Dear Ms. Smartphone: Wondering what to do about these kids. There are a few boys in my neighborhood who ride in the middle of the road on little electric scooters. They also do jumps and wheelies on these bikes. All the street traffic has to slow down around them. At least they do wear helmets. Still, I worry about their behavior. What I see are teens, bikes, and social bad. Moira
Dear Moira: Since these riders are not on the sidewalk, you would hope that they are required to attend a driver’s training class and then get a license, just like car drivers. And society would not let them do this until they were fifteen or sixteen years old.
Actually, we have such laws! If they are riding little electric scooters or a more powerful (class 3) e-bike, then they have to be sixteen years or older. If they are on a moped, what I think you call a little scooter, the state law (in California) requires both a driver’s license and a license plate! But the real issue, as you note, is enforcement.
Start here:
In an earlier time, in a local neighborhood, you might know the identity of these riders or could inquire about them from their school. Then you could approach the parents or their caretakers. Presumably the parents would be grateful to learn if their kids were engaging in reckless behavior and would take steps to rein them in. I say presumably, because these parents probably approved of the bikes and helped them make the purchase. They didn’t follow up with lessons on traffic laws and safety.
Then here:
If reaching the parents is not feasible…. then the next approach, again in a well functioning neighborhood, is to contact the local police office. You may have to do this in real time, when the kids are on their bikes and doing wheelies on the road. If the kids are riding three or four abreast, and staying under the 28 mile speed limit, the police might not have cause to pull them over. But, as soon as they blow through a red light or ignore a pedestrian trying to cross, they can be cited like any other road user that ignores traffic laws.
Last Resort:
If all else fails- this is the third and final suggestion- you could turn to your local online social media outlet- the equivalent of NextDoor, and post. Ideally you will have pictures or videos of their reckless antics. No doubt this video will raise a hornet’s storm of comments: some will say that it’s just kids being kids, others will staunchly worry about the safety of the teens and a passerby. Some will find fault with the parents or with driver education.
I mention posting to social media as the last resort- after you exhaust trying to locate the parents or getting local police to take action. In a better world we solve things privately and locally. While some issues are meant to be broadcast and reach a larger audience, it has been uncommon to include the foibles of teenagers. Perhaps this is an important distinction between times past, and issues today.
The posting on local social media will surely get the attention of the police and probably of the parents too, but in a public, “out there” way. These teen bikers are seeking attention, but social media may give them too much attention, the wrong kind. And, it might entice their peers to take notice and do copy-cat stunts. If we all behave better then parents stay alert and engaged, and less on social media. And everyone stays safer.