October 3, 2025 • 39 mins
Bradley Jay fills in on NightSide
The e-bike and motorized scooter debate has been raging in Boston as we continue to see more e-bike and scooter related accidents. Residents have been complaining about the lawless behavior happening in bike lanes, on sideways and on the roadways at the hands of these motorized bikes and scooters. Do motorized vehicles belong in bike lanes?
The e-bike and motorized scooter debate has been raging in Boston as we continue to see more e-bike and scooter related accidents. Residents have been complaining about the lawless behavior happening in bike lanes, on sideways and on the roadways at the hands of these motorized bikes and scooters. Do motorized vehicles belong in bike lanes?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Night's Eye with Dan Ray, ongoing Mazy Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Here it is Nightside with Dan Ray. I'm Bradley J
for Dan. How are you? I am well? Thank you?
How many of you have seen motor scooter operators openly
and brazenly break traffic laws knowing that they will never
be gone? If we've all seen it, and it's making
me crazy, and it's not just irritating. It is deadly.
(00:26):
It is dangerous, and I'll get into some some specifics
about how deadly and dangerous, but first I want you
to share your story of what you've seen on the
roadways and in the bike lanes six, one, seven, two thirty.
How have you seen motor scooters? And we'll start with
this motor scooters, but we'll get to e bikes, some
(00:48):
of which go to fifty miles per hour, and even
e scooters which can get from zero to thirty and
three point three seconds that we see on the sidewalks.
We'll get to all that. By now I want you
to share your story, or if you don't have a story,
give me a reading from one to ten, ten being
the most irritated. How upset does this make you to
(01:09):
see a double standard in the application of laws, a
double standard and traffic laws. I'll share with you some
of the things I've seen, and again the number six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty, so you can share what you've see and
how you feel about it. All right, let's start at
Park Street, corner of Park Street, and well right there
(01:34):
by the church, right there by the T the Park
Street T station. So I'm crossing Trimont. That's it. I'm
crossing Tremon. I'm waiting to cross Tremont from the church
side to the other side. And I see there's a
red light, traffic stopped, and I see weaving its way
through the traffic, through the stopped traffic, a motor scooter
(02:00):
and then once it gets to the front below through
the red light, knowing they will never be caught. You
in your car, you sit there, obeying the rules, and
you see this, doesn't it just make you crazy? Not
only the danger it poses to you. If you hit
one of these folks, you'll be in trouble one way
(02:23):
or the other. You'll probably probably have some form of PTSD.
You could cause you financial ruin. What have you seen?
Six one, seven, two, five, four ten three Let's go
to the next irritating thing that I saw last night.
And I actually have it on video because I keep
my camera out all the time. Now now I have
(02:45):
videos of these things. This was in an area called
Gateway East in Brookline. Do you know where that is?
They recently redid it. It goes where Netta is, the
place that was a bank and now it's a weed store,
(03:05):
and there's a children the Children's hospital there and the
Brookhouse right along in there. I was getting some takeout
from Oh Maury, the Japanese restaurant up in the village,
Brookland Village, and I'm walking back down towards Route nine,
and I see a car stopped at a light, and
(03:27):
without even slowing down, a motor scooter that wanted to
go down Route nine but there was a light, went
left up Washington Street through that light and then did
a U turn on Washington Street and then went back
down and continued down Route nine. Didn't want to wait,
(03:51):
knowing nothing will happen because cities and towns don't have
the will to do anything about it. We'll go to
let's go to Brian and Peabody. Thanks for giving us
oh this is that's because if this mouse here works. Brian,
how are you? What have you seen?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Good Brad? The good hey yeah right here in Peabty. Oh.
In fact, I also wanted to mention re membery fore
the DCN days, lots of good times, thank you for
all that.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yes they were very good dance thanks.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
And in PBDY I just wanted to mention that, yeah,
the scooters, the e bikes. My daughter was getting out
of the car passenger side, stepping onto the sidewalk e
byke twenty miles an hour down the sidewalk almost ran
or over. It would have been really bad if it
hit her. And you know, my thought is, it's a
motor vehicle, right the law. You know, a motor vehicle
(04:41):
has a motor It doesn't matter if it's gas or electric,
electric cars or motor vehicles, they're classified the same, you know,
it's they need to be registered and they have to
have all the same laws applied as the motor vehicle.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, somebody was recently killed in Compley. Why do you
suppose cities and towns don't do anything.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I can't figure it out because to me, it's pretty
black and white. It's a you know, it has a motor,
and it's a vehicle that's transporting a person. It's no
different from a mophead with a little fifty cc engine
in it. It's just got an electric motor, you know.
And it should be treated the same way it should
be on the road. Should be registered, you should be licensed.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So you're right, you're talking about an e bike that
was on the sidewalk.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Yeah, the bike E bike on the sidewalk. My daughter
steps out of the car, goes to just go on
the sidewalk, and this thing's doing twenty miles an hour
down the sidewalk.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Way.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
You would go to jail for that.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Okay, Yeah, I mean she just happened to stop and
step back in time. But I mean one more step
and twenty miles per hour with a full grown teenager
or adult whoever was riding it, right, it would have
been a disaster.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
And it could be anyone's mother, anyone child.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Yeah, you're not being a vehicle going twenty miles an
hour on the sidewalk.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
And you know now that e bikes commonly can go
fifty miles an hour and some of them can carry
I believe me. I've done tremendous research on this, and
some of them can carry one hundred and twenty pounds
pound cargo as well. And yeah, no one's doing anything.
City councilor had Flynn tried to do something, and it
(06:20):
was pretty pretty draconian, but at least I loud his
understanding that something needs to be done, and I wish
the rest of the city councilors would share that awareness
and do something about it. How many people have to
be killed or impaled like happened down in Horwiz done
in a cape impaled.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, it's crazy. I was doing twenty miles an hour
on one fourteen and Pbty and there was an e
bike on the sidewalk went right by me, probably doing
twenty five thirty a trail of dust behind him. He
was going so fast on the sidewalk.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Now I get and go ahead.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah, it's just crazy, you know. I mean he was
going faster than the traffic on a state highway on
the sidewalk on any bike, yep.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And nobody cares no, And even people don't have everyone's
a cop. People are cowards. They don't even say anything.
They don't dare to say a word to these people
who are endangering, dangering their families lives.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Yeah, motorized vehicle like that should not be on the
sidewalk at the pedestrian way. It should the should be
on the road and registered.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yes, we'll get to all that. Great call, Brian, I
appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Thanks Bradley, Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
We'll get to Floyd in ohioh in a little bit
after this.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
On w b Z, it's Night Side with Dan Ray
on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Night Side with Dan Ray. Bradley J for Dan. You know,
a lot of the threats that you know we have
in our lives are abstract, they're or far away. There's
the war between Russia and Ukraine. There's the bad situation
in Gaza. It's it's all bad. It's far away. But
(08:03):
tonight we're speaking about something that is coming down your street,
right outside your house, right outside the stores you shop,
and a real danger of severe physical injury and even
death has happened in Copley Square very recently, and that
is caused by two wheel vehicles just running wild. It's
(08:28):
the wild West out there, and people are getting hurt
and for some reason, cities and towns are not doing
anything about it, or not doing enough. So not only
am I speaking to you. I'm speaking to the decision
makers in cities and towns, including Boston, to do something.
I don't know. There must be a reason you're not
Does anyone have an idea about why nothing is being done.
