The Daily Valet. - 8/5/21, Thursday

✔️ A Safer Scoot

August 05, 2021

Thursday, August 5th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I’m constantly trying to expand my vocabulary …

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Are E-Scooters Safe?

Helmets are rare, accidents happen and now they will start slowing themselves down in high-pedestrian areas

Electric scooters are the hip, new trend in urban mobility (minus the new part ... and, well, hip is certainly negotiable). But they’re nothing if not ubiquitous. I’m sure you, like me, have been nearly leveled by someone zipping through a crowded sidewalk on one of those two-wheeled concussion-makers.

But in all seriousness, they have become increasingly more popular thanks to a myriad of apps renting them out by the minute. Cheaper and more convenient than ride-sharing, it’s is a very “don’t knock it ’til you try it” way to get around. You won't look all that cool (who cares?), but you'll be breezing past all the haters at a swift 15mph.

But safety is something that’s been an issue for the past few years. The dangers of riding e-scooters (for riders and pedestrians) has long been reported. And scooter related injuries are no joke.

Researchers have noticed a disturbing trend: around 94% of e-scooter riders don’t wear a helmet. And nearly half of those injured while riding an e-scooter sustained significant injuries to their heads. And that’s to say nothing of the pedestrians who get injuried as well.

Which is why Bird, one of the largest scooter rental brands, just announced the launch of its new Community Safety Zones, geofenced areas of high-pedestrian activity clearly marked in the app’s map.

So if you’re traveling near a school (or possibly a shopping center or park) on a Bird scooter, your maximum speed will be automatically reduced to around 8 miles per hour. You’ll also get a message in the app explaining why your scooter has slowed down.

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↦ Dig Deeper: The global electric scooters market size is expected to reach $34.7 billion by 2028.

Used Electric Cars Could Get Cheaper

A new bill could provide a couple thousand back for buyers when filing their taxes

The Plug-in Electric Drive Tax Credit, better known as the EV tax credit, can be a massive boon when filing your taxes after purchasing a new electric vehicle. However, as that sentence reads, this tax credit is only for a new EV purchase. But that could change.

According to Road Show, while the standard tax credit provides up to $7,500 for EV buyers, a new bill in Congress could credit used electric car buyers up to $2,500. Which will make an older electric vehicle even more appealing.

“With an electric car in the driveway, families will be able to save money on gas and maintenance costs while prioritizing the safety and security of our planet,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California, who co-sponsored the bill. The bill has nine additional co-sponsors, all Democrats, across the Senate and House of Representatives.

↦ FYI: Nissan Leaf 2022 is now the cheapest EV in the United States. And, according to Tom’s Guide, it’s a game changer.

Partner

This summer, the heat has been a cruel mistress. Dress in cool, comfortable staples to fight the oppressive weather in style.

Music’s Biggest (And Smallest) Vocabularies

A new study determined which artists use the most unique words in their songs

Which pop artist has the largest vocabulary in all of music? It's nice to remember there are singers who have found there's more to a song than just the words, “love,” “baby” and “good”? And don't forget about the artists who have made up their own words (“MMMBop,” anyone?).

Word search tool Wordtips combed through the lyrics of artists defined as Spotify's Most Listened-To Singers and performers from Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list, then crunched the numbers from more than 17,600 tracks.

What'd they find? Patti Smith has the best vocabulary of them all, with 217 unique words per 1,000 words in her lyrics—perhaps not surprising to anyone familiar with her work. Joni Mitchell and Björk came in second and third place (with 199 and 197 unique words per 1,000 words respectively), while Jim Morrison and Billie Eilish round out the top five.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Trey Songz and Luther Vandross scored the fewest unique words per 1,000 words, with 66 apiece, followed by Carly Rae Jepsen (69), Mary J. Blige (71) and Meghan Trainor (72).

↦ Meanwhile: What is going on with Aaliyah's music? On Wednesday, a website popped up with a singular message: “Aaliyah is coming.”

Disney Prepares Its Immersive Hotel

The experience sounds like an amazing one to be sure, but it’s also a pricey one

No judgement here ... I've spent the last week in mild Olympic cosplay—donning various Team USA T-shirts. That is, to say, I can appreciate a certain level of nerd-dom. And if you're a lover of Star Wars, Disney's upcoming fully immersive hotel experience will sound absolutely incredible.

On Wednesday, the company announced more information about the Galactic Starcruiser experience, expanding its Galaxy's Edge theme park into a full-fledged two-day interactive Star Wars adventure. The Verge likens it to Westworld and like the fictional theme park, it looks like Disney's real world immersive Star Wars hotel will be limited to the extremely wealthy, with a two-night stay starting at $4,809 for two adults.

In a new site for Galactic Starcruiser that just went live, Disney described the attraction as “part live immersive theater, part themed environment, part culinary extravaganza, part real-life role-playing game.” You can interact with characters on the cruiser and choose if you want to stick to the First Order's rules or help out the Resistance in a secret plot—you can decide if you want to engage with the narrative or just play with a working light saber.

The AV Club admits that it all sounds pretty cool, but balks at the price. “Really, who embodies the spirit of the Rebellion better than the sorts of people who can drop five grand on a three-day vacation, huh?”

↦ Stay Tuned: Galactic Starcruiser is expected to launch some time in 2022.

In Other News

↦ Mexico to Sue U.S.-Based Gunmakers Over Flow of Arms Across Border

↦ A New Thing Rich People Are Into: Absolutely Enormous Crystals

↦ You Don’t Need to Pay $12 for Mac and Cheese Ice Cream. Make It Yourself Instead.

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The 70th anniversary Land Cruiser

The next Jeopardy host

Reimagining classic Y2K films

Partner

A Cooler Way to Dress

What to wear in the hottest of weather

This summer, the heat has been a cruel mistress. But just because the weather has been downright swampy and oppressive, doesn't mean you can't look and feel cool. It just requires pulling on the right pieces to breeze through the day. Right now, for me, that means relaxed camp collar shirts that are just baggy enough to ventilate the body. I pair them with easygoing shorts—usually cut from a linen-blend fabric and ideally secured with a simple drawstring. I never leave the house without SPF on, but a bucket hat provides portable shade wherever I go.

Of course, when you're not wearing much, the finishing touches make all the difference. Cubitts, an artisanal optician from London, makes some superb sunglasses that look vintage but have all the modern touches (and UV protection) you hope for today. Finally, I set myself apart from the Birkenstock brigade by opting for sandals with all the same slide-in comfort, but a bit more character.

Clockwise from top left:Ijebu camp-collar shirt, $235 by Post-Imperial; Sal 2 suede sandals, $350 by Yuketen; linen-cotton drawstring shorts, $85 by Club Monaco; sunscreen lotion, $20 by Salt & Stone; cotton-twill bucket hat, $50 by Polo Ralph Lauren; Chalton tortoiseshell sunglasses, $165 by Cubitts

↦ Get It: More summer style from MR PORTER