A man who wrote a long, heartfelt post about getting his (unlawful) electric scooter seized by the authorities is getting no sympathy at all from netizens. Which is probably the exact opposite of what he had been aiming for.
Acknowledging that his very expensive e-scooter is indeed a non-compliant device according to the regulations set by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), Reuben Koh wrote a lengthy critique of the law that determined the legality of his $1,700 vehicle.
“…yes I had something deemed illegal based on the masses that judged a man-made device to be not meant for use based on a certain minority of users that rode recklessly and caused nuisances,” Koh asserted. You can read his entire dramatic disquisition here, or just settle for the cliffs notes below.
- His e-scooter — a Dualtron brand, which is usually much heavier than the maximum allowed weight of 20kg — had been fully pimped out with hand guards, lights and mirrors. Koh also made sure that he put on protective gear at all times.
- He had his “speed demon” moments, but only in secluded, uncrowded areas.
- He admitted to breaking some traffic rules, including beating red lights and crossing the road when he wasn’t supposed to.
- He paid for the e-scooter with his own money. He sustains himself using the device by working as a deliveryman for GrabFood, sells spare e-scooter accessories online, and provide on-site e-scooter servicing.
- He finds it difficult to comply with the rules, arguing that it’d be more expensive and troublesome for him to ride a slower e-scooter.
- His grievance with the LTA is that they confiscated the machine that helped him earn his income, while “those who are meant to get caught scoot off freely”. Koh notes that he doesn’t see teens speeding on Dualtron e-scooters getting caught.
Even though he poured his heart out, commenters told him that it’s pretty much his own fault for not complying with the rules in the first place.
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