(08:53):
I want to hear your story about your close call
or something you've seen that really irritated you. You realize
this is just not right when it comes to motor scooters,
those forty nine cc motor scooters or e bikes which
are now going up to fifty miles an hour, and
those e bikes can go faster in a bike lane
(09:15):
then you can on the street. You know how low
in town speed limits are you go that speed limit,
they're going faster than you in a bike lane. And
citizen towns spent a lot of money and a lot
of time and used up a lot of space reconfiguring
streets to accommodate bike lanes. And we're not gonna argue
(09:38):
that at this point. That's been argued a lot. But
all that is a waste if the original intention was
to create a safe space for bicyclists and he assisted
bicycles which go below fifteen point five miles an hour,
because people are racing on them. They're used commercially for
(10:03):
delivery vehicles, which, as we mentioned, blow through lights completely
ignore traffic law, endangering you. And this is in a
state which feels public safety is important enough to have
a helmet law, to have a child seat safety law.
You know, your child has to have a federally approved
(10:26):
child seat. Oh, but it's okay to use the bike
lanes and really do nothing about the law breakers using
these bike lanes. These bike lanes are like law free lanes.
Once you get in the bike lane, there's no law
applies to you. Let me ask you this. If a
(10:49):
gas powered motor scooter can go on a bike lane,
why can't a motorcycle. You could make the case that
if they're allowed in the bike lanes that are Harley
Davidson should also be allowed in the bike what's the difference.
You could absolutely debate that there is no difference. It's
a slippery slope, a weight slope. The Holly Davidson can
(11:10):
go faster, but it's not going to go faster, you know,
as fast as it can if you're allowing the motor
scooters in there. And why not allow Triumphs and Holly
Davidson's in there. I want to know what you've seen.
What kind of crazy law breaking have you seen from
e bikes and gas powered motor scooters? Floyd in Ohio?
(11:34):
How are you doing, Floyd?
Speaker 5 (11:35):
You're on w busy Hey Rellijie. You know we used
to talk years ago when you were in the overnight shift.
I'm the disabled veteran and then we spoke in the hours. Anyway,
So you know, I'm a sixty four year old disabled veteran.
I have some physical disability, so I ride a bicycle,
(11:55):
a real biicycle or swin bicycle. I'm an old irishmen
trying to ride a bicycle. And I see these things
cruising by me. You know, I live in rural Ohio.
It's beautiful out here country roads, and I'm just out
there tooling a long and enjoying the sunshine and the
(12:16):
beautiful scenery. And I and and I can't even hear
them coming up behind me. Then I'm thinking to myself,
what is the point of even doing that. I'm out
here trying to you know, I know I'm going to
die an old man. I just don't want to die
on old fat man, you know. So I'm out there
trying to ride my bicycle, you know, and it's they're
(12:39):
all over the place. And if it's I just don't
get the point. Why spend that kind of money? And
then I guess there's they got some fire hazards now
with their batteries and stuff. They catch on fire. You know,
it's like you know, love you know, ev eavy vehicles.
Whatever issues was that going on?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Do you say anything to him? I guess you can't.
They're whipping by too fast.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
No, they went right by me. You know, I'm just
tooling a long and I mean, I'm just enjoying the scenery.
What I cruise along the river as a beautiful little river,
the Sika River and beautiful in a while, you know,
and I you know, I'm enjoying my day and they're
just cruising by. Said, why what is the point of
having something like that? Mabe? Not doing it for exercise?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Would you say that they pose a hazard to you,
that they're danger to.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
You, especially when I can't hear them coming up from
behind me right, you know, right? Or you know they
I mean, they whiz right by me. And then of
course I feel a little, a little you know, protured,
because I'm thinking wait a minute. I'm cruising along pretty
good as a sixty four year old man, disable veteran
on my bicycle and this dude, you know, just whizzing
(13:55):
right by on that bicycle thing or whatever it is.
Let me. I never I never got the point of that.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Are you losing any weight?
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Yeah, oh yeah, I lost. Yeah. I wanted. I wanted
to get back down to my fight. And with one
hundred and eighty five pounds and I'm one hundred and
eighty six now I was, I was like one hundred
and nineties. So I lost my weight riding my bicycle.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
So you're not you know, you're not fat. You may
be irish, but you're not fat.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Yeah, but I tried.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
I try to get out, you know it. You know,
it's been pretty dry and arounding in oiouse. I try
to do about fifteen miles a day when I get
it out.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Oh that's fantastic. Good for you. Well, I hope, I
hope none of those vehicles hit you and take you out,
That's what I hope.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Well, you know, I got all the flashing lights where
the yellow you know, jerseys and stuff like that. I
got my homeot on, you know, you know, actually I
look for damn cool driving thing, but I just never
got the point.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Of that right. Well, you know, I got a squeeze
another calling before the break, and I appreciate your call,
and thanks for referencing back in the day too, because
of course I remember Floyd. Okay, thanks Floyd. We have
Gina and Watertown next Gina. What have you seen on
those highways? I mean on those on the streets, not
the highways.
Speaker 7 (15:15):
Yes, the worst.
Speaker 8 (15:18):
I live on Arsenal Street and I brought my granddaughter
out to learn to ride or bike. Now they extended
the sidewalks and there's bike lanes like on on the
side on the sidewalks, so it's like split in half.
(15:40):
You got a two year old Chinas do a little
bike and come wids and Bay is one of those
bikes going like fifty miles an hour. They go well,
no what they go south, they go back and forth
and it's just the worst out there.
Speaker 7 (16:00):
Wanted down.
Speaker 8 (16:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I got an email today from someone who said that
he was afraid to take his daughter out on the sidewalk,
to even walk down the sidewalk. Now that's that is
not right. I will say. I gotta I have to
say that with this rush to bike lanes which are
now being improperly used, that the pedestrians have been thrown
(16:27):
under the bus so to speak, or should I say,
thrown under the e bike, and it is really dangerous
out there. He has another way that it's super dangerous
for pedestrians. Say, now, when you cross a street, a
busy street, you wait for the walk sign, which is
(16:48):
based on the stop sign for the traffic, and you know,
you see the walk sign and you do check. But still,
when gas powered motor scooters are using bike lanes to
blow through lights, when e bikes are using bike lanes
to blow through lights, and even if they're not in
the bike lanes, they're blowing through the lights and you're
you have the light, you're trying to just walk across
(17:12):
the street and survive. It's very dangerous and I'm I'm
really beside myself with frustration not my town doesn't do
anything about it. And I wonder if there's some agenda
that I'm unaware of what's going on, because, as I say,
(17:34):
in a state that is demonstratvely demonstratively cares about public safety,
they don't care about this. What's going on?
Speaker 7 (17:42):
Does anybody have you never hear it on the TV?
You never hear anything about it. I mean it was
an accident, you know, with one you never ever hear it.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Well, Gina, thank you very much. Now, well let's talk
to David in San Francisco.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
Hi, David, this is David from San Francisco, and I'm
just calling in to say I really don't have any
input on what you're talking about, but I just want
to tell you, Bradley that that show you did on
August twenty six city in for Dan Ray was the
best show I think you've ever done. It's the one
(18:17):
you had the Canada Soctor and you had Mark Mothers.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Ball guy from Demo. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (18:25):
And I tell you I've heard probably two hundred year
shows and that was the best one I ever heard.
I was just really impressed with it and I'll never
forget it. And I'm just calling to say hello, and well,
well I have you here.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I know that you know years ago you had a
stroke and you've been in recovery for a long time.
