Frankfurt: E-scooter versus mulled wine on Christmas market
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fromOliver Teutsch
conclude
The police make alcohol checks around the Frankfurt Christmas market. Many accidents with the e-scooters happen under the influence of alcohol.
The whole action is a bit sluggish. Because driving e-scooters after drinking alcohol is prohibited, the police set up a checkpoint on Monday not far from the Christmas market. “Experience shows that the majority of accidents with e-scooters happen under the influence of alcohol,” explains Tobias Mühling from the traffic safety service. And since one or the other mulled wine IS consumed at the Christmas market, it makes sense to check there.
But not much is happening at the checkpoint on Roßmarkt at first. When a young man rented an e-scooter parked nearby, he really didn’t do anything wrong, but was asked by the local press for lack of other requests. He is asked whether he has ever driven under the influence of alcohol. “So maybe once”, the young man admits and immediately adds an explanation: “You are somewhere in the pampas and it is much cheaper than a taxi.”
When it gets dark, however, a few people are out and about on e-scooters. Carsten Kehr from the bicycle relay wants to know from a young man whether he drank alcohol. And because he doesn’t understand German, he repeats the question again in English. The man says no. He is traveling on a private e-scooter, but he has attached the mandatory insurance sticker and is allowed to continue driving soon afterwards.
The next step is to stop a couple who are properly riding on separate e-scooters. “Groups are more likely to have alcohol involved,” says Kehr. Celebrating people are often out and about together and then spontaneously use loan devices that are omnipresent in the city to change location. But the couple also said no when asked about alcohol consumption. Maybe shortly before 5 p.m. on the way to the Christmas market, but also a little too early for the question.
But Grazia and Joshua quickly enjoy being in control. The two of them use the e-scooters regularly and even have a monthly pass. The cost is 40 euros. “That is cheaper than a monthly pass on public transport,” says Grazia. They both think the controls are good and important. Especially on weekends, many people would die while driving e-scooters under the influence of alcohol. “It’s really dangerous when you’re behind it soberly,” reveals Grazia.
Carsten Kehr also instructs her that the same regulations regarding alcohol apply to scooters as to driving a car. Problems could already arise from 0.3 per mille. There is not much mulled wine in it at the Christmas market.