Just past the Ides of March, I went downtown to survey the scene. The seriousness of the pandemic finally struck Austin, although the number of cases back then were few. Businesses were locked down, and the streets emptied. I wanted to document this unusual event.

On 6th street, I came upon a well-ordered set of scooters. Usually, these are strewn about haphazardly. I found this amusing since, amid the increasing worldwide chaos, these scooters sat there proudly and in formation, ready to take customers with the swipe of their smartphone. Except, there were no customers and no place to go.

Unfortunately, things in Austin and in most of the United States have gone from bad to worse since March. In my latest visit downtown, the scooters are mostly gone. Were they pulled because no one is riding them, or because the scooter companies are beginning to fail?

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