How is your health are you? Are you getting along
all right?
Speaker 6 (18:47):
I'm going out for a walk with a lady from
a Little Brothers friends of the elderly every Saturday and
she's she's just been great. And one more thing before
I go again. My number one all time tune is
walking in the Rain by Flashing the Pan.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I love that song.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
And you worked at Friday's, right, Yeah, yes.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I did. I worked at TGI Fridays on Exeter Street,
the corner of Newbury and Exeter. It was a really
great place to work.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
I was a waiter the very first Fridays in New
York sixty second Street and First Avenue, and uh yeah,
I started actually at Tuesdays on the seventeenth and third,
but I worked at Fridays for a couple of weeks
and U and that was the very first one had
the U the sawdust and peanut shells on the floor
(19:43):
and h yeah, that was a trip. So Bradley, good
to hear from you, man, And I'm doing pretty good.
I'm coming back.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Well, be careful, don't get hit by If you get
hit by one of these vehicles we're talking about, it's yeah,
you know, if you get a broken hip or something
from getting hit by one of these, it's it's you know,
yeah on.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
The sidewalk and all right, and we'll be careful. I
got for you.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Okay, really quick, then gotta go.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
What happens when you don't play your exercist?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I give up?
Speaker 6 (20:20):
You get repossessed.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Oh good, thank god? All right, thank you, David. I
appreciate it. Good call from David. Thank you. So coming up,
we're going to stay with this. I'm going to read
to you a letter that I am composing to the
Boston Globe. It'll either be a letter to the editor
or an op in, it depends on the link. And
I'll also share what I learned about writing a letter
(20:43):
to the editor. And I have a friend that writes
for the Globe, Emily Sweeney, and I sent this to
her and said, what do you think? And she gave
me some specifics about how a letter or op edit
has to be formatic actually in terms of length. I'll
share that with you because I would love it if
(21:04):
you would start writing letters to your newspaper on this topic.
I would love it if you would call your lawmaker,
your decision makers in your city or town. Please, let's
do something. This is a a real danger right outside
your door. All right, let's continue after this on WBZ
(21:25):
It's Night Side.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
On wb Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Let's go right to Daryl in Canada. I believe we're
talking about the dangers posed by a lack of regulation
of two wheel vehicles, including the new really fast e
bikes and including motus cooters which are increasingly used to
deliver food and decreasingly in forced as far as following
the rules. So Darryl, here we go. You're on WBZ, Daryl.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
High, Hey Bradley, how you doing. I am well, A
great topic and referenced David. I still remember that Devo
interview as well.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Thanks. You know, let me tell you about that. It's
my impression that Mark Mothersbou of Devo was somebody that
could be crabby if you if he sensed you didn't
know what Divo was really all about. So I don't
know if you noticed in an interview I've made I
kept it tight and.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
It was de evolution.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, yes, and I kept it wasn't I don't get
any points for having a long interview. I wanted to
just bang, bang, bang bang. It might have been seventeen minutes,
but I enjoyed it, and I think he appreciated that
I knew what was up.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
But it was also it was also informative and entertaining
as well.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Right, absolutely, So what are you saying on this on
the streets when it comes to these two wheel vehicles.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Well, I've got a whole bunch of it, even right
next to my property and cameras people doing wheelies and whatnot,
dangerous driving. But when you're actually in the bigger cities,
when you have you guys have bike trails as well,
and they cross main roads. Yeah, I'm assuming.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
People just jets know they actually I don't know if
they cross. There's a bike lane on either side. Generally,
at least in my neighborhood. It's configured differently in different areas,
so I can't, just for the sake of being accurate
the lanes, I don't think they cross.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
I can't, Okay, think of what we have here is
a bike lanes and running paths, and they go across
a main road where people that are doing the biking
on the path should stop to wait for traffic for
cars to stop. A lot of them just jet right
(23:57):
out and it causes people to have to hammer on
their breaks all this stuff as well.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Right, Yes, it's a real menace. It's clear, I don't
clear and present may not be the phrase to use.
But it's a real danger and there are some there
are so many other things that are so much smaller,
they get so much more attention. I'm shocked. There must
be some factors that I'm not understanding as why why
(24:25):
these people are protected. I don't get it.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Well, what I was calling about is when you're drafting
a letter to your lawmakers. Yeah, if you want to
mention this aspect as well. You know about people not
they think they have the right of way.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Do they think they have the right of way, or
they know they don't have the right of way and
they don't care and they're just aggressive and arrogant.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
You just said it so, and let me make.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Folks, I'm not talking at all here about bicycle riders
either way, regular bicycles, I'm not talking about them at all.
That conversation has been had. I've moved on to motorized
vehicles or motorcycles. You know, a an e bike is
a is a motor cycle. It's a cycle with a
(25:16):
motor it's a motorcycle. It's an electric motorcycle. And did
you know that they just tack those pedals on there
to make them legal in bike lanes? How do I
know this because I do my research and I went
to an e bike sales shop and asked them a
bunch of questions, asked them about how fast they go,
and I was told, yeah, they just stick those pedals
(25:41):
on there, so they're legal in bike lanes. And these
bikes are so big and so heavy, there's no way
you're pedaling them. It's just a loophole and it needs
to be closed.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Well, here's another question for you. Then they have the
acceleration and the capability of getting higher speeds a lot quicker,
but they have no sound as well.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
That's right, that's correct. There's no warning they're coming up
behind you. So if you if you're walking and then
you abruptly turn to go into a store turned across
the road, that's it for you.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Hey, it keeps lawyers in work, right.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Yeah, so fast? I just this is from AI Overview.
That's the source. Believe it or not. The fastest commercially
available e bikes such as I'm not going to use
the brand, can reach over seventy miles an hour. But
these are extremely powerful machines not suited for standard road
juice or novice riders. But the point is now they
(26:43):
have them to go seventy miles an hour. I commonly
see fifty miles an hour. And what is the speed limit?
What is the speed limit on the roads in cities
and towns twenty miles an hour? Twenty five and they're
going faster than that in bike lanes with these Thanks
for some.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Other question patient you can put in? Is you mentioned
forty nine cc and in Canada you do not need
a license forty nine cc in under exactly the going
to the E aspect? Should you not have a license
if it exceeds a certain speed.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Link registration, the whole thing. And wait, you know, I
think the weight counts too, Darryl, thanks for the great call.
Appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Hey, keep up the good work.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Thank you. Okay, Dave and Woolburn local guy.
Speaker 9 (27:31):
Hi Dave, Hi, thanks for taking my call. Sure, so,
I actually own numerous mopeds and a couple of scooters.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
And when you say scooters, do you mean the forty
nine scooters?
Speaker 9 (27:48):
That's correct, Okay, I'm more into the vintage ones, but
minor registered. I followed the law. The laws all exist.
This is not a law problem, it's quickly an enforcement problem.
In order to be a legal mop head and use
(28:09):
the bike lane. You have to. It has to have
a capability of no more than thirty miles an hour.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Thirty miles an I was way too high. That's way
too high.
Speaker 9 (28:19):
Well, that's the capability, okay. And then that same law
says the actual speed that you must obey is twenty
five and it's in the books m Jail ninety point one.
It's it's just not enforced. They don't, you know, I
don't know why. You know, there are there's a large
(28:41):
community of people that collect and ride these vehicles and
follow the law, and you know, we want to see it.
You know, the law, you know enforced just like you do.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
All right, let me ask you this, as a law
abiding two wheel vehicle operator, would be your guess as
to of riders of let's say the forty nine cc
scooters that obey the law, that really are conscientious and
a bag of law sev Maybe.
