Why not just stop trying to fuck with technology that supports an eco-friendly lifestyle?
Although to your point, when eBikes first came to Seattle as a service, they had hubs. You could only pick one up from a hub and had to return it to a hub. That could address the issue of them being parked wherever, but it decreases their usefulness. It’s pretty awesome to just walk a couple of feet and grab an eScooter, then leave it in front of your destination for someone else to grab.
Sure, if it was just a couple of them it would probably be fine. But the problem is that in many cities the amount of scooters that are left in random places gets annoying. I think that having designated parking locations would be the best solution and, as long as you have enough of them, that should not impact their usefulness.
In Sweden they have to be parked in a bike rack. We have bike racks, everywhere. A rather great solution.
Escooters are not eco friendly. The batteries burn through really quickly. E-assist bicycles and regular bicycles are by far the best option for public personal mobility.