August 13, 2025 • 38 mins
In Boston, there is a rising number of dangerous incidents involving mopeds, e-bikes, and motorized scooters, many of which are operated without licenses, registration, or insurance. Mayor Wu has cited safety concerns regarding food delivery app drivers in the city and filed an ordinance this year to increase accountability. In addition, a bill has been filed, S.2347 An Act Relative to Transportation Safety, aimed at curbing these incidents. The legislation would increase fines for traffic violations and require insurance for commercial use.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thanks Dan Watkins, appreciate very much as we move into
our first talk hour. About a week ago, about a
week ago, there were two accidents in Boston. They occurred
within minutes of one another in two separate locations. There
was a serious electric bike crash in the back bay
just outside of Copley Square, and there was a pedestrian
(00:31):
who was hit by an electric bike. Now, all the
news stations and all of the newspapers carried stories about this,
but I the individual was injured, was in serious condition.
They one set one item said serious condition and another
(00:53):
said life threatening. And there's no follow up, so I
don't know what happened into that individual. I hope that
they were able to survive and maybe out of the hospital.
Then there was a second collision one it was at
one point fifteen. And then there was a second collision
(01:16):
a little later, and this was a collision with a
I'm going to get these mixed up here, but a
scooter writer writer sustained life threatening injuries in a crash
Wednesday afternoon a week ago at Humboldt in Siver Streets
(01:38):
in Boston. In Boston's Roxbury community. So you had these
two incidents in which both of these people serious injuries,
no follower up. It's almost as if if it doesn't matter,
well it matters a lot. Okay, And there's a piece
(01:58):
of legislation State Senator Nick Collins, who we had hoped
to be with us tonight but we had a little
bit of a scheduling snaff who actually was my mistake,
not his h and we probably will get him, if
not well, hopefully the tonight or tomorrow night. He has
a piece of legislation. I did not realize this. However,
(02:23):
There's a whole bunch of different vehicles on the roads. Okay,
everybody knows trucks, buses, and cars, all of that, but
now you have motorized bicycles, not just bicycles, but they're
motorized bicycles. You have motorized scooters. You've seen those people
just kind of riding along on a school it's a
(02:45):
motorized scooter. You have electric bicycles, and then you have mopeds.
Each and every one of those can be a dangerous vehicle.
As a matter of fact, I would argue that those
vehicles are even more dangerous than a car, not only
to the drivers of the vehicles obviously, I mean, at
(03:08):
least a car, you have the protection of the car.
But if you're on a motorized bike, motorized bicycle, or
a motorized scooter, or an electric bicycle or a moped,
there's not much between you and what you might run
into or what might run into you. So many of
(03:30):
these motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bike bicycles, and mopeds
are used to deliver food, door, dash and all of that,
which is great. You know, someone said to me today
that we're too lazy. We as Americans are too lazyer
to go to a restaurant and pick up our food.
(03:50):
We order it and then we have it delivered to
the to our door. And the men of these vehicles,
again they're smaller vehicles, you'll see them. They have baskets
on the back. And what are the baskets there for?
The baskets are to ferry the food from a restaurant
(04:14):
to the home of the person who wanted the food. Now,
this piece of legislation that has been filed by State
Senator Nick Collins, basically I'm going to read it to
you all motorized the end of it. The last sentence
is what is important to me, at least tonight, all
motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bicycles, and mopeds used for
(04:39):
commercial activity commercial activities shall be required to have insurance.
So that would indicate to me that some of these bicycles, well, again,
motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bicycles, mopits, we're not talking
about cars. They got to have insurance, okay, But some
of these are being used for commercial purposes and ferrying
(05:02):
food from restaurants to the homes and the apartments and
the condominiums of people that have ordered the food. They're
on it short and they can do serious damage to individuals,
to pedestrians, and to other people. So my question is
why is it that these vehicles which have potential danger.
(05:28):
I remember walking out of a hotel several years ago
in Atlanta, Georgia. Nice Hotel. I think it was a
four seasons and I was going to run over by
this guy on some sort of an electric bicycle. I
mean he's flying down a hill. I mean there was
a steep hill, and thank god I saw him or
(05:50):
I would have ended up in the hospital. Some of
you have probably had experiences with this. I'd like to
hear from you. If you are someone who uses a
vehicle like this for transportation, if it's motorized, whether a
bicycle or a scooter, or if it's an electric bicycle,
(06:13):
or if it's a moped, I don't think you should
be in the bike lanes because I think bike lanes
are for that bicycles. If a car goes in a
bike lane and a police officer pulls the car over,
the car, the driver of the car's in big trouble.
So is it time for us in Boston and elsewhere
(06:34):
to tighten up on these types of vehicles that might
look cute but can cause damage. Asked the pedestrian who
has hit a week ago outside of Copley Square. Ask
the driver of the moped who suffered serious injuries in
(06:55):
a collision with a car. And now I don't know
who is it fault. Okay, this was a scooter ride. Okay,
a scooter rider who suffered the life threatening injuries. I'm
not here to judge, but I would say that if
you're a pedestrian, you should have the And I believe
the stories I saw the pedestrians in the crosswalk. Uh,
that pretty much ends it as far as I'm concerned
(07:17):
as to who is involved in that accident. But again
it's up to the insurance companies. However, if the person
hits you or family member doesn't have insurance, you're on
a luck. Good luck chasing them for their their bank
accounts or their private resources. That's the whole idea of insurance.
You pay a little to protect yourself as well as
(07:40):
people who you might insure. Six one seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
I'm not an expert on this. If you are somebody
who is, and you'd like to weigh in and explain
to me why motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bicycles, and
mopeds shouldn't have an insurance. I think they should have
(08:03):
h they should have inspections, they should have license plates,
and they certainly should have insurance. And they should pay
some some excise taxes because they're using the roads. Now,
I know some people say these people aren't using the roads,
they're using the sidewalks. Let's light it up, coming right
back on nightside. Be happy to take whatever your point
of view is if you think I'm all wet with this,
(08:25):
feel free give me a call, but make the argument
coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on wb Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
So the question is the question is is it getting
out of control? You don't see these motorized motorized bikes,
motorized scooters, electric bicycles, mopeds. You don't see them as
much in the suburbs, okay, but in Boston it gets
people around. But Boston is also a very densely congested city.
(08:59):
They has to it's there are no rules. I don't
think there are enough rules here. And if you're going
to use the roads, you have to follow the rules
of the road. Simple as that. Let's go to the phones.
I only have one line at six one, seven thirty.
Let me go first to Phil in Boston. Phil, have
you ever had an experience with any vehicles?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You're talking about the right guy? Yeah, I just so
many of them. I just want to I was on
walking up washing the Street in Rosenvilt, going towards the
post office, going that way, and behind me this is
a person on a bike, legitimate bicycle. I guess he
won't buy me touch my my my shirt. I was
(09:39):
working over with this my left shoulder, I guess his
right shoulder, and just didn't say don thing up. Then,
I mean, had the courtesy this happened. I think they
must do this deliberately just to get points with the
TikTok thing. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
You you were walking in the bike lane.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
No, I was walking on the sidewalk. I bought the
bike lane.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
And he's on the side, and so he was whoever this,
whether it was a guy or girl, they're in They're
on a motorized vehicle of some sort on the sidewalk.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
No, they said this is a bike, damn. But they
were going as fast as that. They were going with
a bike, a little hitment bike that I could tell anyway,
So many they don't know what they are bike. And
I said, so he's doing and he called me names
and they got ugly, you know. Then I'm up up
on the beef. And then then I hope that there's
a berefore you there's a I was trying to send
(10:31):
you a text message over a message or what they're
doing in New York, New York City. They gave up
like seven thousand knock on with citations this violators. And
then they interviewed one of the young violators whatever and
he said, gee, this is how they think. Unfortunately, they say, well, gee,
what's the what's the fifty pound bike? How's that going
(10:51):
to hurt a seventy pounds a seven thousand pound car?