Speaker 9 (29:16):
I would say about fifty to fifty.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Fifty to fifty half depends what half of them about
what you are, half of them are blown through signs.
Half Well, I rest my case.
Speaker 9 (29:29):
To go into the city. It gets worse as you
go into the city. In the suburbs in the suburbs,
probably more like seventy five twenty five. You get into
Boston and it's completely out of control, and it's just enforcement.
Now recently they've started to enforce at least the plate.
(29:51):
You know what it's it's not really a plate. It's
more like it's a plate, but it's really the same
law applies as once a sticker.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
So it was my understanding under forty under forty nine
ccs you do not need to register register the thing.
Speaker 9 (30:07):
Correct, Well, that's no, that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
What is the case?
Speaker 3 (30:12):
All right?
Speaker 9 (30:13):
So forty nine cc and under is can if if
it can do no more than thirty and if it
has a fully automatic transmission, and if it passes DOT
standards you know, for lighting and et cetera, then and
only then can it be used on the roads. And
(30:33):
it has to as I said, go no more than thirty.
You can ride it at twenty five, and you need
a they call it a registration. It's a plate. It's
uh forty dollars for two years. You don't need insurance, and.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You, by the way, you should need insurance.
Speaker 9 (30:54):
Well you don't under the current law. But once it
once it can go faster than that. It's not a mophead.
It's either an luv or a motorcycle, and it has
a completely different set of rules. The problem is, you
know a few people follow the rules, and as you said,
(31:17):
you know when you get into the you know, into
the city, they're just ignoring everything. I mean, no matter
what it is, be it an ee bike, a moped, whatever.
If you're going twenty miles an hour with the speed limit,
you're going twenty miles an hour over the speed limit
and you need to be stopped. But they're not doing it.
(31:37):
And that's that's the problem. They're not People are riding
around with no helmet and they're not stopping them. The
laws are there. You don't need to go to the legislature.
All the laws are in place. It's just a matter
of why the police aren't enforcing it.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Ask them.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Okay, so I've looked it up here and yes, a
forty nine cc scooter needs to be registered as a moped,
a moped that isn't dated phrase in Massachusetts, just as
you say, it requires a bill of sale on a
registration sticker, not a traditional license plate. So is there
(32:14):
is there a plate on it that if you blow
through steps on an enforcement officer could see and you know,
get the plate number? Is it? Is it just a
little sticker sticker on it? What is it?
Speaker 9 (32:28):
They changed that recently a couple of years ago, and
they it's got the same size license plate as a motorcycle.
It says moped. But it's clearly visible, you know, it's
it's the same size as the motorcycle. And it's supposed
to be displayed the same way. So yes, they can
see it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Good.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
You either have it or you don't.
Speaker 9 (32:51):
Yeah, And and but the thing is that all you know,
all these complaints coming from all these people are valid
because so.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
As you say, it's all about importance, it's enforcing them.
It's enforcement.
Speaker 9 (33:04):
It's totally enforcement.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
So how many folks, how many folks actually get the
things registered?
Speaker 9 (33:14):
Again, depends on where you are, I mean where I
live in the suburbs, I'd say a good three quarters.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
So one quarter don't even register.
Speaker 9 (33:22):
Them, correct, and because they they know nobody stopping them.
And as I said, in the city, it's completely out
of control. And it's not even the registration part, I mean,
just totally totally ignoring all laws. And a lot of
it isn't even footers and mopeds. A lot of it
(33:43):
is you know, they're on dirt bikes, quads, trikes, you
name it, right and just out there. You know, you
know we're totally ignoring laws.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
All right, Thanks Dave. I appreciate a great call. Did
I break, Rob? Do I need to break again?
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Okay, I have a few minutes left, and after this break,
I'm going to read the letter that I have composed
and not yet sent to the Boston Globe. It's it's
the thing is, it's too long to be a letter
to the editor and too short to be an opinion piece,
so I have to make it longer. But I'll read
(34:23):
you what I have after this on WBZ.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
All right, let me read you this work in progress
that I want to send to the Globe. Maybe it,
I mean, it may be redundant. Others may have sent
like letters, so we'll see. I'll actually read you an
opinion piece after this that was in the Globe and
follow up to them. But here's mine. Stop the insanity.
Recently a person was killed by an e bike and
(34:54):
copy square. Now someone has been impaled by an e
bike on the Cape. Contact your legislators and decision makers
now to demand regulation and enforcement regarding these motor vehicles,
gas powered motor scooters, e bikes, and I want to
include the electric stand up scooters that have become a
public safety nightmare as an aside, These scooters go on
(35:17):
the sidewalks and they're a menace as well. Now back
to the letter this in three parts gas powered motor scooters.
While Boston City Councilor Flynn's propos of the band gas
powered motor scooters for food delivery was extreme, O law
is understanding that the lack of registration, and even though
registrations required for the forty nine ccis, as a caller
(35:40):
pointed out, many of them are not and they all
need to be. Regulation and enforcement of ordinances pertaining to
the gas powered motor scooters represents a serious hazard to
public safety. Many operators of these unregistered vehicles boldly flout
traffic laws, knowing there will never be consequences, endangering bicyclists
(36:01):
and pedestrians. Yesterday I watched a gas powered scooter speeding
the wrong way in a bike lane, the wrong way
in a bike lane, doing a wheelie If a law
abiding motorists hits a skyfly motor scooter operator, the motorists
may suffer emotional scars and perhaps even a financial catastrophe.
(36:21):
We've all seen these vehicles operated in an aggressively dangerous manner,
and it's time for it to stop. New generation e bikes.
Many new e bikes are actually electric powered motorcycles. I
was told that an e bike dealership that pedals are
only attached so they will be legal in bike lanes
as an assent on some of these on the fast
(36:43):
or heavier ones, this legal loophole must be closed. In
these e bikes, some can travel forty to fifty five
forty or fifty miles per hour, must be kept out
of bike lanes and on off sidewalks. Electric stand up scooters.
All powered vehicles must be kept off sidewalk, including electric
stand up scooters. The Cabo Wolfking GTR, for example, is
(37:05):
a high performance scooter noted for its rapid acceleration with
a zero to thirty time of around three point three seconds.
And these are around sidewalks and the ability to reach
high speeds sidewalks. They have to remain safe spaces. Pedestrians
are getting thrown under the bus in their rush for
bike lanes. Pedestrians are suffering and getting injured, and it's
(37:30):
not the bicycles that they're doing, it's the misuse of
the bike lanes by powered vehicles. Some of this is
an aside and not included in the litter action. To
its credit, Massachusetts is a state that demonstrably cares about
public safety. It is imperative that legislation be enacted and
the force that will require all the all such vehicles
(37:51):
to be registered and regulated, including gas powered motor scooters,
e bikes, and electric stand up scooters. Contact your state
of your town representatives and demand they take actions. We
should not have to fear walking down the sidewalk or
crossing the street, and I do now. I love to walk.
It's my pleasure, it's my thing, it's my pastime, it's
(38:15):
my health activity. And now it is more dangerous. It's
probably more dangerous than driving on Route once twenty eight,
way more dangerous than flying. It's the most dangerous thing
I do walking down the street, crossing the road. The
most dangerous thing I do not because of automobiles, not
(38:35):
because of regular bicycles, but because of powered two wheel
vehicles and because of my community's lack of commitment to
do anything about it. So you going to cvs or stores,
you start to see some Halloween decorations, and the next
hour is all about Halloween stuff, including what you think
(38:59):
I'm gonna take a little, Oh, your favorite Halloween movie.
