who collided with him and fled the scene is any closer to being identified. Riesz says he hardly expects the police to drop everything for a case like his, but the nonsensical initial brush-off, and need to enlist the help of an elected official to file a rudimentary police report, was jarring.
He is less than enthused with the response from Lime, too. As the police have all but ceased traffic enforcement, he feels restrictions on reckless scooter use will likely require technical modifications from the companies — and, he says, it’s not at all clear there’s a will to do this.
In the meantime, Riesz says his nursing colleagues in the emergency room see injured scooter riders on a daily or near-daily basis. At the very least, he encourages people to slow down, get off the sidewalk and wear a helmet.
And, you know, don’t ride the wrong direction on a one-way street.
Haha. The SFPD station that willfully ignored or never knew the Department’s own policies regarding juvenile arrest doesn’t know the law, or common sense, regarding motorized scooters. I was burglarized a few months ago. The burglar was caught and the cops said when arresting the man, they would give him an injunction against getting anywhere near our house. A few days later, I saw him looking at me from across the street. When I called the cops I was told the cops can’t issue an injunction, only the DA can do it. The phone call ended with that old refrain “there’s nothing we can do.”
These scooters are stupid and dangerous. They are not built to handle the speed the motors generate. They were designed as toys for kids using a foot to push them along. It’s shocking that SF and any city allowed these “better to ask forgiveness than permission” scooter companies to use city as vending space for their product. Every scooter on the sidewalk is essentially a rental office for the scooter company. The quicker these things can be responsibly recycled after being deposited in dumpsters by upstanding citizens the better. And while I’m on this rant, it would be great if businesses had secure bicycle lockup space for people who would like to commute on bikes and not leave them on the streets for all-but-certain theft.
Of course, we’ll never know who was at the front desk at Mission Station. No one will rat and that’s that.
If scooter riders are subject to the same laws as a car driver, then after an accident information including re insurance must be exchanged. Hmmm. Regardless, it’s supremely unkind to leave after an accident. Or is it just another example of the way it goes with some people in this too-often way-too-callous-towards-others era?
Lime can tell whether a scooter is on the sidewalk or on the street and knows their locations, but they claim they can’t track the scene of an assault? Lame!
The police have no business taking police reports; it’s like asking politicians to count their own votes. They manipulate reports to adjust the top line of the statistics.
These kids seem to have been riding irresponsibly, but this seems to also be a failure of road infrastructure. One way roads are only one way because they are built for cars. There really isnt a good reasom for a cyclist and scooter to require a one way road. Roads should be marked with this in mind, offering a cycle lane goijg against traffic. This would have prevented this incident since thete would be a clear area for the scooterers to ride, and the victim wpuld know where to expect a scooterer instead of being blind sided. Its a shame now we have a conflict between a cyclist and scooter rider, both of which should be encouraged forms of transportation
adding an extra two lanes to a small one lane road would either eliminate the one way lane or eliminate the few parking spaces left on either side of the road in between the garages. It seems silly but I guess if you’re not inside a protected car, you have to assume there are idiots riding around with little regard for anyone’s safety and move defensively. maybe if there were more police on bicycles and motorcycles patrolling and ticketing dangerous behaviors people might start to think twice… oh well.
“While he has no desire for the person who crashed into him to face serious penalties”
===
That’s a big part of why the city is in the downward spiral it is. This timidity is only met with increasing boldness. Why wouldn’t I want a complete stranger who just injured me to face the full consequences of his actions?
To be clear, I was dazed after the impact and not really thinking anything except “is my nose broken?” Thankfully not, but they took off literally seconds after the accident, and before I could think to ask for information. I seriously doubt they had drivers licenses. The guy I hit wasn’t even old enough to shave. It’s well documented that folks can spoof these apps with fake credentials. Used to happen all the time with Uber. There’s no vetting process or accountability whatsoever with these things. Criminal negligence in my opinion.
All part of Their masterplan – define an incident as too Small Stuff to be bothered with, and then gradually keep raising the bar on what is too Small Stuff until it’s only homicide and such.
You really have nothing better to report on huh “mission local”. Person at the front desk is not a police officer and doesn’t know policies, hence when it was clear what happened and reported to Officers a report was generated. That’s all this is, look for something better to “report”.
How do you know the person at the front desk is not a police officer? Even is the deck person was not a SFPD officer, they should be knowledgeable on the laws.
Scooters ARE VEHICLES and should have a licence plates. So should bikes ridden by adults; there are too many accidents involving these “non-vehicles” (They have full right of a lane & are required to follow the laws of the road. They need to be held accountable!)
Haha what a joke who does this guy think he is? Says he has no desire for the guy who hit him to face serious penalties yet he went into the police station and tried to file a police report? Dude how about you be more aware of your surroundings and avoid being hit by people riding on scooters.
It’s like no one in SF wants to take responsibility for anything.