Like you know, there's a guy in a truck fault.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I was first of all, the fifty pound bike can
do a lot of damage to Phill. I don't care
what Phill waves right Roslindale Square number one. They should
be worried about that. And if they happen to run
into a seven thousand ton truck right, not only will
they lose their fifty pound bike, they'll probably you lose
(11:19):
their life in the process as well. I still want
to make sure I understand. So this this vehicle, it
was it was it a bike or was it a
motorized bike?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Can we get when you're a kid going up an
evil or a boss or whatever, aular bike but he's
going fast? Yeah, okay, okay, well all right, when you're
packing Rosindale Square under he gives any pocketing left there.
You're packed here. You gotta look in the mirror to
the left to the right because you'll win the door
up and the bike. They don't have a whistle, there's
(11:49):
no harns, there's nothing on them. They think it's like
a game. And they have people going through red lights
with I have more suit up motorbike. Are you I
had to have a helmet on these kids. They don't care.
It's a big joke for these people. They would they.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Go right in the red light.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
They got a big joke. And part of the problems
and you and you caught it. You mentioned there's too
many there's too many qualifications for these bikes, the electric bike,
the bike, and they can't well a police officer, it's
not going to carry on a manual for motorcycles. And
you also hit on the bike lane. I have Hollie
(12:28):
Davis and bikes on the bike lane. The reason these
these cute people think, oh, there's only a bike, they
should specify it bikes pedal bikes only.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Absolutely, I agree with you on that, okay, And I'm
not somebody who's wild about bike lanes, but if we're
going to have them, at least haves have some protection
for the I don't want to see a bicycle to
get hurt. I mean, believe me, that's actually.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
I wouldn't mind getting the other guy, but I mean
they but to do me a favor. It was on
the move in New York City about a week or
two ago, and they're cracking down in New York. If
they can crack down in New York, they can crack
on a botcher.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I would agree. Thank you, Phil, Appreciate you. Your time
is always a great call. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I get one three.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Good save it for the next one. Okay, okay, thanks Phil,
you tell you a good call. I appreciate. Let me
go to George, down to the Cape George. On the
Cape George whereabouts in the Cape you're calling from?
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Uh highennus Right now, I'm part time in Orleans. I
was that a function with sallow graphic. But anyway, you're absolutely,
absolutely right about this whole thing about what we call
micro mobility devices, be they bicycle scooters or one of
these type bullpens or some kind of electric bike. The
regulations say that these electric vehicles shouldn't be able to things,
(13:49):
shouldn't be able to go faster than twenty Dan, I
see them all the time, going twenty five to thirty
thirty five. I'm going twenty five to thirty on the
middle six Shirtpike. They're hitting all the main roads, by
the way, and I'm getting past like I was standing still.
And then if you happen to be stopped, they cut
in front of you, around you. In Olington where at
my my regular house is a couple of kids get
(14:11):
hit because they know those electric scooters cutting in and
out that you know. Unfortunately, the Great Grander General Court
is usually a decade or two behind anything that should
be regulated. Anything that's got two wheels should definitely require
a helmet and a license and some kind of insurance
because people getting mowed down. I worked in Harved Square
for decades. I get hit three times to a bicycle,
(14:33):
thank god, not once by a car. And and these
these vehicles, the so called micro mobility vehicles, there's no
regulations at all. Really. They all go through red lights
as if they don't exist, go through soft signs that
if they don't exist. It's so one of the death
hoole isn't higher, and and and almost nobody is wearing
a helmet. So there's got to be a serious set
(14:55):
of regulations to these people. You know, we we who
drive vehicles, you know, pay excise tab because we pay
gas taxes and people who have this wouldn't be much
to have some kind of a little license requirement or
or you know, uh, license plate REQUIREMENTSGM identified. I get
hit twice. I have no idea who hit you because
there's no way to identify what it was. It was
a bicycle. They just they said they're on the sidewalk
(15:19):
all over the place, both electric and and you know,
not electric.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I think I think the point that you made, which
was a bunch of good points, but I think the
point that the legislature is ten years behind. I'm reading this.
It's a Senate bill twenty three forty seven, and I
believe it's been reported and refer to the Transportation Committee.
We will get Nick Collins on either tonight or tomorrow
(15:44):
night or Friday night. And basically this when I read
this sentence, the last sentence, all motorized bicycles, motorized scooters,
electric bicycles, and mopeds used for commercial activity show required
to have insurance. They all should be be required to
have insurance because whether you're driving it because you're a
(16:06):
pizza deliverer or a sandwich deliver or you're somebody who's
just driving it. When you hit somebody and do some damage,
you know who's gonna pay for it if you don't
have insurance.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Absolutely.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
The drivers in Massachusetts, they just they they don't like drivers,
they don't like the combustion engine, they don't like cars,
and and but they give Look they're there are moped
gangs that have been causing trouble in the greater Boston area.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Huge trouble, huge trouble in a big city.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
And by the way, Dan, these so called electric things
are not pure. They use electricities coming from all kinds
of sources they have. They have these lithium batteries which
are caused them the destruction of the last environments on Earth.
They're both just not deep deep sea mining. That's a topic.
We have to do some night to get the last
of these these rare metals that go into these batteries,
and these batteries and these things will all come from China.
(17:05):
Have set fire after fire after fire. There was a
huge fire and method Yes University banned these from any buildings.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
There was a fire on a plane a week ago
where somebody had left their lithium battery in their luggage
underneath in the in the luggage compartment, not like at
their feet or are stowed above their head. And it
caught on fire in the luggage department in the plane
and they're making emergency landing. And yeah, sourent, Yeah, if
(17:41):
if you, uh, if you somehow say well, I'm doing
something that's better for the environment than that dirty combustion engine,
they give you free pass. And it's time to tighten up.
It's time to tighten up.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
And by the way, I taught environmental management for forty
years and and and there's there's issues with everything. Are
proper regulation, proper following following you know what was seeing happening?
And the legislator's been way behind.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
On this, totally with you, and I think I think
the point the legislature is ten years behind because they
don't understand it. They don't they don't even understand the
problems because the problems only begin to materialize. As they say,
last week, two people seriously hurt. And it's interesting no
follow up. Now, maybe both of those individuals are going
(18:27):
to spend you know, months in rehab or whatever. Terrible,
but I'd love to know did they survive, because they
they suffered life threatening injuries according to the reports.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
And I con find the globe. What that's the globe?