We'll talk Halloween movies, but other stuff related to Halloween.
So think about that and we'll continue after this on
WBZ News Radio ten thirty
It's Night's Eye with Dan Ray, ongoing Mazy Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Here it is Nightside with Dan Ray. I'm Bradley J
for Dan. How are you? I am well? Thank you?
How many of you have seen motor scooter operators openly
and brazenly break traffic laws knowing that they will never
be gone? If we've all seen it, and it's making
me crazy, and it's not just irritating. It is deadly.
(00:26):
It is dangerous, and I'll get into some some specifics
about how deadly and dangerous, but first I want you
to share your story of what you've seen on the
roadways and in the bike lanes six, one, seven, two thirty.
How have you seen motor scooters? And we'll start with
this motor scooters, but we'll get to e bikes, some
(00:48):
of which go to fifty miles per hour, and even
e scooters which can get from zero to thirty and
three point three seconds that we see on the sidewalks.
We'll get to all that. By now I want you
to share your story, or if you don't have a story,
give me a reading from one to ten, ten being
the most irritated. How upset does this make you to
(01:09):
see a double standard in the application of laws, a
double standard and traffic laws. I'll share with you some
of the things I've seen, and again the number six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty, so you can share what you've see and
how you feel about it. All right, let's start at
Park Street, corner of Park Street, and well right there
(01:34):
by the church, right there by the T the Park
Street T station. So I'm crossing Trimont. That's it. I'm
crossing Tremon. I'm waiting to cross Tremont from the church
side to the other side. And I see there's a
red light, traffic stopped, and I see weaving its way
through the traffic, through the stopped traffic, a motor scooter
(02:00):
and then once it gets to the front below through
the red light, knowing they will never be caught. You
in your car, you sit there, obeying the rules, and
you see this, doesn't it just make you crazy? Not
only the danger it poses to you. If you hit
one of these folks, you'll be in trouble one way
(02:23):
or the other. You'll probably probably have some form of PTSD.
You could cause you financial ruin. What have you seen?
Six one, seven, two, five, four ten three Let's go
to the next irritating thing that I saw last night.
And I actually have it on video because I keep
my camera out all the time. Now now I have
(02:45):
videos of these things. This was in an area called
Gateway East in Brookline. Do you know where that is?
They recently redid it. It goes where Netta is, the
place that was a bank and now it's a weed store,
(03:05):
and there's a children the Children's hospital there and the
Brookhouse right along in there. I was getting some takeout
from Oh Maury, the Japanese restaurant up in the village,
Brookland Village, and I'm walking back down towards Route nine,
and I see a car stopped at a light, and
(03:27):
without even slowing down, a motor scooter that wanted to
go down Route nine but there was a light, went
left up Washington Street through that light and then did
a U turn on Washington Street and then went back
down and continued down Route nine. Didn't want to wait,
(03:51):
knowing nothing will happen because cities and towns don't have
the will to do anything about it. We'll go to
let's go to Brian and Peabody. Thanks for giving us
oh this is that's because if this mouse here works. Brian,
how are you? What have you seen?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Good Brad? The good hey yeah right here in Peabty. Oh.
In fact, I also wanted to mention re membery fore
the DCN days, lots of good times, thank you for
all that.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yes they were very good dance thanks.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
And in PBDY I just wanted to mention that, yeah,
the scooters, the e bikes. My daughter was getting out
of the car passenger side, stepping onto the sidewalk e
byke twenty miles an hour down the sidewalk almost ran
or over. It would have been really bad if it
hit her. And you know, my thought is, it's a
motor vehicle, right the law. You know, a motor vehicle
(04:41):
has a motor It doesn't matter if it's gas or electric,
electric cars or motor vehicles, they're classified the same, you know,
it's they need to be registered and they have to
have all the same laws applied as the motor vehicle.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, somebody was recently killed in Compley. Why do you
suppose cities and towns don't do anything.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I can't figure it out because to me, it's pretty
black and white. It's a you know, it has a motor,
and it's a vehicle that's transporting a person. It's no
different from a mophead with a little fifty cc engine
in it. It's just got an electric motor, you know.
And it should be treated the same way it should
be on the road. Should be registered, you should be licensed.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So you're right, you're talking about an e bike that
was on the sidewalk.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Yeah, the bike E bike on the sidewalk. My daughter
steps out of the car, goes to just go on
the sidewalk, and this thing's doing twenty miles an hour
down the sidewalk.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Way.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
You would go to jail for that.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Okay, Yeah, I mean she just happened to stop and
step back in time. But I mean one more step
and twenty miles per hour with a full grown teenager
or adult whoever was riding it, right, it would have
been a disaster.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
And it could be anyone's mother, anyone child.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Yeah, you're not being a vehicle going twenty miles an
hour on the sidewalk.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
And you know now that e bikes commonly can go
fifty miles an hour and some of them can carry
I believe me. I've done tremendous research on this, and
some of them can carry one hundred and twenty pounds
pound cargo as well. And yeah, no one's doing anything.
City councilor had Flynn tried to do something, and it
(06:20):
was pretty pretty draconian, but at least I loud his
understanding that something needs to be done, and I wish
the rest of the city councilors would share that awareness
and do something about it. How many people have to
be killed or impaled like happened down in Horwiz done
in a cape impaled.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, it's crazy. I was doing twenty miles an hour
on one fourteen and Pbty and there was an e
bike on the sidewalk went right by me, probably doing
twenty five thirty a trail of dust behind him. He
was going so fast on the sidewalk.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Now I get and go ahead.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah, it's just crazy, you know. I mean he was
going faster than the traffic on a state highway on
the sidewalk on any bike, yep.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And nobody cares no, And even people don't have everyone's
a cop. People are cowards. They don't even say anything.
They don't dare to say a word to these people
who are endangering, dangering their families lives.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Yeah, motorized vehicle like that should not be on the
sidewalk at the pedestrian way. It should the should be
on the road and registered.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yes, we'll get to all that. Great call, Brian, I
appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Thanks Bradley, Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
We'll get to Floyd in ohioh in a little bit
after this.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
On w b Z, it's Night Side with Dan Ray
on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Night Side with Dan Ray. Bradley J for Dan. You know,
a lot of the threats that you know we have
in our lives are abstract, they're or far away. There's
the war between Russia and Ukraine. There's the bad situation
in Gaza. It's it's all bad. It's far away. But
(08:03):
tonight we're speaking about something that is coming down your street,
right outside your house, right outside the stores you shop,
and a real danger of severe physical injury and even
death has happened in Copley Square very recently, and that
is caused by two wheel vehicles just running wild. It's
(08:28):
the wild West out there, and people are getting hurt
and for some reason, cities and towns are not doing
anything about it, or not doing enough. So not only
am I speaking to you. I'm speaking to the decision
makers in cities and towns, including Boston, to do something.
I don't know. There must be a reason you're not
Does anyone have an idea about why nothing is being done.
