southasiantimes.info » Technology

Is e-scooting the new sustainable way to commute?

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 10:49:36 +0000

Love them or loathe them, e-scooters are becoming an increasingly common sight on UK highways.

While privately owned ones remain illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements due to an ancient law dating back to the 1800s, trials of rental e-scooters are taking place in more than 30 areas across England.

They were brought forward to support a ‘green’ restart of socially-distanced travel and help mitigate reduced public transport capacity amid the pandemic.

While a little late to the party compared to other cities, London launched its hire scheme in June, offering up 1,200 through operators Lime, Dott and Tier. According to Lime, its e-scooters have already been ridden 7,500 times across the capital.

But despite e-scooters offering a more environmentally-friendly way to get around, there have been concerns over how safe they are as a means of transport. Six people are believed to have died in the UK to date – the first being YouTuber Emily Hartridge in July 2019 – with others suffering serious injuries in road accidents.

Figures show the number of riders harmed in collisions in London alone leapt from 27 in 2019 to 181 between January and November 2020. The number of pedestrians hurt by e-scooters doubled over the same period, from 13 to 26, according to data released under Freedom of Information legislation.

Some campaigners are even calling on the government to stop the e-scooter hire trials and ban retailers from selling them until further safety reviews have taken place, claiming they’ve made towns and cities ‘no go zones’ for blind people. There are also concerns about people riding them illegally on pavements and while intoxicated.

It paints a pretty bleak picture, but the use of motorised scooters has been permitted in many European cities including Germany, Denmark, France and Sweden for years, and their popularity has skyrocketed.

With speeds limited to 15.5mph in the UK (12.5mph in London), helmets encouraged (but not mandatory – the same rule that applies to London’s cycle hire scheme) and mandatory ‘in-app training’ before your first ride, there are some safety precautions in place – so just how practical are they as a means of commuting? Here FEMAIL writer Hayley Richardson took one for a spin in Kensington.

Having seen various headlines about people getting hurt – and worse – while riding e-scooters I was somewhat anxious about the prospect of riding one around central London.

For a start, balance isn’t my strong point, and my only previous encounter with a motorised vehicle that wasn’t a car saw me hurtle my school pal’s scooter into the back of a parked car because I couldn’t locate the brake.

I’ve only ever cycled through the capital once – on a weekend – and a relatively close-encounter with a double decker bus was enough to send me running for the Tube.

Therefore I thought it’d be a wise idea to practice on an e-scooter off-road first. As I live outside of the trial zones, I whizzed around my cul-de-sac onboard a Micro Explorer from Micro Scooters, which boasts an 18-mile range and a 15mph top speed. It also weighs just 13.5kg (considerably less than the rental e-scooters), comes with a free helmet and folds up, making it a good option should privately-owned ones become legal on UK roads.

Feeling distinctly more confident, I headed to the nearest e-scooter rank to our office, where I was met by a colourful collection of at least 20 vehicles. Having downloaded all three hire apps to my phone – Lime, Tier and Dott – I was spoilt for choice.

Despite registering beforehand I did spend a good 10 minutes faffing around on the apps – thankfully it wasn’t raining for a change – which wouldn’t have been ideal if I was in a rush on my way into work, but like anything, once you’ve done it once it’s a pretty quick and easy process.

After scanning the e-scooter’s QR code I was ready to roll and cautiously made my way to the road. It was a quiet street, ideal for getting to grips with the accelerator lever and testing out the hand brakes, which were reassuringly responsive.

Much to my relief, the e-scooter felt very sturdy; it was much heavier than the Micro scooter and glided smoothly around corners. Within a few minutes I felt quite comfortable and ready to take on the busy high street.

One of the (very few) perks of the pandemic for cyclists was the introduction of more designated bike lanes and improvements to the cycling infrastructure in the city.

These have also benefitted e-scooter riders – though I did feel my presence wasn’t particularly welcome at times. Several cyclists whizzed past me even as I hit top speed, which I couldn’t help but think put them more at risk of having an accident than me.

Equally while the majority of car drivers gave me a wide berth like they would a cyclist, others accelerated past me a little too close for comfort.

HOW TO BE A SAFE E-SCOOTER RIDER

Stay in your lane

Pavement riding is illegal, and scooting is only permitted on the road or in cycle lanes. Lime scooters have a max speed of 12.5mph and high-visibility reflectors.

Park your ride

Once you’ve finished your ride, always be sure to park it in an upright position in a designated parking bay. The rental apps will help you find a free spot.

Under 18? You’ll have to wait

Riders need to be 18 or over, and are required to verify their account by scanning their a or provisional driving licence when they first log into the app.

Don’t double up!

E-scooters are designed for one person, so no tag teaming. The same goes for your luggage – hooking your bag onto the handlebars or on one shoulder, could affect your balance, so make sure to pack light.

Don’t drink and ride!

Just like driving, it’s not only illegal, but dangerous too. To help new riders further get to grips with the capital’s latest transport option, Lime has launched a series of ‘First Ride Academies’ in participating boroughs. They have also worked with the AA to provide more safe riding resources via an online Driving School, Learn to Lime UK.

It does seem a little nonsensical to me that privately-owned scooters remain illegal. When ridden in a responsible manner, they don’t seem any more dangerous than bicycles – in fact, they’re slower and easy to dismount from. You’re always going to get people who are careless and don’t follow the rules, but why punish the majority for the sake of a few idiots?

Ben Gibson, managing director of Micro Scooters UK, told me he believes the law needs to change in line with the rest of the world ‘who have updated their legal restrictions to welcome and regulate the use of e-scooters as a modern mode of transport’.