What's going on? They don't like to follow up on
things like this.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yes, I know, that's the.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Point I'm making.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It doesn't it doesn't work that they're being narrative, their
political narratives.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Exactly, absolutely right. It's going to take a legislature getting
run over to really get some action on that.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, and then and I'm sadly I don't want
to see anybody get hurt. It's the simplest no.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Buts that that would you know, they need a wake
up call, and that one in Boston should have been
a wake up call. Look at the actress that got
killed by one of these in New York. And that's
what's spawned the York If somebody getting killed on the
streets of New York by one of these delivery things,
and you know, these industries pick up and nobody realize,
oh what's going on here? Like Pandora's box, it opens up,
Oh we got all these problems. Well, anyway, thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Great, great call. I'm so glad you were listening tonight. George,
Thanks very much. Wherever you're heading home. Drive safely. We'll
keep your company all the way.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Both hands on the wheel, Dan, both hands on the wheel.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
All right, Thanks like to you soon got a couple
of minds at six one seven two five ten thirty.
Everything else has kind of buttoned up six one seven
two five ten thirty. I do want to remind you
a couple more times of that cool way that you
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(19:57):
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(20:20):
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Speaker 1 (20:41):
On night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 6 (20:47):
By the way, for those of you who are keeping score,
I have been joined tonight by Mustard the wonderful Corgi
in the remote studio here. He is reclining and relaxing.
But he's part of the show nonetheless. And if you
have a question for Monster, you can direct it to
him and I will interpret.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
His answer for you. Let me go next to Larry
down to the Cape. Larry next on Nightside. We're talking
about a lot of these motorized scooters, vehicles, whatever you
want to call them. They come in different characterizations.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Hey Larry, how are you okay?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Dan?
Speaker 7 (21:19):
So you know this is a passionate subject of mine.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
I was aware of that.
Speaker 7 (21:25):
Yes. So the first thing is people don't realize any
two wheeled vehicle, no matter what it is, needs to
obey every law that an automobile needs to no sidewalk riding,
all of that stuff totally. Yeah, So there's no enforcement
whether they don't have the manpower or how they're going
(21:45):
to catch them. That that's the first problem. So on
a related subject, I belong to the largest mountain bike
club in New England, this New England Mountain Bike Association.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Okay, there's another vehicle that is That is those I
assume are pedal power. There's no mountain bikes that are
electric or electronic.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
Right, well, no, this is yeah, this is what I
wanted to talk about. There are different classifications of e
bikes Class one, class two, class state. So class one
mountain bike or a pedal bike means it's pedal assists
only the only time you get a boost is as
you're pushing the pedals. Okay, a Class two bike has
(22:28):
a throttle, which means you've seen them on the road.
They can just pedal if they want, but then they
can just kick their throttle in and it becomes actually
like a moped or a scooter. It's a motorized vehicle.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
Right.
Speaker 7 (22:42):
So our club had a discussion with DCR because their
rules were outdated. The original rule was probably made back
in the sixties for motocross bikes and it just said
no motorized vehicles allowed. You've probably seen them on like
the cape called rail trail some of the conservation in Land.
So we had a discussion with him and said you
(23:02):
need to update this law. So they did and what
they decided, but it's not posted anywhere. Only Class one
pedal assist bikes are allowed on the trails in the
woods are on the rail trail. So my friend is
the summertime DCR officer on the cape called rail trail,
which is one of the busiest probably in New England,
(23:27):
and he spends seventy five percent of his time yelling
at these motorized bikes that number one slow down because
the speed limit is only fifteen miles an hour on
the rail trail and they're not allowed. But they did
not give him the authority to ticket these people. That's
the first problem. The second problem is parenting today. I
don't usually ride the rail trail in the summertime because
(23:50):
it's so crowded with families and everything. I prefer riding
in the woods. But today was very humid down here
on Wendy, so I said, you know something, I'll just
go up the rail trainl I don't just do an
easy ride in that coming the other way towards me.
They had to be three or four of these kids,
they looked like they were ten or twelve years old.
(24:10):
On they looked they were electric like almost like motocross bikes.
They were doing at least thirty miles an hour, weaving
in and out of everybody. I blame it on the
parents who would buy their kid a bike like that.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
So now let me ask you, you know more about
this than I do. Do those bikes, the ones that
are motorized, do they have to have some form of
a license, Do they have to help insurance?
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Nothing?
Speaker 7 (24:38):
And this is what's frustrating. If you own a like
a little row boat or a john boat or anything,
and you attached you know what an electric trolling.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Motor is not really go ahead, educating.
Speaker 7 (24:51):
Well, it's a little motor and it runs off of
a battery and you just clamp it onto your boat
like you want to go fishing or something. Okay, You're
required to register it in the state. Okay, And I
think there's a new law by twenty twenty six. You
even have to have a water you have to take
(25:12):
a water safety course. Why aren't they applying that to
motorized bikes. Any bike that is sold by a bike
shop should be reported to the state. That would be
the solution, and they know who owns them.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Absolutely, very so frustrating. Yeah, well you you laid it
out first, and obviously you've had a lot of personal
experience with it, and I am delighted that you called
in this one. So they don't have insurance, they don't help.
And again, what I'm looking at this piece of legislation
and I can you know, I just want to make
sure I'm not misleading anybody. Motorized bicycles. I think you've
(25:51):
described that. Motorized scooters. I know what a scooter is. Okay,
electric bicycles and mopeds they don't need licenses, they don't
need insurance, and they don't even when they're engaged in
commercial activity. They're apparently not required to have insurance.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Yeah, which is fairly wrong. Especially I can see starting
with the commercial licenses because those guys are in a
rush doing all.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Oh, absolutely, without a question. How can you possibly eat
bay on the roads? One without a license, and if
you're engaged in commercial activity, those roads are the paid
for you to travel on and to make money.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
Yep.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
And the other law, which I think the other law
which I think they're trying to enforce sus. I think
if you're under sixteen years old and you're on any
whether it's a bike or a scoot or anything, you're
supposed to have a helmet on.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well you shouldn't be on something that's motorized. If you're
under sixteen, you can't drive a car unto sixteen. They are.
Speaker 7 (26:49):
Next time you're on a cake, just go down to
the rail trail and just stand at one of the
intersections and watch these.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Oh I've seen it. Trust me, Trust me, Larry, trust me.
Hey man, Thank you much, appreciate your call. Thanks, talk
to you soon. Let's keep rolling here. We're gonna go
next to greg Is on the South Shore. We'll get
a little closer to Boston. Hey, Greg, you're next actually
the north Shore. Pardon me, Greg, Welcome.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
And come on. You can't screw that up.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Oh you know what when you when you look too quickly.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
But I'm gonna tell you right now. I applied for
one of the e byke vouchers in the lottery, and
I actually.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Well, what's the what's an e bike voucher? What's that?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
So the state awarded the state awarded e bikes. They
gave you a twelve hundred dollars out you can apply
for a twelve hundred dollar about.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
You, okay, and what what's the what? Just I understand
what's the How much does an e bike cost?
Speaker 5 (27:54):
Roughly roughly if you want to like buy one that's decent.