(08:53):
I want to hear your story about your close call
or something you've seen that really irritated you. You realize
this is just not right when it comes to motor scooters,
those forty nine cc motor scooters or e bikes which
are now going up to fifty miles an hour, and
those e bikes can go faster in a bike lane
(09:15):
then you can on the street. You know how low
in town speed limits are you go that speed limit,
they're going faster than you in a bike lane. And
citizen towns spent a lot of money and a lot
of time and used up a lot of space reconfiguring
streets to accommodate bike lanes. And we're not gonna argue
(09:38):
that at this point. That's been argued a lot. But
all that is a waste if the original intention was
to create a safe space for bicyclists and he assisted
bicycles which go below fifteen point five miles an hour,
because people are racing on them. They're used commercially for
(10:03):
delivery vehicles, which, as we mentioned, blow through lights completely
ignore traffic law, endangering you. And this is in a
state which feels public safety is important enough to have
a helmet law, to have a child seat safety law.
You know, your child has to have a federally approved
(10:26):
child seat. Oh, but it's okay to use the bike
lanes and really do nothing about the law breakers using
these bike lanes. These bike lanes are like law free lanes.
Once you get in the bike lane, there's no law
applies to you. Let me ask you this. If a
(10:49):
gas powered motor scooter can go on a bike lane,
why can't a motorcycle. You could make the case that
if they're allowed in the bike lanes that are Harley
Davidson should also be allowed in the bike what's the difference.
You could absolutely debate that there is no difference. It's
a slippery slope, a weight slope. The Holly Davidson can
(11:10):
go faster, but it's not going to go faster, you know,
as fast as it can if you're allowing the motor
scooters in there. And why not allow Triumphs and Holly
Davidson's in there. I want to know what you've seen.
What kind of crazy law breaking have you seen from
e bikes and gas powered motor scooters? Floyd in Ohio?
(11:34):
How are you doing, Floyd?
Speaker 5 (11:35):
You're on w busy Hey Rellijie. You know we used
to talk years ago when you were in the overnight shift.
I'm the disabled veteran and then we spoke in the hours. Anyway,
So you know, I'm a sixty four year old disabled veteran.
I have some physical disability, so I ride a bicycle,
(11:55):
a real biicycle or swin bicycle. I'm an old irishmen
trying to ride a bicycle. And I see these things
cruising by me. You know, I live in rural Ohio.
It's beautiful out here country roads, and I'm just out
there tooling a long and enjoying the sunshine and the
(12:16):
beautiful scenery. And I and and I can't even hear
them coming up behind me. Then I'm thinking to myself,
what is the point of even doing that. I'm out
here trying to you know, I know I'm going to
die an old man. I just don't want to die
on old fat man, you know. So I'm out there
trying to ride my bicycle, you know, and it's they're
(12:39):
all over the place. And if it's I just don't
get the point. Why spend that kind of money? And
then I guess there's they got some fire hazards now
with their batteries and stuff. They catch on fire. You know,
it's like you know, love you know, ev eavy vehicles.
Whatever issues was that going on?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Do you say anything to him? I guess you can't.
They're whipping by too fast.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
No, they went right by me. You know, I'm just
tooling a long and I mean, I'm just enjoying the scenery.
What I cruise along the river as a beautiful little river,
the Sika River and beautiful in a while, you know,
and I you know, I'm enjoying my day and they're
just cruising by. Said, why what is the point of
having something like that? Mabe? Not doing it for exercise?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Would you say that they pose a hazard to you,
that they're danger to.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
You, especially when I can't hear them coming up from
behind me right, you know, right? Or you know they
I mean, they whiz right by me. And then of
course I feel a little, a little you know, protured,
because I'm thinking wait a minute. I'm cruising along pretty
good as a sixty four year old man, disable veteran
on my bicycle and this dude, you know, just whizzing
(13:55):
right by on that bicycle thing or whatever it is.
Let me. I never I never got the point of that.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Are you losing any weight?
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Yeah, oh yeah, I lost. Yeah. I wanted. I wanted
to get back down to my fight. And with one
hundred and eighty five pounds and I'm one hundred and
eighty six now I was, I was like one hundred
and nineties. So I lost my weight riding my bicycle.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
So you're not you know, you're not fat. You may
be irish, but you're not fat.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Yeah, but I tried.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
I try to get out, you know it. You know,
it's been pretty dry and arounding in oiouse. I try
to do about fifteen miles a day when I get
it out.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Oh that's fantastic. Good for you. Well, I hope, I
hope none of those vehicles hit you and take you out,
That's what I hope.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Well, you know, I got all the flashing lights where
the yellow you know, jerseys and stuff like that. I
got my homeot on, you know, you know, actually I
look for damn cool driving thing, but I just never
got the point.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Of that right. Well, you know, I got a squeeze
another calling before the break, and I appreciate your call,
and thanks for referencing back in the day too, because
of course I remember Floyd. Okay, thanks Floyd. We have
Gina and Watertown next Gina. What have you seen on
those highways? I mean on those on the streets, not
the highways.
Speaker 7 (15:15):
Yes, the worst.
Speaker 8 (15:18):
I live on Arsenal Street and I brought my granddaughter
out to learn to ride or bike. Now they extended
the sidewalks and there's bike lanes like on on the
side on the sidewalks, so it's like split in half.
(15:40):
You got a two year old Chinas do a little
bike and come wids and Bay is one of those
bikes going like fifty miles an hour. They go well,
no what they go south, they go back and forth
and it's just the worst out there.
Speaker 7 (16:00):
Wanted down.
Speaker 8 (16:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I got an email today from someone who said that
he was afraid to take his daughter out on the sidewalk,
to even walk down the sidewalk. Now that's that is
not right. I will say. I gotta I have to
say that with this rush to bike lanes which are
now being improperly used, that the pedestrians have been thrown
(16:27):
under the bus so to speak, or should I say,
thrown under the e bike, and it is really dangerous
out there. He has another way that it's super dangerous
for pedestrians. Say, now, when you cross a street, a
busy street, you wait for the walk sign, which is
(16:48):
based on the stop sign for the traffic, and you know,
you see the walk sign and you do check. But still,
when gas powered motor scooters are using bike lanes to
blow through lights, when e bikes are using bike lanes
to blow through lights, and even if they're not in
the bike lanes, they're blowing through the lights and you're
you have the light, you're trying to just walk across
(17:12):
the street and survive. It's very dangerous and I'm I'm
really beside myself with frustration not my town doesn't do
anything about it. And I wonder if there's some agenda
that I'm unaware of what's going on, because, as I say,
(17:34):
in a state that is demonstratvely demonstratively cares about public safety,
they don't care about this. What's going on?
Speaker 7 (17:42):
Does anybody have you never hear it on the TV?
You never hear anything about it. I mean it was
an accident, you know, with one you never ever hear it.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Well, Gina, thank you very much. Now, well let's talk
to David in San Francisco.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
Hi, David, this is David from San Francisco, and I'm
just calling in to say I really don't have any
input on what you're talking about, but I just want
to tell you, Bradley that that show you did on
August twenty six city in for Dan Ray was the
best show I think you've ever done. It's the one
(18:17):
you had the Canada Soctor and you had Mark Mothers.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Ball guy from Demo. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (18:25):
And I tell you I've heard probably two hundred year
shows and that was the best one I ever heard.
I was just really impressed with it and I'll never
forget it. And I'm just calling to say hello, and well,
well I have you here.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I know that you know years ago you had a
stroke and you've been in recovery for a long time.
How is your health are you? Are you getting along
all right?
