SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – Whether it is on the boardwalk, sidewalk, outside schools, dockless bikes and scooters have pretty much taken over San Diego – annoying some residents and business owners.
Now, a new company, Scooter Removal, LLC., has begun impounding dockless gadgets from private properties.
Dan Borelli and his partner, John, go around impounding dockless scooters or bikes left on private property. In return, the companies must pay them to get their product back. Their company is also known as scoot scoop.
“If you own property. If you own the deed, you have property lines around your property. If the scooters fall in those lines, it is 100 percent your right to have them removed,” said Dan.
Dan and John take calls around the clock – providing the service for free. Once impounded, the scooters and bikes are kept inside a Pacific Beach garage. Companies are charged a flat fee per bike or scooter, plus two dollars a day for storage.
Since the beginning of the 2019, Scooter Removal has collected about 1,000 bikes and scooters. Dan and John first got started in July 2018.
Where did their business idea come from?
John works in the tow and retrieval industry, and Dan owns a business in Pacific Beach – which he said is always littered with dockless items. Using their own experience and the City of Coronado as an example, their plan came to fruition.
How have the companies have responded? The pair said some are less cooperative than others.
News 8 did reach out to several dockless companies, but at the time of this publication, none had responded to a request for comment.
Scooter Removal LLC., plans to expand by launching an app, and they are currently hiring.