> If the sidewalk is the only safe option, they need to get off and walk with the scooter

As somebody who rides the scooters a lot - including through areas where it's just straight up not safe to ride on the road - I think it's fine to have a middle ground on here. If there's nobody on the sidewalk, it's fine to ride the scooter. But if you come up on a pedestrian, you give them plenty of space or get off if you can't.

I know there are people that do not ride the scooters with that much respect to pedestrians and I absolutely think it's unacceptable, but I also don't think it's fair to blanket ban riding on sidewalks at all either.

TL;DR just don't be a dickhead when you ride a scooter?