Speaker 6 (18:47):
I'm going out for a walk with a lady from
a Little Brothers friends of the elderly every Saturday and
she's she's just been great. And one more thing before
I go again. My number one all time tune is
walking in the Rain by Flashing the Pan.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I love that song.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
And you worked at Friday's, right, Yeah, yes.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I did. I worked at TGI Fridays on Exeter Street,
the corner of Newbury and Exeter. It was a really
great place to work.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
I was a waiter the very first Fridays in New
York sixty second Street and First Avenue, and uh yeah,
I started actually at Tuesdays on the seventeenth and third,
but I worked at Fridays for a couple of weeks
and U and that was the very first one had
the U the sawdust and peanut shells on the floor
(19:43):
and h yeah, that was a trip. So Bradley, good
to hear from you, man, And I'm doing pretty good.
I'm coming back.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Well, be careful, don't get hit by If you get
hit by one of these vehicles we're talking about, it's yeah,
you know, if you get a broken hip or something
from getting hit by one of these, it's it's you know,
yeah on.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
The sidewalk and all right, and we'll be careful. I
got for you.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Okay, really quick, then gotta go.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
What happens when you don't play your exercist?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I give up?
Speaker 6 (20:20):
You get repossessed.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Oh good, thank god? All right, thank you, David. I
appreciate it. Good call from David. Thank you. So coming up,
we're going to stay with this. I'm going to read
to you a letter that I am composing to the
Boston Globe. It'll either be a letter to the editor
or an op in, it depends on the link. And
I'll also share what I learned about writing a letter
(20:43):
to the editor. And I have a friend that writes
for the Globe, Emily Sweeney, and I sent this to
her and said, what do you think? And she gave
me some specifics about how a letter or op edit
has to be formatic actually in terms of length. I'll
share that with you because I would love it if
(21:04):
you would start writing letters to your newspaper on this topic.
I would love it if you would call your lawmaker,
your decision makers in your city or town. Please, let's
do something. This is a a real danger right outside
your door. All right, let's continue after this on WBZ
(21:25):
It's Night Side.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
On wb Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Let's go right to Daryl in Canada. I believe we're
talking about the dangers posed by a lack of regulation
of two wheel vehicles, including the new really fast e
bikes and including motus cooters which are increasingly used to
deliver food and decreasingly in forced as far as following
the rules. So Darryl, here we go. You're on WBZ, Daryl.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
High, Hey Bradley, how you doing. I am well, A
great topic and referenced David. I still remember that Devo
interview as well.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Thanks. You know, let me tell you about that. It's
my impression that Mark Mothersbou of Devo was somebody that
could be crabby if you if he sensed you didn't
know what Divo was really all about. So I don't
know if you noticed in an interview I've made I
kept it tight and.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
It was de evolution.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, yes, and I kept it wasn't I don't get
any points for having a long interview. I wanted to
just bang, bang, bang bang. It might have been seventeen minutes,
but I enjoyed it, and I think he appreciated that
I knew what was up.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
But it was also it was also informative and entertaining
as well.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Right, absolutely, So what are you saying on this on
the streets when it comes to these two wheel vehicles.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Well, I've got a whole bunch of it, even right
next to my property and cameras people doing wheelies and whatnot,
dangerous driving. But when you're actually in the bigger cities,
when you have you guys have bike trails as well,
and they cross main roads. Yeah, I'm assuming.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
People just jets know they actually I don't know if
they cross. There's a bike lane on either side. Generally,
at least in my neighborhood. It's configured differently in different areas,
so I can't, just for the sake of being accurate
the lanes, I don't think they cross.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
I can't, Okay, think of what we have here is
a bike lanes and running paths, and they go across
a main road where people that are doing the biking
on the path should stop to wait for traffic for
cars to stop. A lot of them just jet right
(23:57):
out and it causes people to have to hammer on
their breaks all this stuff as well.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Right, Yes, it's a real menace. It's clear, I don't
clear and present may not be the phrase to use.
But it's a real danger and there are some there
are so many other things that are so much smaller,
they get so much more attention. I'm shocked. There must
be some factors that I'm not understanding as why why
(24:25):
these people are protected. I don't get it.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Well, what I was calling about is when you're drafting
a letter to your lawmakers. Yeah, if you want to
mention this aspect as well. You know about people not
they think they have the right of way.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Do they think they have the right of way, or
they know they don't have the right of way and
they don't care and they're just aggressive and arrogant.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
You just said it so, and let me make.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Folks, I'm not talking at all here about bicycle riders
either way, regular bicycles, I'm not talking about them at all.
That conversation has been had. I've moved on to motorized
vehicles or motorcycles. You know, a an e bike is
a is a motor cycle. It's a cycle with a
(25:16):
motor it's a motorcycle. It's an electric motorcycle. And did
you know that they just tack those pedals on there
to make them legal in bike lanes? How do I
know this because I do my research and I went
to an e bike sales shop and asked them a
bunch of questions, asked them about how fast they go,
and I was told, yeah, they just stick those pedals
(25:41):
on there, so they're legal in bike lanes. And these
bikes are so big and so heavy, there's no way
you're pedaling them. It's just a loophole and it needs
to be closed.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Well, here's another question for you. Then they have the
acceleration and the capability of getting higher speeds a lot quicker,
but they have no sound as well.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
That's right, that's correct. There's no warning they're coming up
behind you. So if you if you're walking and then
you abruptly turn to go into a store turned across
the road, that's it for you.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Hey, it keeps lawyers in work, right.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Yeah, so fast? I just this is from AI Overview.
That's the source. Believe it or not. The fastest commercially
available e bikes such as I'm not going to use
the brand, can reach over seventy miles an hour. But
these are extremely powerful machines not suited for standard road
juice or novice riders. But the point is now they
(26:43):
have them to go seventy miles an hour. I commonly
see fifty miles an hour. And what is the speed limit?
What is the speed limit on the roads in cities
and towns twenty miles an hour? Twenty five and they're
going faster than that in bike lanes with these Thanks
for some.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Other question patient you can put in? Is you mentioned
forty nine cc and in Canada you do not need
a license forty nine cc in under exactly the going
to the E aspect? Should you not have a license
if it exceeds a certain speed.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Link registration, the whole thing. And wait, you know, I
think the weight counts too, Darryl, thanks for the great call.
Appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Hey, keep up the good work.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Thank you. Okay, Dave and Woolburn local guy.
Speaker 9 (27:31):
Hi Dave, Hi, thanks for taking my call. Sure, so,
I actually own numerous mopeds and a couple of scooters.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
And when you say scooters, do you mean the forty
nine scooters?
Speaker 9 (27:48):
That's correct, Okay, I'm more into the vintage ones, but
minor registered. I followed the law. The laws all exist.
This is not a law problem, it's quickly an enforcement problem.
In order to be a legal mop head and use
(28:09):
the bike lane. You have to. It has to have
a capability of no more than thirty miles an hour.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Thirty miles an I was way too high. That's way
too high.
Speaker 9 (28:19):
Well, that's the capability, okay. And then that same law
says the actual speed that you must obey is twenty
five and it's in the books m Jail ninety point one.
It's it's just not enforced. They don't, you know, I
don't know why. You know, there are there's a large
(28:41):
community of people that collect and ride these vehicles and
follow the law, and you know, we want to see it.
You know, the law, you know enforced just like you do.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
All right, let me ask you this, as a law
abiding two wheel vehicle operator, would be your guess as
to of riders of let's say the forty nine cc
scooters that obey the law, that really are conscientious and
a bag of law sev Maybe.
Speaker 9 (29:16):
I would say about fifty to fifty.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Fifty to fifty half depends what half of them about
what you are, half of them are blown through signs.
Half Well, I rest my case.
