One electric scooter rider narrowly avoided catastrophe when their rear fenders suddenly shattered on the road … all because they accidentally ran over a disposable vape pen.
They posted a photo of the aftermath on Reddit, explaining that they had rolled over the pen at 35 mph.
"It blew out both rear fenders and the safety light I had attached to the frame," they vented. "This will be the 2nd time replacing the extended fender."
Commenters were outraged and frustrated on the poster's behalf.
"As someone who works in the vape industry, I wish those d*** disposables never happened," one person wrote. "These products are wasteful, there are too many counterfeits or dodgy 'brands' with dodgy ingredients, they're easier for kids to hide."
The growing frustration with disposable vapes is mounting as quickly as the piles of discarded cartridges and pens. Other Redditors have previously posted about coming across vapes during scenic walks in parks, outside of schools, and even in the mouth of an African penguin. One person had even accidentally punctured a full-sized car tire driving over a vape.
"Vape: one, Fender: zero," one person commented, half-jokingly.
The vapes aren't just dangerous to tires. These cartridges contain numerous known and unknown toxins, from heavy metals to lead, mercury, and flammable lithium-ion, according to The Truth Initiative. "Unlike cigarette butts, e-cigarette waste won't biodegrade even under severe conditions. E-cigarettes left on the street eventually break down into microplastics and chemicals that flow into the storm drains to pollute our waterways and wildlife," they explained.
While the clear solution is reducing or eliminating vape consumption, this will likely necessitate a long-term, expensive combination of advertising, education, and legislation.
In the meantime, several groups are looking at ways to properly recycle or reuse the billions of existing cartridges as an additional solution for keeping them out of landfills and nature. For example, Envision Racing built a full Formula E racing car using entirely recycled electronic waste, including vapes.
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