Bye-bye, SF scooters as Bird, Lime and Spin go on hiatus As if by magic, the scooters are gone. The hundreds of for-rent stand-up electric scooters that appeared on San Francisco streets almost overnight in late March, drawing both fans and haters, have now disappeared just as quickly — but could return within weeks. The city mandated that all the rental e-scooters must cease operations by Monday while the companies behind them apply for permits.