Nate Booth and German Gladkov maintain scooters at Skip, one of 12 companies applying for permits to rent out scooters in S.F. Taking over streets, sidewalks and Snapchat stories, electric scooters have become a symbol of San Francisco in 2018. When startups began dumping scooters on the streets, it triggered outrage from residents who saw them blocking sidewalks and doorways and praise from some commuters who welcomed another way to get through the city’s clogged streets.