So many people are so quick to criticize and complain, but no one wants to admit that THEIR actions are part of the problems were having, too. Neither the jackass driving the wrong way like a self-absorbed dick, nor the cop who couldn’t be bothered to do his job think their day-to-day attitude and actions have anything to do with the social and legal problems we’re innundated with these days. At least the supe was willing to lift a finger to right a wrong, so there’s that.
And in the meantime, everyone wants to give a pass to all the scofflaws, criminals and addicted because, well.. the cards are stacked against them so they can’t be expected to act responsibly.. At a certain point, SOMEONE needs to stand up and start demanding that each and every one of us have responsibility here.
Of course cyclists and scooters can ride the wrong way on a one-way street or even some sidewalks so long as they are constantly aware of and prepared to stop for and respect the right of way of anyone traveling legally.
These e-motorized vehicles are the most dangerous street users because they are more powerful than pedestrians and cyclists and there are no consequences for error. There are incentives on insured motorists to with increased insurance or loss of license. There is no moral hazard for e-vehicle misuse.
That San Francisco is fostering these rental operations means it is complicit in creating dangerous conditions for legal road users. That the City is not regulating the use of heavier, faster e-vehicles in the bicycle lanes means it is complicit in creating dangerous conditions for legal road users. When informed of dangerous conditions beforehand, the City stands exposed legally for not fixing known dangers.
We know that the e-scooter and e-bike rental operators and SFPOA contribute to Breed’s campaigns and get special treatment. Gotta wonder if Breed’s on the take from the fentanyl importers as well.
Of course no one can ride the wrong way on a one-way street. CVC 21650.1: “A bicycle operated on a roadway, or the shoulder of a highway, shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to be driven upon the roadway.”
And, of course, scooters must follow all vehicle rules. CVC §21221: “Every person operating a motorized scooter upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle…”
Cyclists ride the wrong way on one-way streets and sidewalks all of the time, every day. The reason why this is not newsworthy is that we do it in ways that do not involve law enforcement. It is newsworthy when scooters ride the wrong way on a one-way street and collide with cyclists riding the right way and the lazy cops at Mission Station refuse to take any steps.
Note to all cyclists: slow down, get off the sidewalk and wear a helmet.
And, you know, don’t ride the wrong direction on a one-way street.
This was a scooter not a cyclist
I don’t ride on the sidewalk, and I do wear a helmet. These folks were idiots on scooters clearly breaking the law.
Of course your advice is good for everyone – including drivers. I hope you are able to distinguish btw cyclists and scooter-riders.
Lolllll…. What the hell the police about to do? You about to file a police report for some kids who you have a whack description of?! What do you expect them to pull up with that ish? You had the kids there offering you an apology and help to clean up, and now you crying hoping they’d be more accountable? Nothing was right here, but you should definitely leave the Bay if you that sensitive and fragile.
It is literally about accountability.
We need to count the incidents and where and how they occur in order to produce good public policy. We are just guessing what to do.
I had a similar experience at Mission station. A locker at the gym was broken into and credit cards and other sundries were stolen. The cards were used at target. A police report was necessary for insurance purposes, yet Mission station refused to complete a report at the station because of “reasons.” I am much more familiar with the penal code than average, and knew the “laws” they were citing were simply things cops say to get out of work, but it’s pointless to argue there.
But, yes, things like this should be noted in a way that will help guide policy.
You can file a theft report on-line in SF. It worked fine for me earlier this year.
There are certain crimes that are excluded from the online reports. I forget the detail that kicked our report out of the system, but rest assured there was a trigger that shut down our ability to report like that. Also over the phone.
Personal assault is one the requires a trip to the Station. Also Burglary.
NYC has twice the number of cops per capita as SF. They also make half the pay. Does that give anyone ideas?
Laughing? The cops are required to take a report. If it was you jammed on the bike, let’s see you shake it off. There are always critics who scree the loudest when they have issues.
stew. wtf? the victim here was obviously rattled after the collision. sure, he should have photographed the scooter rider who caused the collision. he should have got their info. and insurance info. and he could have done a citizen’s arrest. or beat the crap out of them. instead, he tried to follow up afterwards. it’s a sad system we have right now, with zero enforcement, while claiming to strive for Vision Zero. clearly, Lime knows who the rider was as it’s scooters are tracked. I’m sorry for the victim and hope the city steps up. scooters provide an alternative form of transportation, but the riders, like all drivers and bike riders, need to be responsible.
wmm, this is a very well written response, altho i don’t agree about beating the snot out of the scooter rider. vision zero is an utter failure. sfpd doesn’t give a darn about cyclists or scooter riders and they have made it clear in their attitude although last it said in dept policy “officers shall not allow their attitude” to get in the way of the requirement to enforce the law. vision zero is just a rock they dropped in the water without working out the outer circles.
Stew —
Sorry, the cutoff for the Keyboard Warrior of the Year was June 30, but you can resubmit next year.
JE
Over a decade ago the Mission Police station blew me off when I tried to file a report after getting hit by a car while biking. Seems like nothing has changed!