#‘I did not trust them’: Ex-Revel employee rips company’s ‘cheap’ scooters

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A Revel scooter lays on a sidewalk in Brooklyn.
Paul Martinka

A former Revel employee blasted the scooter-rental company that suspended New York City operations this week after the deaths of several riders — telling The Post the mopeds are “cheap” and plagued by problems.

“As a rider with experience, I did not trust them,” said the ex-employee, a motorcycle hobbyist who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“They’re cheap. They’re plastic. The wheels are very small in circumference. It’s a bouncy ride. In the rain we would get a lot of accidents.”

The vehicles are “finicky” and prone to having their batteries die in the middle of traffic, claimed the ex-Revel-er — who was one of 19 laid off at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, just as use of the rental bikes skyrocketed across the city.

Users also often failed to report damaged bikes, the worker said — meaning the mopeds, which can be left anywhere within the company’s service area, could be picked up by the next user without being serviced.

“You never really know if you’re going to get a safe and reliable vehicle. It’s kind of like a lottery,” said the former employee.

Revel — which came to New York City in 2018 — slammed the brakes on its Big Apple operation Wednesday, promising to “review and strengthen … rider accountability and safety measures” in light of two user fatalities in the span of just 10 days.

The deaths of both Nina Kapur, 26, and Jeremy Malave, 32, involved riders losing control of their mopeds, according to police reports.

Riding a regular motorcycle requires a special permit — but all it took to ride a Revel in the city was a regular old driver’s license, and the the former employee said that really wasn’t enough to handle the mopeds.

“It’s not that far off from a motorcycle. It takes less skill, but the risks are the same,” the ex-worker said. “I think this past week people are maybe finally realizing it’s not a toy, but that’s how it’s been treated.”

Revel offers voluntary training courses, but company leaders rejected an internal push to require users pass a strict safety course before riding, the one-time employee claimed.

The company has also faced several lawsuits in the two years since it launched in New York City, some alleging inexperienced riders caused crashes — as well as one involving a rider who said his moped locked up mid-ride, resulting in a crash that fractured his leg.

A rep for Revel responded that the company has “strict safety policies in place,” and is “continually evaluating the most effective strategies to promote safe riding.”

The spokesperson noted that moped battery life “is clearly displayed to the rider before and during their ride,” and defended its maintenance of the vehicles.

“Revel does regular maintenance check-ups on its mopeds. Full-time service technicians also quickly respond to user complaints and repair Revels in the field or, when necessary, will bring the vehicle into our facility for repairs,” said the spokesperson.

“The moment we are notified that a Revel is not fully functional, we immediately make it unavailable to rent and take it out of service.”

But local Revel member and Vespa collector Kurtis Powers agreed with former employee’s assessment.

He said he rented a Revel over the weekend that was falling apart at multiple points, include its rear-view mirrors.

“The other day I had a guy who was driving at me on a one-way street on a Revel with flip-flops and a helmet,” Powers, 41, told The Post this week.

“It’s just stupid s–t, like, don’t wear f–king flip-flops on a scooter. All it takes is having to stop too quickly and you don’t realize how your toes will get ripped off on pavement.”

Additional reporting by Steven Vago