You're looking at you like if you want to buy
the Mercedes Benz of e bikes. Okay, you're wi twenty
six hundred dollars, all.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Right, twenty six hundred dollars and you're gonna get a
voucher for twelve hundred. That would be really nice if
I was going to buy a real Mercedes and they
give me fifty percent.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
But you want to buy Hundie, Yeah, e bikes. The
Hundai of e bikes is twelve hundred dollars.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
So they'll buy it for you. Wow, I never heard
of this. This is what a stan this is.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
It was through the Massachusetts State and I applied and
I qualified, and I I have like I have to
use my voucher within fifteen days now. I just awarded it.
And like a gentleman was saying before, there's three classifications
of the e bikes, and believe it or not, Dan,
(28:58):
they get eighty dollars. They get eighty miles to charge
some of them. Okay, the one is gonna it's gonna
cost me eighteen hundred dollars.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
But my question is, here's my question. Why. Look, I'm
happy for you. Why should we be subsidizing people who
are going to purchase e bikes if e bikes are
a good deal and you're going to find them to
be a good form of transportation because maybe you live
(29:30):
two miles from work or something like that. You know,
if you live fifty miles from work, I don't know
you'd be as anxious to get an in bike. But
why should we be subsidizing that? Taxpayers subsidizing that because
the government gives the money, but they get the money
from the taxpayers.
Speaker 5 (29:50):
Well, I mean they just keep voting Democrats in the state.
So as long as.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
I get it, you gave the right answer.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
That's the three you know I I I can't like
if they're gonna give them out.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
No, I'm not blaming you. Oh no, hey, if they're
giving up ice cream cones, I'm first in line, or
I'm gonna I'll try to beat you. But it just
seems to me that government's picking winners and losers as
they see it, But.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Can I explained some the bikes like yeah, And we
were talking earlier about like accidents with people. So I
live in the suburbs, Okay, I walk my dog all
the time. Those the e bite that I'm looking at
(30:44):
buying goes forty two miles per hour.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Okay, So we.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
Have kids on e bytes and a woman like I said,
I live in a nice suburb.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Yeah, don't tell me where you live in a suburb
north of Boston. Sure, go ahead, I got you.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
And these kids at night were on their rebikes that
do the like they do.
Speaker 7 (31:13):
Some of them do.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
Fifty miles fifty miles an hour. They're ripping wheelies down
the road with no lights on.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Why not. If you're a fifteen year old kid, You're
You're indestructible, You're never going to die.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
But at the same time, if if one of them
happened to.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Roll under your car, yeah, that could be a pure.
Speaker 8 (31:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
No, no, look, I look, I'm totally in line with you, Greg,
I'm absolutely totally in line with you. And you made
such great points and also you have experience, and I'm
glad you got the voucher and I hope you benefit
from it and I hope it works as a convenience.
That's wonderful, But it just seems to me that philosophically,
it's not the smartest thing to do for the government
(32:00):
to be picking winners and loses. But you know, that's
that's a position maybe that most people might not agree with. Greg,
I got I gotta scoot. I love the call. You
got to keep calling the show and call more often.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
Okay, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Jed, Thanks great, talk to you soon. We'll be right back.
More phone calls. We may take this into the next hour.
I'm getting everybody in either way, one way or the other.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
We will take this into the next hour. Gary and Marlborough. Gary,
you were next on NIGHTSID.
Speaker 8 (32:33):
Welcome, Hi Dan, How are you doing.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I'm doing fine. I'm learning a lot here tonight, and
it's some of the calls have been really great. You
go right ahead.
Speaker 9 (32:42):
Yeah, yeah, they've been great. I've been listening to a
whole show and yeah, there I agree one percent of
it what everybody is saying. It's insane out there, even
in the city I live in, which is probably maybe
twenty twenty five miles west of Boston.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Sure, mar, I know it very well.
Speaker 9 (32:58):
It's great city, okay, yeah, yeah, And there most of
these kids, it's kids that are riding these things, you know,
the thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years old. They have a cell
phone mounted to the handlebars. They've got this expensive fee bike.
I have no idea where they getting the money, but
they don't care. They're just flying around. I had one
almost hit me. Uh well, two weeks ago. I was
(33:20):
on a sidewalk and all of a sudden, you just
want to flying right by me. And if I just
moved my arm, I would have bumped into one and
he would went into the road and probably get hit
fire car. So they're just not paying attention to what
they're doing. And uh, you know, getting back to what
you were saying about using the bike lanes on the streets, No,
I have a moped or regular you know, scooter forty
nine cc and you can use it in those lines. Now,
(33:42):
if we weren't allowed to use those, we'd actually be
in the road with the traffic, and we can't keep
up with the traffic. So it's probably a safety thing
where it's good to.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Do. You have to have a license plate for the
moped or no.
Speaker 9 (33:58):
Yes, yes, it's got to reregistered. It's good for two years,
but it does not have to be inspected, and it
doesn't have to be you need insurance. So those are the.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Let me ask you this, all right, you have I'm
sure medical insurance that you know, your your job or
your wife's job or someone. You have medical insurance. I'm sure, right,
So if you fall off the moped, you're hopefully going
to be okay, and if you're not, you get to go.
Your bills are covered.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
What happens if you drive the moped into somebody who
is stepping off the sidewalk? Yeah, a serious injury. Now
have you ever thought about that?
Speaker 9 (34:37):
Yep, yep, I'm very I'm very careful.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Okay, but someone's not all that careful. They step off
and you clip them or whatever. They're going to sue you.
If you don't have insurance for the moped, they're going
to come after you personally. I assume if they have
sufficient medical bills, right, probably?
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Yes?
Speaker 8 (34:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Have you ever looked into whether or not you could
get some relatively inexpensive insurance to give you a substantial coverage?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
No?
Speaker 9 (35:07):
I never have, no, But maybe I will after this conversation.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Just the thought, just a thought. I mean, we all
can be involved, and I don't even like to mention this,
but we all can be involved in an accident. All
of us get distracted, you look them the wrong way,
and somebody blows to a sign. I had an incident.
It was about, I don't know, a couple months ago.
I was on Lake Street in Brighton heading over to
(35:32):
my gym in Watertown. And I don't know if you're
familiar with that area, but Washington Street there's a coming
down and I happened to notice the light was I
was the first one. The light was red. So I'm
parked ready to you know, on first one out, but
I noticed like this bicycle it's flying down the road
and like it was some guy who was looked like
he was wearing pajamas and a bathrobe or something. Weird,
(35:54):
just weird looking dude. And it kind of caught my attention.
And when the light turned green, you know, I started
through the intersection, but I looked this guy was still coming.
It was like he lost control of the bike. If
I hadn't looked, if I hadn't seen him, if I
hadn't stopped, he would have either ended up, you know,
t boning my car and probably killing himself. Frightening. Frightening
(36:15):
to realize that there were people he blew right through
what for him was a red light.
Speaker 9 (36:20):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
And I don't know. I yeah, he was so fast.
I couldn't even see those pj'sies. He just looked dressed weird.
I mean it was a Sunday morning at eight thirty. Wow.
Speaker 9 (36:32):
Yeah. I had a friend who had a two year
old Toyota Corolla and he was going through an intersection
and a kid, underage kid was coming down the street
and he didn't stop at the intersection and t boned
my friend's car and it actually totaled it. The insurance
company totaled his car because of that, and I hit
my friend. Did not pursue an illegal action against the
(36:53):
driver of the scooter. But that's how much damage they
can do.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah, they certainly can. But it's well, Gary, you stay
safe out there, okay.
