I got back from the store and am so ticked off. I was coming along Scott from Holland and there was this woman on the other side of the street riding a scooter. It is called an E-Bike. She was on the sidewalk going from Parkdale to the Beer Store - on the sidewalk!!!
I hummed and hawed and was so angry that I crossed the street to see if I could get a licence number off this thing while she was in the store. No licence - just a sign that says it is an e-bike and is eco-friendly.
She came out of the store and wanted to know what I wanted. I asked her why she thought she could ride her scooter on the sidewalk. She rudely told me to mind my own business. At first she denied she was on the sidewalk but I told her I saw her and she just swore at me and told me to go away. AND she was drunk!
It seems the laws here about these machines are quite unclear.
Because their motors won't allow them to go over 32 KM an hour they are legally allowed to use bike paths.
The cyclists are up in arms saying they are too big to be on the paths. Because of the motors size they don't need a licence or insurance to drive. The only restriction is that the driver muct be over 16.
So now not only will we have to deal with cyclists on the sidewalks - just after this I had two people on bike cut me off on the sidewalk - but we may have a drunk old woman on a scooter who thinks it is okay to ride the sidewalks around here too.
My opinion is this:
- If it looks like a bike - whether it has power-assist or not - it is a bike and belongs on the path
- If it looks like a scooter - regardless of its power - it belongs on the road (scooters for the disabled exempt)
So here are my questions:
- Are people using these things where you live?
- Are there problems with people using them?
- What laws have been made about their use?
Lee - my not-so-happy thought of the day lol