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NYPD To Replace Motor Fleet With Electric Scooters
Posted by
samzenpus
on Thursday December 27, @04:18AM
from the stop-or-I'll-beep dept.
from the stop-or-I'll-beep dept.
XueCast writes "A few days ago, the New York Police Department, one of the largest police forces in the US, announced that they are planning to make New York greener by replacing their gasoline motorcycle fleet with the super-quiet and energy efficient electric scooters from Vectrix.
NYPD said that they will first road test four electric scooters from the Rhode Island-based electric vehicle manufacturer next month, and if the road test is a success, NYPD said that they plan to order more electric scooters from Vectrix to replace their less-than-green motorcycle fleet."
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NYPD To Replace Motor Fleet With Electric Scooters
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misleading title (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:misleading title (Score:5, Informative)
Re:misleading title (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:misleading title (Score:5, Funny)
Wow those are really intimidating (Score:4, Funny)
Yes it's sarcasm.
They look so metrothexual.
Re:Wow those are really intimidating (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Wow those are really intimidating (Score:5, Interesting)
People are losing what little respect they once had for each other and for themselves, such respect being the foundation of law and order and societal stability; and they are now more and more turning to (and bowing to) the use of force instead, where in more civilized times their respect for each other or for themselves would have prevented them from turning to (or bowing to) such shows of force.
Re:Wow those are really intimidating (Score:5, Insightful)
When the USA turns into a failed state [wikipedia.org] like Sudan or Chad, where warlords & tribal leaders are fighting for control, then maybe you'll have something to complain about.
Crime rates have been trending downwards [usdoj.gov] for quite some time now. The only thing that's been trending upwards are arrests for drug violations.
P.S. When exactly are these "more civilized times" you're referring to?
Re:Wow those are really intimidating (Score:4, Insightful)
Agreed. Every generation thinks the next one will be the end of civilization. There are some great quotes from ancient Greeks to the affect.
This is crap. The "we're not as bad as China" has never eld any water. You can always point to someone worse, but that in no way mitigates how bad things are in a given place and we should always be looking to make things better by pointing out what is wrong and trying to correct it. Trying to excuse problems by pointing to others is a logical fallacy.
Crime statistics aren't too meaningful by themselves because so many things are crimes, including things we all do (speeding, swearing in public, having sex when not married). Laws are enforced or not and that can significantly influence the "crime rate." What I care more about are violent crime rates, since these are the real, serious offenses. Violent crime rates started going up in 2005, and have increased significantly in both 2006 and 2007 according to the FBI. It is disturbing as a societal trend but it actually fits with sociologists predictions. The strongest correlation with violent crime is wealth disparity. Wealth disparity has been increasing in the US, with the middle class shrinking, the upper class staying about the same size, but becoming richer, and the lower class growing. This trend boomed in about 2001, and after about the usual 5 year lag, violent crime rates have begun to boom as well.
You know what I find really sad? One of the most effective programs to reduce wealth disparity is socialized healthcare. Health care costs are the number one cause of personal bankruptcy in the US and costs of health care are a significant expense for the poor. Despite the clear statistical indications that this would lower crime rates, not a ingle politician on either side of the debate has had the balls to bring this topic up. They think anything that is a complex causality is beyond the comprehension of the voters, and they're probably right.
As to the original topic, respect for the police and the laws. Just the other day the cops started following a car I was in, then pulled us over when we tried to pull into our driveway. They claimed it was because our muffler sounded "a bit loud" but why then would they follow us around, through several turns before pulling us over? It was bullshit. They weren't trying to enforce a law, they were trying to pull people over in the hopes they could bust us for something. Previous to their following us, they were speeding, and changed lanes three times without using an indicator. When the police don't respect the laws or obey them, it erodes one's respect for both the police and the laws. When absurdly stupid laws are still on the books and occasionally enforced at the whim of those with power, it erodes one's respect for the laws.