Speaker 9 (37:02):
Yeah, I don't want to lose you.
Speaker 8 (37:03):
Yeah, all right, thanks Gary, I thank you too.
Speaker 9 (37:07):
Soon.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
I'm gonna get one more in here, Hilarry and need
him Larry. If I have to, I'll hold you over.
You go right ahead. He got a couple of minutes.
Speaker 8 (37:12):
Go ahead, Larry, Sure, Hi a long time, first time,
first time.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
All right, let's get a run of a pause, Larry,
that they are there, give me your study all right
now the digital studio audience. Go ahead, Larry.
Speaker 8 (37:27):
I have an antique moped and it was sitting in
my garage. Needn't repair for many men men many years.
Speaker 7 (37:34):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (37:34):
And I got it running about five years ago and
it's great.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (37:38):
And what I learned was if your moped is a
three speed, so I have three gears to shift on it,
you need to get insurance and a plate. Now your
previous call has said he has a moped and he
has to have a plate with no insurance. I didn't
know that the smaller mopeds or mopeds that weren't three
(37:59):
speed needed a license s plate, but I guess they do.
But mine requires because it's a three speed.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (38:06):
And it's the motor is no bigger than any other moped,
which is forty nine cc. That the uh, that's the
point at which when once you hit fifty cc, it
becomes a different kind of vehicle.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Do you know you you rehabilitated? Do you think the
people at the legislature. Have you ever talked to any
of those people? Do you think they have any idea?
They're clueless. Hey, Larry, I got to take my break.
Can you stick behind the news. I'd like to pick
you up on the other side. I can, Yes, Okay,
you hold on. You'll be first up on the other side.
Those of you who are there, you will follow Larry.
(38:38):
And we're gonna stick with this into the next hour.
I have one line six on one line six, one seven,
nine thirty back after the ten o'clock news on night
side
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thanks Dan Watkins, appreciate very much as we move into
our first talk hour. About a week ago, about a
week ago, there were two accidents in Boston. They occurred
within minutes of one another in two separate locations. There
was a serious electric bike crash in the back bay
just outside of Copley Square, and there was a pedestrian
(00:31):
who was hit by an electric bike. Now, all the
news stations and all of the newspapers carried stories about this,
but I the individual was injured, was in serious condition.
They one set one item said serious condition and another
(00:53):
said life threatening. And there's no follow up, so I
don't know what happened into that individual. I hope that
they were able to survive and maybe out of the hospital.
Then there was a second collision one it was at
one point fifteen. And then there was a second collision
(01:16):
a little later, and this was a collision with a
I'm going to get these mixed up here, but a
scooter writer writer sustained life threatening injuries in a crash
Wednesday afternoon a week ago at Humboldt in Siver Streets
(01:38):
in Boston. In Boston's Roxbury community. So you had these
two incidents in which both of these people serious injuries,
no follower up. It's almost as if if it doesn't matter,
well it matters a lot. Okay, And there's a piece
(01:58):
of legislation State Senator Nick Collins, who we had hoped
to be with us tonight but we had a little
bit of a scheduling snaff who actually was my mistake,
not his h and we probably will get him, if
not well, hopefully the tonight or tomorrow night. He has
a piece of legislation. I did not realize this. However,
(02:23):
There's a whole bunch of different vehicles on the roads. Okay,
everybody knows trucks, buses, and cars, all of that, but
now you have motorized bicycles, not just bicycles, but they're
motorized bicycles. You have motorized scooters. You've seen those people
just kind of riding along on a school it's a
(02:45):
motorized scooter. You have electric bicycles, and then you have mopeds.
Each and every one of those can be a dangerous vehicle.
As a matter of fact, I would argue that those
vehicles are even more dangerous than a car, not only
to the drivers of the vehicles obviously, I mean, at
(03:08):
least a car, you have the protection of the car.
But if you're on a motorized bike, motorized bicycle, or
a motorized scooter, or an electric bicycle or a moped,
there's not much between you and what you might run
into or what might run into you. So many of
(03:30):
these motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bike bicycles, and mopeds
are used to deliver food, door, dash and all of that,
which is great. You know, someone said to me today
that we're too lazy. We as Americans are too lazyer
to go to a restaurant and pick up our food.
(03:50):
We order it and then we have it delivered to
the to our door. And the men of these vehicles,
again they're smaller vehicles, you'll see them. They have baskets
on the back. And what are the baskets there for?
The baskets are to ferry the food from a restaurant
(04:14):
to the home of the person who wanted the food. Now,
this piece of legislation that has been filed by State
Senator Nick Collins, basically I'm going to read it to
you all motorized the end of it. The last sentence
is what is important to me, at least tonight, all
motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bicycles, and mopeds used for
(04:39):
commercial activity commercial activities shall be required to have insurance.
So that would indicate to me that some of these bicycles, well, again,
motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bicycles, mopits, we're not talking
about cars. They got to have insurance, okay, But some
of these are being used for commercial purposes and ferrying
(05:02):
food from restaurants to the homes and the apartments and
the condominiums of people that have ordered the food. They're
on it short and they can do serious damage to individuals,
to pedestrians, and to other people. So my question is
why is it that these vehicles which have potential danger.
(05:28):
I remember walking out of a hotel several years ago
in Atlanta, Georgia. Nice Hotel. I think it was a
four seasons and I was going to run over by
this guy on some sort of an electric bicycle. I
mean he's flying down a hill. I mean there was
a steep hill, and thank god I saw him or
(05:50):
I would have ended up in the hospital. Some of
you have probably had experiences with this. I'd like to
hear from you. If you are someone who uses a
vehicle like this for transportation, if it's motorized, whether a
bicycle or a scooter, or if it's an electric bicycle,
(06:13):
or if it's a moped, I don't think you should
be in the bike lanes because I think bike lanes
are for that bicycles. If a car goes in a
bike lane and a police officer pulls the car over,
the car, the driver of the car's in big trouble.
So is it time for us in Boston and elsewhere
(06:34):
to tighten up on these types of vehicles that might
look cute but can cause damage. Asked the pedestrian who
has hit a week ago outside of Copley Square. Ask
the driver of the moped who suffered serious injuries in
(06:55):
a collision with a car. And now I don't know
who is it fault. Okay, this was a scooter ride. Okay,
a scooter rider who suffered the life threatening injuries. I'm
not here to judge, but I would say that if
you're a pedestrian, you should have the And I believe
the stories I saw the pedestrians in the crosswalk. Uh,
that pretty much ends it as far as I'm concerned
(07:17):
as to who is involved in that accident. But again
it's up to the insurance companies. However, if the person
hits you or family member doesn't have insurance, you're on
a luck. Good luck chasing them for their their bank
accounts or their private resources. That's the whole idea of insurance.
