Am I A Bird?

Before you start reading this, I want you to put on “I’m like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado.  for the ambiance… got it? Playing in the background? Ok, you’re ready to read.

So I’m sitting having a lovely lunch with my brother Dave and his buddy Josh at St Paul Fish Company in the Milwaukee Public Market last week, and we sit down next to a couple friends of mine on the random. After a nice conversation they say they are off to ride some Birds. My, was I appalled!  The horror! They could get arrested!

We then get into a discussion about the legality blah blah blah and then my brother starts spewing some fun bird facts. Like Bird is starting just like Uber did.  Totally illegal.  But revolutionary.  There’s a community out there of Big Birds (aka, Chargers) that take care of the flock.  They come out at night, pick up all the Bird droppings, take them home to their nest and feed them. (By all of that I mean some people get paid to pick them up, take them home and plug them into their own wall outlets) During our conversation, we also were Bird Watching. Our FOMO built with every Bird that flew by.

What’s a Bird, you ask? Well, it’s those motorized scooters you see laying all over the streets downtown.  Lots of controversy on whether they are legal, blah blah blah.  Next thing you know, we are downloading the app to answer some of our questions, and at that point, we were committed.  There were 3 birds a block away just waiting to take flight.

We track them down like a game of Pokémon Go, scan the little thingy on the handle bars, and off we go through The Historic Third Ward.  We form a flock, having never flown together before. Just a flock of birds with the wind rustling through our feathers.  It. Was. Amazing. I literally could not wipe the smile off my face.  Why had I waited so long to fly?

Yes, there were some haters along the way.  Honking at us like we didn’t belong.  But let me tell you this.  Milwaukee always has been an amazing place to visit, but this takes it to the next level.  For $3, I had one of the most exhilarating 13 minutes of my life.  It made me appreciate my amazing city even more.

Couple key awesomeness points about Birds. They call it their S.O.S. Pledge. Birds are cutting down on the pollution caused by all of our short Uber and Lyft rides.  Think of how cool Uber is, and then think of how often you use it for a $5 or $6 ride to go a couple of miles.  What about saving a couple bucks and your carbon footprint by riding an electric scooter to your next destination? Big Birds pick them up at the end of the night and put them back the next morning where they are needed.  Want to be a Big Bird?  (aka, “Charger”, see here for details on how to make some cash) They also give $1 per day per scooter to the local government to help pay for things like new bike lanes and road repairs.  Don’t have a helmet?  They will literally send you one for free.

I’m disappointed in myself for hating on them at first.  I can’t believe I allowed myself to read the press, and that I didn’t try it sooner and now it might be too late.  The birds disappeared this weekend.  I watched them go with my own two eyes. I want them back so badly.  I feel confident they will come back.  Because if Uber can do it, Bird can do it!

I know I normally drive bandwagons, but on this one, I’m in the front of the skein.

Lisa

#bringbirdbacktomilwaukee