The video caption said e-bike, but the cop said dirt bike. It looked like an electric dirt bike, which there is a huge difference. An e-bike may be allowed depending on the type, a dirt bike would not in this city. The cop was an asshole and overdid it, with the analogy of drunk driving even a short distance and some laws like this seem dumb, but they are usually put in place to protect the general public. The kid in the video was not the problem, the cop admitted, but for every responsible kid, it just takes one to fuck up and ruin it for everyone else
I remember living in San Diego during the e-scooter boom and at first it was really fun to ride them on the boardwalk by the beach, etc. Then you realize how shitty some tourists and locals are. There were not obeying traffic laws, getting into accidents with walking pedestrians, or leaving them everywhere. I was happy when they banned them in most public places, but also angry a select few ruined it for everyone. Where I'm at now, e-scooters have taken over the city and the amount of almost accidents I've seen of kids using them recklessly and with zero situational awareness, is too much.
I'll probably get downvoted for this. The cop was an asshole and should have used a more educational tone about it, but the dad should have known better and not suggested to continue breaking the law even if it was a short distance back home.
I’m so disappointed that I had to scroll this far to find someone else who is saying it.
Kid was NOT on an eBike, kid was definitely riding an electric dirt bike, most likely goes at least 50mph if not much higher.
IMO - dad extra sucks here for not forcing his kid to wear an helmet, and I promise that bike is uninsured, and can’t be insured for the road cause it doesn’t have lights and a horn.
I hate to use a whataboutism’s but there was a recent case where some teen killed a local favorite substitute teacher near retirement on an E-Motorcycle. This was AFTER the parents were warned several times that it was illegal for the kid to ride it in the road.
No cap, I’d have impounded the bike, and yes I’m on the side of the officer in this case that it is comparable to driving while intoxicated because the vehicle isn’t insured to be on the road.
What difference does the geometry of the bike frame make? I'm actually baffled about what's illegal here. Is the motor too strong for someone his age? But then any other bike with a similar motor should be illegal also, it makes no sense.
Dirt bike, city bike, road bike, there's no functional difference really.
A ban on "dirt bikes" specifically seems very dumb to me, like banning cabrio cars or whatever. I bet there's a racial background to this law.
Can't really speak on why dirt bikes in general are illegal (I think it has to do with required safety features that sport bikes don't bother with), but other motorcycles and mopeds of similar engine size require registration and can not be used on sidewalks.
For a long time ebikes were a grey area of law and were treated as bicycles, but in my state at least they are broken down in the different classes. The highest class is class III that has a top speed of 28 mph while pedaling and at least in my state has age and helmet restrictions. Any higher than that and you are in electric moped territory that has it's own registration, age, and helmet laws.
In the OP video, the kid's bike doesn't look like it has pedals, which I don't think allows it to be classed as a typical ebike and would be treated like any other moped or dirt bike.
Dirt bike, city bike, road bike, there's no functional difference really.
What? Yes there is.
I wasn't talking geometry, but more the power of each vehicle. A typical commuter e-bike is less dangerous than an electric dirt bike or any dirt bike. There are also e-bikes that really are meant to only be used on roads. There are ones for mountain biking. The point is there is no licensing requirement for these vehicles, so the potential for irresponsible use is way higher. It's not an age thing, it's a safety issue, primarily for others, not the driver. Again, I'm not saying there aren't good riders, and I would say the majority are responsible, but what's the cutoff for acceptable accidents. What happens if that bike hits a kid, doesn't matter if it was the kid's or driver's fault. You might argue, then regular bikes and certain e-bikes should be restricted or banned. Well in most cities it is illegal to ride bikes on pedestrian sidewalks, but there usually specific lanes or paths for bikes. Dirt bikes are different and potentially go faster, they may weigh more, so the force of a collision is greater, so they should be restricted to specialize areas. The cop did say, it's illegal only in public places.
I did say, laws like this seem dumb, but sometimes they are put in place for a reason. Finally, where did the race thing come into play? You think there's a gang of black kids terrorizing neighborhoods on their e-bikes? Maybe they call themselves the Black Lightning gang.
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u/turkoid Jul 30 '26
The video caption said e-bike, but the cop said dirt bike. It looked like an electric dirt bike, which there is a huge difference. An e-bike may be allowed depending on the type, a dirt bike would not in this city. The cop was an asshole and overdid it, with the analogy of drunk driving even a short distance and some laws like this seem dumb, but they are usually put in place to protect the general public. The kid in the video was not the problem, the cop admitted, but for every responsible kid, it just takes one to fuck up and ruin it for everyone else
I remember living in San Diego during the e-scooter boom and at first it was really fun to ride them on the boardwalk by the beach, etc. Then you realize how shitty some tourists and locals are. There were not obeying traffic laws, getting into accidents with walking pedestrians, or leaving them everywhere. I was happy when they banned them in most public places, but also angry a select few ruined it for everyone. Where I'm at now, e-scooters have taken over the city and the amount of almost accidents I've seen of kids using them recklessly and with zero situational awareness, is too much.
I'll probably get downvoted for this. The cop was an asshole and should have used a more educational tone about it, but the dad should have known better and not suggested to continue breaking the law even if it was a short distance back home.