You pay a little to protect yourself as well as
(07:40):
people who you might insure. Six one seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
I'm not an expert on this. If you are somebody
who is, and you'd like to weigh in and explain
to me why motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, electric bicycles, and
mopeds shouldn't have an insurance. I think they should have
(08:03):
h they should have inspections, they should have license plates,
and they certainly should have insurance. And they should pay
some some excise taxes because they're using the roads. Now,
I know some people say these people aren't using the roads,
they're using the sidewalks. Let's light it up, coming right
back on nightside. Be happy to take whatever your point
of view is if you think I'm all wet with this,
(08:25):
feel free give me a call, but make the argument
coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on wb Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
So the question is the question is is it getting
out of control? You don't see these motorized motorized bikes,
motorized scooters, electric bicycles, mopeds. You don't see them as
much in the suburbs, okay, but in Boston it gets
people around. But Boston is also a very densely congested city.
(08:59):
They has to it's there are no rules. I don't
think there are enough rules here. And if you're going
to use the roads, you have to follow the rules
of the road. Simple as that. Let's go to the phones.
I only have one line at six one, seven thirty.
Let me go first to Phil in Boston. Phil, have
you ever had an experience with any vehicles?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You're talking about the right guy? Yeah, I just so
many of them. I just want to I was on
walking up washing the Street in Rosenvilt, going towards the
post office, going that way, and behind me this is
a person on a bike, legitimate bicycle. I guess he
won't buy me touch my my my shirt. I was
(09:39):
working over with this my left shoulder, I guess his
right shoulder, and just didn't say don thing up. Then,
I mean, had the courtesy this happened. I think they
must do this deliberately just to get points with the
TikTok thing. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
You you were walking in the bike lane.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
No, I was walking on the sidewalk. I bought the
bike lane.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
And he's on the side, and so he was whoever this,
whether it was a guy or girl, they're in They're
on a motorized vehicle of some sort on the sidewalk.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
No, they said this is a bike, damn. But they
were going as fast as that. They were going with
a bike, a little hitment bike that I could tell anyway,
So many they don't know what they are bike. And
I said, so he's doing and he called me names
and they got ugly, you know. Then I'm up up
on the beef. And then then I hope that there's
a berefore you there's a I was trying to send
(10:31):
you a text message over a message or what they're
doing in New York, New York City. They gave up
like seven thousand knock on with citations this violators. And
then they interviewed one of the young violators whatever and
he said, gee, this is how they think. Unfortunately, they say, well, gee,
what's the what's the fifty pound bike? How's that going
(10:51):
to hurt a seventy pounds a seven thousand pound car?
Like you know, there's a guy in a truck fault.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I was first of all, the fifty pound bike can
do a lot of damage to Phill. I don't care
what Phill waves right Roslindale Square number one. They should
be worried about that. And if they happen to run
into a seven thousand ton truck right, not only will
they lose their fifty pound bike, they'll probably you lose
(11:19):
their life in the process as well. I still want
to make sure I understand. So this this vehicle, it
was it was it a bike or was it a
motorized bike?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Can we get when you're a kid going up an
evil or a boss or whatever, aular bike but he's
going fast? Yeah, okay, okay, well all right, when you're
packing Rosindale Square under he gives any pocketing left there.
You're packed here. You gotta look in the mirror to
the left to the right because you'll win the door
up and the bike. They don't have a whistle, there's
(11:49):
no harns, there's nothing on them. They think it's like
a game. And they have people going through red lights
with I have more suit up motorbike. Are you I
had to have a helmet on these kids. They don't care.
It's a big joke for these people. They would they.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Go right in the red light.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
They got a big joke. And part of the problems
and you and you caught it. You mentioned there's too
many there's too many qualifications for these bikes, the electric bike,
the bike, and they can't well a police officer, it's
not going to carry on a manual for motorcycles. And
you also hit on the bike lane. I have Hollie
(12:28):
Davis and bikes on the bike lane. The reason these
these cute people think, oh, there's only a bike, they
should specify it bikes pedal bikes only.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Absolutely, I agree with you on that, okay, And I'm
not somebody who's wild about bike lanes, but if we're
going to have them, at least haves have some protection
for the I don't want to see a bicycle to
get hurt. I mean, believe me, that's actually.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
I wouldn't mind getting the other guy, but I mean
they but to do me a favor. It was on
the move in New York City about a week or
two ago, and they're cracking down in New York. If
they can crack down in New York, they can crack
on a botcher.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I would agree. Thank you, Phil, Appreciate you. Your time
is always a great call. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I get one three.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Good save it for the next one. Okay, okay, thanks Phil,
you tell you a good call. I appreciate. Let me
go to George, down to the Cape George. On the
Cape George whereabouts in the Cape you're calling from?
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Uh highennus Right now, I'm part time in Orleans. I
was that a function with sallow graphic. But anyway, you're absolutely,
absolutely right about this whole thing about what we call
micro mobility devices, be they bicycle scooters or one of
these type bullpens or some kind of electric bike. The
regulations say that these electric vehicles shouldn't be able to things,
(13:49):
shouldn't be able to go faster than twenty Dan, I
see them all the time, going twenty five to thirty
thirty five. I'm going twenty five to thirty on the
middle six Shirtpike. They're hitting all the main roads, by
the way, and I'm getting past like I was standing still.
And then if you happen to be stopped, they cut
in front of you, around you. In Olington where at
my my regular house is a couple of kids get
(14:11):
hit because they know those electric scooters cutting in and
out that you know. Unfortunately, the Great Grander General Court
is usually a decade or two behind anything that should
be regulated. Anything that's got two wheels should definitely require
a helmet and a license and some kind of insurance
because people getting mowed down. I worked in Harved Square
for decades. I get hit three times to a bicycle,
(14:33):
thank god, not once by a car. And and these
these vehicles, the so called micro mobility vehicles, there's no
regulations at all. Really. They all go through red lights
as if they don't exist, go through soft signs that
if they don't exist. It's so one of the death
hoole isn't higher, and and and almost nobody is wearing
a helmet. So there's got to be a serious set
(14:55):
of regulations to these people. You know, we we who
drive vehicles, you know, pay excise tab because we pay
gas taxes and people who have this wouldn't be much
to have some kind of a little license requirement or
or you know, uh, license plate REQUIREMENTSGM identified. I get
hit twice. I have no idea who hit you because
there's no way to identify what it was. It was
a bicycle. They just they said they're on the sidewalk
(15:19):
all over the place, both electric and and you know,
not electric.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I think I think the point that you made, which
was a bunch of good points, but I think the
point that the legislature is ten years behind. I'm reading this.
It's a Senate bill twenty three forty seven, and I
believe it's been reported and refer to the Transportation Committee.
We will get Nick Collins on either tonight or tomorrow
(15:44):
night or Friday night. And basically this when I read
this sentence, the last sentence, all motorized bicycles, motorized scooters,
electric bicycles, and mopeds used for commercial activity show required
to have insurance. They all should be be required to
have insurance because whether you're driving it because you're a
(16:06):
pizza deliverer or a sandwich deliver or you're somebody who's
just driving it. When you hit somebody and do some damage,
you know who's gonna pay for it if you don't
have insurance.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Absolutely.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
The drivers in Massachusetts, they just they they don't like drivers,
they don't like the combustion engine, they don't like cars,
and and but they give Look they're there are moped
gangs that have been causing trouble in the greater Boston area.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Huge trouble, huge trouble in a big city.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
And by the way, Dan, these so called electric things
are not pure. They use electricities coming from all kinds
of sources they have. They have these lithium batteries which
are caused them the destruction of the last environments on Earth.
They're both just not deep deep sea mining. That's a topic.