Speaker 9 (29:29):
To go into the city. It gets worse as you
go into the city. In the suburbs in the suburbs,
probably more like seventy five twenty five. You get into
Boston and it's completely out of control, and it's just enforcement.
Now recently they've started to enforce at least the plate.
(29:51):
You know what it's it's not really a plate. It's
more like it's a plate, but it's really the same
law applies as once a sticker.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
So it was my understanding under forty under forty nine
ccs you do not need to register register the thing.
Speaker 9 (30:07):
Correct, Well, that's no, that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
What is the case?
Speaker 3 (30:12):
All right?
Speaker 9 (30:13):
So forty nine cc and under is can if if
it can do no more than thirty and if it
has a fully automatic transmission, and if it passes DOT
standards you know, for lighting and et cetera, then and
only then can it be used on the roads. And
(30:33):
it has to as I said, go no more than thirty.
You can ride it at twenty five, and you need
a they call it a registration. It's a plate. It's
uh forty dollars for two years. You don't need insurance, and.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You, by the way, you should need insurance.
Speaker 9 (30:54):
Well you don't under the current law. But once it
once it can go faster than that. It's not a mophead.
It's either an luv or a motorcycle, and it has
a completely different set of rules. The problem is, you
know a few people follow the rules, and as you said,
(31:17):
you know when you get into the you know, into
the city, they're just ignoring everything. I mean, no matter
what it is, be it an ee bike, a moped, whatever.
If you're going twenty miles an hour with the speed limit,
you're going twenty miles an hour over the speed limit
and you need to be stopped. But they're not doing it.
(31:37):
And that's that's the problem. They're not People are riding
around with no helmet and they're not stopping them. The
laws are there. You don't need to go to the legislature.
All the laws are in place. It's just a matter
of why the police aren't enforcing it.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Ask them.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Okay, so I've looked it up here and yes, a
forty nine cc scooter needs to be registered as a moped,
a moped that isn't dated phrase in Massachusetts, just as
you say, it requires a bill of sale on a
registration sticker, not a traditional license plate. So is there
(32:14):
is there a plate on it that if you blow
through steps on an enforcement officer could see and you know,
get the plate number? Is it? Is it just a
little sticker sticker on it? What is it?
Speaker 9 (32:28):
They changed that recently a couple of years ago, and
they it's got the same size license plate as a motorcycle.
It says moped. But it's clearly visible, you know, it's
it's the same size as the motorcycle. And it's supposed
to be displayed the same way. So yes, they can
see it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Good.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
You either have it or you don't.
Speaker 9 (32:51):
Yeah, And and but the thing is that all you know,
all these complaints coming from all these people are valid
because so.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
As you say, it's all about importance, it's enforcing them.
It's enforcement.
Speaker 9 (33:04):
It's totally enforcement.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
So how many folks, how many folks actually get the
things registered?
Speaker 9 (33:14):
Again, depends on where you are, I mean where I
live in the suburbs, I'd say a good three quarters.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
So one quarter don't even register.
Speaker 9 (33:22):
Them, correct, and because they they know nobody stopping them.
And as I said, in the city, it's completely out
of control. And it's not even the registration part, I mean,
just totally totally ignoring all laws. And a lot of
it isn't even footers and mopeds. A lot of it
(33:43):
is you know, they're on dirt bikes, quads, trikes, you
name it, right and just out there. You know, you
know we're totally ignoring laws.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
All right, Thanks Dave. I appreciate a great call. Did
I break, Rob? Do I need to break again?
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Okay, I have a few minutes left, and after this break,
I'm going to read the letter that I have composed
and not yet sent to the Boston Globe. It's it's
the thing is, it's too long to be a letter
to the editor and too short to be an opinion piece,
so I have to make it longer. But I'll read
(34:23):
you what I have after this on WBZ.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
All right, let me read you this work in progress
that I want to send to the Globe. Maybe it,
I mean, it may be redundant. Others may have sent
like letters, so we'll see. I'll actually read you an
opinion piece after this that was in the Globe and
follow up to them. But here's mine. Stop the insanity.
Recently a person was killed by an e bike and
(34:54):
copy square. Now someone has been impaled by an e
bike on the Cape. Contact your legislators and decision makers
now to demand regulation and enforcement regarding these motor vehicles,
gas powered motor scooters, e bikes, and I want to
include the electric stand up scooters that have become a
public safety nightmare as an aside, These scooters go on
(35:17):
the sidewalks and they're a menace as well. Now back
to the letter this in three parts gas powered motor scooters.
While Boston City Councilor Flynn's propos of the band gas
powered motor scooters for food delivery was extreme, O law
is understanding that the lack of registration, and even though
registrations required for the forty nine ccis, as a caller
(35:40):
pointed out, many of them are not and they all
need to be. Regulation and enforcement of ordinances pertaining to
the gas powered motor scooters represents a serious hazard to
public safety. Many operators of these unregistered vehicles boldly flout
traffic laws, knowing there will never be consequences, endangering bicyclists
(36:01):
and pedestrians. Yesterday I watched a gas powered scooter speeding
the wrong way in a bike lane, the wrong way
in a bike lane, doing a wheelie If a law
abiding motorists hits a skyfly motor scooter operator, the motorists
may suffer emotional scars and perhaps even a financial catastrophe.
(36:21):
We've all seen these vehicles operated in an aggressively dangerous manner,
and it's time for it to stop. New generation e bikes.
Many new e bikes are actually electric powered motorcycles. I
was told that an e bike dealership that pedals are
only attached so they will be legal in bike lanes
as an assent on some of these on the fast
(36:43):
or heavier ones, this legal loophole must be closed. In
these e bikes, some can travel forty to fifty five
forty or fifty miles per hour, must be kept out
of bike lanes and on off sidewalks. Electric stand up scooters.
All powered vehicles must be kept off sidewalk, including electric
stand up scooters. The Cabo Wolfking GTR, for example, is
(37:05):
a high performance scooter noted for its rapid acceleration with
a zero to thirty time of around three point three seconds.
And these are around sidewalks and the ability to reach
high speeds sidewalks. They have to remain safe spaces. Pedestrians
are getting thrown under the bus in their rush for
bike lanes. Pedestrians are suffering and getting injured, and it's
(37:30):
not the bicycles that they're doing, it's the misuse of
the bike lanes by powered vehicles. Some of this is
an aside and not included in the litter action. To
its credit, Massachusetts is a state that demonstrably cares about
public safety. It is imperative that legislation be enacted and
the force that will require all the all such vehicles
(37:51):
to be registered and regulated, including gas powered motor scooters,
e bikes, and electric stand up scooters. Contact your state
of your town representatives and demand they take actions. We
should not have to fear walking down the sidewalk or
crossing the street, and I do now. I love to walk.
It's my pleasure, it's my thing, it's my pastime, it's
(38:15):
my health activity. And now it is more dangerous. It's
probably more dangerous than driving on Route once twenty eight,
way more dangerous than flying. It's the most dangerous thing
I do walking down the street, crossing the road. The
most dangerous thing I do not because of automobiles, not
(38:35):
because of regular bicycles, but because of powered two wheel
vehicles and because of my community's lack of commitment to
do anything about it. So you going to cvs or stores,
you start to see some Halloween decorations, and the next
hour is all about Halloween stuff, including what you think
(38:59):
I'm gonna take a little, Oh, your favorite Halloween movie.
We'll talk Halloween movies, but other stuff related to Halloween.
So think about that and we'll continue after this on
WBZ News Radio ten thirty
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