If you’re thinking the big concern among city governments is motorcycle gangs, you’re still stuck in the past. While there are some of those still around, it’s a brave new world where gangs of young e-bike riders are the vexing problem in many areas, with officials wondering who to combat the problem.
Watch a bicyclist mob take over an entire street.
But one city in California, San Clemente, thinks it might have a solution by holding parents responsible for the behavior of their children. The thought is it’s the parents who purchase e-bikes for the youth who then use the vehicles to terrorize the community.
It seems to make sense, so we can see why the city is moving forward with the plan. Law enforcement will then be able to fine parents and educate them about the activities their children are engaging in and why they’ll be held responsible for the consequences.
In San Clemente, just like in many other areas, young kids to young adults cruise around on e-bikes acting like they don’t have to follow any rules. This could be as simple as blowing through stop signs, not staying to bike lanes, almost running down pedestrians, etc.
But there are kids who use their e-bikes to spread genuine terror, riding into an area with pedestrians and throwing fireworks before speeding off, taking over sections of public roads, or using their rides as getaway vehicles after committing burglary or other crimes.
We even have seen gangs of kids on e-bikes surround cars, pull out drivers, then beat and rob them. It’s a real problem these days.
We imagine San Clemente isn’t the only city considering ordinances like this one where parents face financial responsibility for their child’s misdeeds on an e-bike. But we do expect this issue to become more prominent as time marches forward.
Image via KTLA 5/YouTube
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