We have to do some night to get the last
of these these rare metals that go into these batteries,
and these batteries and these things will all come from China.
(17:05):
Have set fire after fire after fire. There was a
huge fire and method Yes University banned these from any buildings.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
There was a fire on a plane a week ago
where somebody had left their lithium battery in their luggage
underneath in the in the luggage compartment, not like at
their feet or are stowed above their head. And it
caught on fire in the luggage department in the plane
and they're making emergency landing. And yeah, sourent, Yeah, if
(17:41):
if you, uh, if you somehow say well, I'm doing
something that's better for the environment than that dirty combustion engine,
they give you free pass. And it's time to tighten up.
It's time to tighten up.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
And by the way, I taught environmental management for forty
years and and and there's there's issues with everything. Are
proper regulation, proper following following you know what was seeing happening?
And the legislator's been way behind.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
On this, totally with you, and I think I think
the point the legislature is ten years behind because they
don't understand it. They don't they don't even understand the
problems because the problems only begin to materialize. As they say,
last week, two people seriously hurt. And it's interesting no
follow up. Now, maybe both of those individuals are going
(18:27):
to spend you know, months in rehab or whatever. Terrible,
but I'd love to know did they survive, because they
they suffered life threatening injuries according to the reports.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
And I con find the globe. What that's the globe?
What's going on? They don't like to follow up on
things like this.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yes, I know, that's the.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Point I'm making.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It doesn't it doesn't work that they're being narrative, their
political narratives.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Exactly, absolutely right. It's going to take a legislature getting
run over to really get some action on that.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, and then and I'm sadly I don't want
to see anybody get hurt. It's the simplest no.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Buts that that would you know, they need a wake
up call, and that one in Boston should have been
a wake up call. Look at the actress that got
killed by one of these in New York. And that's
what's spawned the York If somebody getting killed on the
streets of New York by one of these delivery things,
and you know, these industries pick up and nobody realize,
oh what's going on here? Like Pandora's box, it opens up,
Oh we got all these problems. Well, anyway, thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Great, great call. I'm so glad you were listening tonight. George,
Thanks very much. Wherever you're heading home. Drive safely. We'll
keep your company all the way.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Both hands on the wheel, Dan, both hands on the wheel.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
All right, Thanks like to you soon got a couple
of minds at six one seven two five ten thirty.
Everything else has kind of buttoned up six one seven
two five ten thirty. I do want to remind you
a couple more times of that cool way that you
can become a part of the night Side broadcast. This
is this is a perfect opportunity if you want to
(19:57):
chime in. Obviously I want you to chime in as
a caller, but if you'd like to use the talkback
feature in the new iHeart Radio app, make sure you
download the app. It's free. It's iHeartRadio new and improved app.
While you're listening to night Side Live on WBC News
Radio or during the day, you tap the red microphone
talkback button in the top right corner to send us
your personalized audio message. Can be a comment on the show,
(20:20):
can be a reaction, can be a compliment, can be
a criticism. It doesn't matter. Keep it clean. We are
FCC regulated. We will play it back on Nightside probably
within minutes of when you send it. It's that simple.
Once again, hit that red microphone button top right hand
corner of the app while listening to Nightside and send
us your audio message back on Nightside right after this, you're.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
On night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 6 (20:47):
By the way, for those of you who are keeping score,
I have been joined tonight by Mustard the wonderful Corgi
in the remote studio here. He is reclining and relaxing.
But he's part of the show nonetheless. And if you
have a question for Monster, you can direct it to
him and I will interpret.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
His answer for you. Let me go next to Larry
down to the Cape. Larry next on Nightside. We're talking
about a lot of these motorized scooters, vehicles, whatever you
want to call them. They come in different characterizations.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Hey Larry, how are you okay?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Dan?
Speaker 7 (21:19):
So you know this is a passionate subject of mine.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
I was aware of that.
Speaker 7 (21:25):
Yes. So the first thing is people don't realize any
two wheeled vehicle, no matter what it is, needs to
obey every law that an automobile needs to no sidewalk riding,
all of that stuff totally. Yeah, So there's no enforcement
whether they don't have the manpower or how they're going
(21:45):
to catch them. That that's the first problem. So on
a related subject, I belong to the largest mountain bike
club in New England, this New England Mountain Bike Association.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Okay, there's another vehicle that is That is those I
assume are pedal power. There's no mountain bikes that are
electric or electronic.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
Right, well, no, this is yeah, this is what I
wanted to talk about. There are different classifications of e
bikes Class one, class two, class state. So class one
mountain bike or a pedal bike means it's pedal assists
only the only time you get a boost is as
you're pushing the pedals. Okay, a Class two bike has
(22:28):
a throttle, which means you've seen them on the road.
They can just pedal if they want, but then they
can just kick their throttle in and it becomes actually
like a moped or a scooter. It's a motorized vehicle.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
Right.
Speaker 7 (22:42):
So our club had a discussion with DCR because their
rules were outdated. The original rule was probably made back
in the sixties for motocross bikes and it just said
no motorized vehicles allowed. You've probably seen them on like
the cape called rail trail some of the conservation in Land.
So we had a discussion with him and said you
(23:02):
need to update this law. So they did and what
they decided, but it's not posted anywhere. Only Class one
pedal assist bikes are allowed on the trails in the
woods are on the rail trail. So my friend is
the summertime DCR officer on the cape called rail trail,
which is one of the busiest probably in New England,
(23:27):
and he spends seventy five percent of his time yelling
at these motorized bikes that number one slow down because
the speed limit is only fifteen miles an hour on
the rail trail and they're not allowed. But they did
not give him the authority to ticket these people. That's
the first problem. The second problem is parenting today. I
don't usually ride the rail trail in the summertime because
(23:50):
it's so crowded with families and everything. I prefer riding
in the woods. But today was very humid down here
on Wendy, so I said, you know something, I'll just
go up the rail trainl I don't just do an
easy ride in that coming the other way towards me.
They had to be three or four of these kids,
they looked like they were ten or twelve years old.
(24:10):
On they looked they were electric like almost like motocross bikes.
They were doing at least thirty miles an hour, weaving
in and out of everybody. I blame it on the
parents who would buy their kid a bike like that.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
So now let me ask you, you know more about
this than I do. Do those bikes, the ones that
are motorized, do they have to have some form of
a license, Do they have to help insurance?
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Nothing?
Speaker 7 (24:38):
And this is what's frustrating. If you own a like
a little row boat or a john boat or anything,
and you attached you know what an electric trolling.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Motor is not really go ahead, educating.
Speaker 7 (24:51):
Well, it's a little motor and it runs off of
a battery and you just clamp it onto your boat
like you want to go fishing or something. Okay, You're
required to register it in the state. Okay, And I
think there's a new law by twenty twenty six. You
even have to have a water you have to take
(25:12):
a water safety course. Why aren't they applying that to
motorized bikes. Any bike that is sold by a bike
shop should be reported to the state. That would be
the solution, and they know who owns them.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Absolutely, very so frustrating. Yeah, well you you laid it
out first, and obviously you've had a lot of personal
experience with it, and I am delighted that you called
in this one. So they don't have insurance, they don't help.