‘We have been convinced for over 20 years that a scooter is the ideal means of transport in cities and towns,’ he said. ‘Whether or not scooters are electric or push, they are lightweight, portable, and environmentally friendly and a great way of getting a daily dose of exercise.

‘The e-scooter rental scheme is popular in cities in Europe and California. Whilst it is a good business model, it has some drawbacks that need to be considered.

‘Most notably the quality and safety of the scooters being used in the schemes and the proficiency of riders who use them. Any legislation to make e-scooters legal on roads needs to take these considerations into account.

‘Whilst rental schemes are popular, at Micro Scooters UK we believe e-scooter ownership is preferable and the best way forward. That way the rider can practice before they head out on the roads, test how the scooter behaves, how to give a turn signal, how the brake works and how the scooter reacts to kerbs.

‘The behaviour of road users has changed; people are using a greater variety of transport methods to get to their destinations.

‘An e-scooter makes sense when it is used to replace the car or the motorcycle, or facilitates the switch to public transport.

‘We want to future proof e-scooters as a sustainable method of transport by encouraging infrastructure, legalisation and responsible ownership. Part of this framework is for owners to insure their scooters. The insurance industry should address the need for cover in this growth sector.

‘We understand the concerns of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, which is why we are advocating for riders to install a bell.

‘More importantly we are clearly stating electric scooters should be ridden on the road not the pavements, in the same way as electric bikes.

‘These two measures should minimise any risk to pedestrians on the pavement whether they are fully sighted or not.’

Source: Daily Mail, MailOnline

More Than 100 Microsoft Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 00:27:42 +0000

Keyboard Shortcuts (Microsoft Windows)
1. CTRL+C (Copy)
2. CTRL+X (Cut)
3. CTRL+V (Paste)
4. CTRL+Z (Undo)
5. DELETE (Delete)
6. SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
7. CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
8. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
9. F2 key (Rename the selected item)
10. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
11. CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
12. CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
13. CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
14. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text); SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
15. CTRL+A (Select all)
16. F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
17. ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)
18. ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
19. ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)
20. ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
21. CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open at the same time)
22. ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)
23. ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
24. F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
25. F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
26. SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
27. ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
28. CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
29. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu) Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
30. F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
31. RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a sub menu)
32. LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a sub menu)
33. F5 key (Update the active window)
34. BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
35. ESC (Cancel the current task)
36. SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)

Dialog Box – Keyboard Shortcuts
1. CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs)
2. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs)
3. TAB (Move forward through the options)
4. SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options)
5. ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)
6. ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button)
7. SPACEBAR (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)
8. Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)
9. F1 key (Display Help)
10. F4 key (Display the items in the active list)
11. BACKSPACE (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts
1. Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
2. Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
3. Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
4. Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)
5. Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows)
6. Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
7. Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
8. CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
9. Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
10. Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
11. Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
12. Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)

Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts
1. Right SHIFT for eight seconds (Switch Filter Keys either on or off)
2. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off)
3. Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK (Switch the Mouse Keys either on or off)
4. SHIFT five times (Switch the Sticky Keys either on or off)
5. NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the Toggle Keys either on or off)
6. Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager)
7. Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts
8. END (Display the bottom of the active window)
9. HOME (Display the top of the active window)
10. NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the sub folders that are under the selected folder)
11. NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)
12. NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder)
12. LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
14. RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first sub folder)

Shortcut Keys for Character Map
After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:
1. RIGHT ARROW (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)
2. LEFT ARROW (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)
3. UP ARROW (Move up one row)
4. DOWN ARROW (Move down one row)
5. PAGE UP (Move up one screen at a time)
6. PAGE DOWN (Move down one screen at a time)
7. HOME (Move to the beginning of the line)
8. END (Move to the end of the line)
9. CTRL+HOME (Move to the first character)
10. CTRL+END (Move to the last character)
11. SPACEBAR (Switch between Enlarged and Normal mode when a character is selected)

Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
Main Window Keyboard Shortcuts
1. CTRL+O (Open a saved console)
2. CTRL+N (Open a new console)
3. CTRL+S (Save the open console)
4. CTRL+M (Add or remove a console item)
5. CTRL+W (Open a new window)
6. F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
7. ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the MMC window menu)
8. ALT+F4 (Close the console)
9. ALT+A (Display the Action menu)
10. ALT+V (Display the View menu)
11. ALT+F (Display the File menu)
12. ALT+O (Display the Favorites menu)

MMC Console Window Keyboard Shortcuts
1. CTRL+P (Print the current page or active pane)
2. ALT+Minus sign (-) (Display the window menu for the active console window)
3. SHIFT+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
4. F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
5. F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
6. CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window)
7. CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window)
8. ALT+ENTER (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)
9. F2 key (Rename the selected item)
10. CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation
1. CTRL+ALT+END (Open the Microsoft Windows NT Security dialog box)
2. ALT+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)
3. ALT+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)
4. ALT+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
5. ALT+HOME (Display the Start menu)
6. CTRL+ALT+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
7. ALT+DELETE (Display the Windows menu)
8. CTRL+ALT+Minus sign (-) (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
9. CTRL+ALT+Plus sign (+) (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clip board and provide the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Microsoft Internet Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts
1. CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
2. CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)
3. CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)
4. CTRL+H (Open the History bar)
5. CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)
6. CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)
7. CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)
8. CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box,the same as CTRL+L)
9. CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)
10. CTRL+R (Update the current Web)

Source:Brightsourceit