I know an old, retired officer who is proud of the fact that he never broke any laws the entire time he was a cop. I know a dozen people who are cops today and every one brags about abusing their authority in a "funny" way and the fact that they can get away with breaking the laws whenever they want. My brother used to be a cop. One day he was puled over for speeding in his private car and when the cop saw who it was, he just chatted wit him and let him go, with no mention of the speeding. I'd say their is a trend towards lack of respect for police and laws in the US, and it is very justified by our current laws, enforcement practices, and police hiring practices. 90% of
Re:Wow those are really intimidating (Score:5, Insightful)
By giving somebody a nightstick and a gun, you are presupposing there are circumstances in which he'll use them, rather than ordinary persuasion. If the moral imperative is to do your job with the least force possible, then intimidation fits right between reasoned persuasion and beating or shooting people. Saying cops should never intimidate members of the public is one of those things that sounds right, but you have to examine the alternatives in any particular situation.
If the imperative is to protect the public safety with the least force, then using intimidation where a lesser alternative is available is like drawing and firing a gun when there isn't a life at stake, only to a lesser degree. It is true that the public should not live in continual fear of the police, but occasional fear is not so terrible, provided that the police remain servants of the public. It's one thing to feel fear when you are speeding and see a cop parked on the side of the highway; it's something that either you can live with, or which you should change by voting in politicians who will raise the speed limit. It's another thing to be afraid that every time you talk to a police officer you might be "disappeared". Just because the situations feel somewhat alike doesn't mean they are alike.
Re:Wow those are really intimidating (Score:4, Funny)
Come on Editors (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Come on Editors (Score:5, Insightful)
What, you mean like slashdot?
Environmental cost (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Environmental cost (Score:5, Informative)
It's generally not considered a huge deal since the ratio of motorcycles to cars on the road is rather low, but if a fleet of bikes can be replaced, it might make a difference.
Re:Environmental cost (Score:5, Informative)
Check the "ENGINE" tab here. for example:
http://www.ducati.com/od/ducatinorthamerica/en/bikes/model.jhtml?model=2390 [ducati.com]
Re:Environmental cost (Score:5, Interesting)
Err no , why would I be?
"how about comparing it with a car of similar performance?"
An average bike does 0-60 in about 5 seconds. My camaro could do that and still hit 30mpg on a good day and it weighed 1600kg. How can a 160kg bike of the same performance only get less than twice the mpg? Sorry , something doesn't add up.
A vehicle such as a bike that is that light with a cross sectional area that small should have far far better mpg than perhaps 50% more than a car weighing 10 times more and 4 or 5 times the frontal area (and hence air resistance). The fact that bikes don't says a lot about their inefficient (and torque-free) engines.
Pull over.... pretty please! (Score:2)
This is NOT exactly the vehicle that one would really consider for any sort of high speed chase. Or hell, think of them on an interstate.
But still I'm sure they have their practical uses.
Re:Pull over.... pretty please! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Pull over.... pretty please! (Score:4, Informative)
Maybe they should use pedal bikes. Quite a few UK police forces tried equipping their police officers with bicycles which seemed quite effective. No-one could get away from them on foot but it didn't stop them from going through pedestrian areas. And they were certainly more approachable than police officers in cars or on motorbikes.
Honest question (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Honest question (Score:5, Insightful)
Honest question-Fun with two wheels. (Score:5, Funny)
Freeze to death in the middle of winter. Fly gracefully over the hood of a car in an accident. Be able to fart without one's partner commenting on it. Pop wheelies.
Electric Scooters are great (Score:2)
An opportunity (Score:1)
Stupid (Score:3, Insightful)
Public safety should never be something that gets compromised by poorly thought-out "green" initiatives.
Headline is wrong (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Headline is wrong (Score:5, Funny)
NYPD To Replace Motor Fleet With Electric Scooters?
They just missed the question mark
" Less than Green?" Say WHAT!? (Score:5, Insightful)
So, let's replace the most fuel efficient motor vehicle the NYPD has in the fleet because it's "less than green" and let's keep those cars, trucks, vans, helicopters, and who-knows-what else. You know, for the children.
