Shabbos Scooters Are Gaining Ground in Frum Communities
Frum Jews are allowing their children to scooter to shul on Shabbos in the confines of an Eruv, leading some to question whether it is an appropriate activity.
by COLlive Reporter · COLliveBy COLlive reporter
Scooters are becoming an increasingly common sight on Shabbos in some Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, with children and adults using them to get to shul, meals and other destinations.
The trend was recently examined by Forward reporter Louis Keene, who took a closer look at the growing practice and the halachic questions surrounding it.
For his report, Keene visited the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, home to a large Orthodox Jewish community, where scooters can be seen on the streets on Shabbos.
The scooters in question are not electric. Riders generally use traditional kick scooters powered entirely by foot, without motors, batteries or light-up wheels that activate while riding.
The practice is generally found within the confines of an eruv, allowing residents who rely on the eruv to carry items in the public domain on Shabbos.
And the phenomenon is not limited to Los Angeles. Scooters can also be seen on Shabbos in frum communities across South Florida and elsewhere, particularly in areas with established eruvin and where families may walk considerable distances between their homes, shuls and Shabbos meals.
For some families, scooters offer a practical way for children, and sometimes adults, to cover those distances without using a car or other motorized transportation. Some can also be seen riding skateboards on Shabbos.
But their growing visibility has also prompted a halachic discussion, according to the Forward.
The halachic debate extends beyond electricity, with questions about possible repairs, the surfaces on which scooters are ridden and whether the practice is consistent with the character of Shabbos.
As a result, practices vary among communities and families, with some permitting conventional scooters within an eruv under certain conditions and others avoiding them altogether.
VIDEO: Reporting by Louis Keene / The Forward
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