May I suggest ? (Score:3, Funny)
Curious what the intended use is? (Score:4, Insightful)
Why not replace cars with conveyor belts? (Score:5, Funny)
These used to be a staple of futuristic SF stories - wonder why it never caught on - the technology is definitely there(in airports)
On a side note if people are using conveyor belts the cops dont need motorcycles to catch perps - just get on the hyperfast conveyor belt lane reserved for emergencies.
Normal vs. Headless vs. GREEN_BY_ELECTRIC (Score:1)
There is a difference beetween over-greenish-actions and real "green" actions.
1.)
these Motorcycles are not "green", as long as the power to charge them
is generated by non-green powerplants.
2.)
the emission is just placed somewhere outside N.Y., looking at the overall emission
of NY, these Motorcylces are the minor part.
3.)
while it's a good idea(*) to use these E-Cycles in high traffic areas
it's not a good idea to use them for patrol, because of their limited
range
25mph -> Range ~68miles
65mph -> Range ~
they need to be charged to often.
(*) Electric Systems have a nearly zero-time power-up and are more efficient than
their gasoline brothers, in short, "good for Stop-And-Go"
Re:Normal vs. Headless vs. GREEN_BY_ELECTRIC (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Normal vs. Headless vs. GREEN_BY_ELECTRIC (Score:4, Interesting)
You've exposed the most fraudulent part of the greenies' movement. Recharging batteries requires electricity, which in the US, is derived primarily from burning coal, which is worse ecologically than burning gasoline.
Burning coal to power EVs is a pretty stupid solution, and I don't think anyone is actually advocating that, but it is absolutely an improvement over burning gasoline. Your assertion is well documented as totally false, yet it's constantly repeated. You really should do your own research on this, but here's a whitepaper from Tesla Motors [teslamotors.com] for starters. It's a pretty fair analysis of the relative efficiencies of various propulsion systems. It does cheat a little by assuming natural gas generation for electricity, but it's obvious from the numbers that--even from coal--EVs are a significant win in terms of reducing pollution and CO2 emissions.
You can substitute just about any EV for Tesla's Roadster -- they're all exceptionally efficient, at under 300 AC watthours per mile. Yes, I'm an electric vehicle engineer.
As long as the Greenies keep pushing fake green agendas on us like electric cars but at the SAME TIME keep protesting nuclear power, this will never be a good solution.
Nuclear power is a fantastic option. Between nuclear, wind, and hydro, more than half of California's energy is pollution- and CO2-free. Electricity is the ultimate flex fuel -- you can generate it from coal, nuclear, or solar panels on your roof.
You spewed some further misinformation further down -- I'll reply to that later on.
Law & Order (Score:2)
You will... (Score:1)
Police model? (Score:1)
And I can't see this replacing highway patrol bikes, not enough speed.
I just hate to think they'd replace bicycle patrols too
Green weapons (Score:1)
NYPD has used scooters for years (Score:2)
The NYPD has used scooters for years; they're great in congested areas. They probably like this thing because it's quiet.
The NYPD doesn't do many car chases. NYC is too crowded. They prefer to get a few units into position ahead of the vehicle being pursued.
Pure capacitance jel (Score:2)
Why is electric = scooter (Score:2)
In fact, for city and countryside use, the most useful layout is the one similar to an Enduro bike. You sit straight up, so you can see the traffic, and over cars, and if needed (police does) you can go down and up on stairs, and even take it offroad.
Actually in many Latin American countries the police uses enduros exactly for this reason, and use the bigger bikes for the highway patrols. Notice that the cruisers used as highway bikes also give the rider a better view of the whole situation.
So if I might ask: why the hell are they giving these small wheeled instable things to the police. Also why does electric always automatically mean: ugly ergonomic wannabe plastic bubble?
I can imagine an electric enduro/supermoto bike. Could look awesome, be fast and stable. You can also put a plexi glass on it (think KTM enduros) if that does anything good in police use. I personally never missed a plastic/plexiglass shield between me and the road, but I do not spend the whole day on a bike either.