And again, what I'm looking at this piece of legislation
and I can you know, I just want to make
sure I'm not misleading anybody. Motorized bicycles. I think you've
(25:51):
described that. Motorized scooters. I know what a scooter is. Okay,
electric bicycles and mopeds they don't need licenses, they don't
need insurance, and they don't even when they're engaged in
commercial activity. They're apparently not required to have insurance.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Yeah, which is fairly wrong. Especially I can see starting
with the commercial licenses because those guys are in a
rush doing all.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Oh, absolutely, without a question. How can you possibly eat
bay on the roads? One without a license, and if
you're engaged in commercial activity, those roads are the paid
for you to travel on and to make money.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
Yep.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
And the other law, which I think the other law
which I think they're trying to enforce sus. I think
if you're under sixteen years old and you're on any
whether it's a bike or a scoot or anything, you're
supposed to have a helmet on.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well you shouldn't be on something that's motorized. If you're
under sixteen, you can't drive a car unto sixteen. They are.
Speaker 7 (26:49):
Next time you're on a cake, just go down to
the rail trail and just stand at one of the
intersections and watch these.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Oh I've seen it. Trust me, Trust me, Larry, trust me.
Hey man, Thank you much, appreciate your call. Thanks, talk
to you soon. Let's keep rolling here. We're gonna go
next to greg Is on the South Shore. We'll get
a little closer to Boston. Hey, Greg, you're next actually
the north Shore. Pardon me, Greg, Welcome.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
And come on. You can't screw that up.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Oh you know what when you when you look too quickly.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
But I'm gonna tell you right now. I applied for
one of the e byke vouchers in the lottery, and
I actually.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Well, what's the what's an e bike voucher? What's that?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
So the state awarded the state awarded e bikes. They
gave you a twelve hundred dollars out you can apply
for a twelve hundred dollar about.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
You, okay, and what what's the what? Just I understand
what's the How much does an e bike cost?
Speaker 5 (27:54):
Roughly roughly if you want to like buy one that's decent.
You're looking at you like if you want to buy
the Mercedes Benz of e bikes. Okay, you're wi twenty
six hundred dollars, all.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Right, twenty six hundred dollars and you're gonna get a
voucher for twelve hundred. That would be really nice if
I was going to buy a real Mercedes and they
give me fifty percent.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
But you want to buy Hundie, Yeah, e bikes. The
Hundai of e bikes is twelve hundred dollars.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
So they'll buy it for you. Wow, I never heard
of this. This is what a stan this is.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
It was through the Massachusetts State and I applied and
I qualified, and I I have like I have to
use my voucher within fifteen days now. I just awarded it.
And like a gentleman was saying before, there's three classifications
of the e bikes, and believe it or not, Dan,
(28:58):
they get eighty dollars. They get eighty miles to charge
some of them. Okay, the one is gonna it's gonna
cost me eighteen hundred dollars.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
But my question is, here's my question. Why. Look, I'm
happy for you. Why should we be subsidizing people who
are going to purchase e bikes if e bikes are
a good deal and you're going to find them to
be a good form of transportation because maybe you live
(29:30):
two miles from work or something like that. You know,
if you live fifty miles from work, I don't know
you'd be as anxious to get an in bike. But
why should we be subsidizing that? Taxpayers subsidizing that because
the government gives the money, but they get the money
from the taxpayers.
Speaker 5 (29:50):
Well, I mean they just keep voting Democrats in the state.
So as long as.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
I get it, you gave the right answer.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
That's the three you know I I I can't like
if they're gonna give them out.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
No, I'm not blaming you. Oh no, hey, if they're
giving up ice cream cones, I'm first in line, or
I'm gonna I'll try to beat you. But it just
seems to me that government's picking winners and losers as
they see it, But.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Can I explained some the bikes like yeah, And we
were talking earlier about like accidents with people. So I
live in the suburbs, Okay, I walk my dog all
the time. Those the e bite that I'm looking at
(30:44):
buying goes forty two miles per hour.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Okay, So we.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
Have kids on e bytes and a woman like I said,
I live in a nice suburb.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Yeah, don't tell me where you live in a suburb
north of Boston. Sure, go ahead, I got you.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
And these kids at night were on their rebikes that
do the like they do.
Speaker 7 (31:13):
Some of them do.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
Fifty miles fifty miles an hour. They're ripping wheelies down
the road with no lights on.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Why not. If you're a fifteen year old kid, You're
You're indestructible, You're never going to die.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
But at the same time, if if one of them
happened to.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Roll under your car, yeah, that could be a pure.
Speaker 8 (31:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
No, no, look, I look, I'm totally in line with you, Greg,
I'm absolutely totally in line with you. And you made
such great points and also you have experience, and I'm
glad you got the voucher and I hope you benefit
from it and I hope it works as a convenience.
That's wonderful, But it just seems to me that philosophically,
it's not the smartest thing to do for the government
(32:00):
to be picking winners and loses. But you know, that's
that's a position maybe that most people might not agree with. Greg,
I got I gotta scoot. I love the call. You
got to keep calling the show and call more often.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
Okay, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Jed, Thanks great, talk to you soon. We'll be right back.
More phone calls. We may take this into the next hour.
I'm getting everybody in either way, one way or the other.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
We will take this into the next hour. Gary and Marlborough. Gary,
you were next on NIGHTSID.
Speaker 8 (32:33):
Welcome, Hi Dan, How are you doing.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I'm doing fine. I'm learning a lot here tonight, and
it's some of the calls have been really great. You
go right ahead.
Speaker 9 (32:42):
Yeah, yeah, they've been great. I've been listening to a
whole show and yeah, there I agree one percent of
it what everybody is saying. It's insane out there, even
in the city I live in, which is probably maybe
twenty twenty five miles west of Boston.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Sure, mar, I know it very well.
Speaker 9 (32:58):
It's great city, okay, yeah, yeah, And there most of
these kids, it's kids that are riding these things, you know,
the thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years old. They have a cell
phone mounted to the handlebars. They've got this expensive fee bike.
I have no idea where they getting the money, but
they don't care. They're just flying around. I had one
almost hit me. Uh well, two weeks ago. I was
(33:20):
on a sidewalk and all of a sudden, you just
want to flying right by me. And if I just
moved my arm, I would have bumped into one and
he would went into the road and probably get hit
fire car. So they're just not paying attention to what
they're doing. And uh, you know, getting back to what
you were saying about using the bike lanes on the streets, No,
I have a moped or regular you know, scooter forty
nine cc and you can use it in those lines. Now,
(33:42):
if we weren't allowed to use those, we'd actually be
in the road with the traffic, and we can't keep
up with the traffic. So it's probably a safety thing
where it's good to.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Do. You have to have a license plate for the
moped or no.
Speaker 9 (33:58):
Yes, yes, it's got to reregistered. It's good for two years,
but it does not have to be inspected, and it
doesn't have to be you need insurance. So those are the.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Let me ask you this, all right, you have I'm
sure medical insurance that you know, your your job or
your wife's job or someone. You have medical insurance. I'm sure, right,
So if you fall off the moped, you're hopefully going
to be okay, and if you're not, you get to go.
Your bills are covered.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
What happens if you drive the moped into somebody who
is stepping off the sidewalk? Yeah, a serious injury. Now
have you ever thought about that?
Speaker 9 (34:37):
Yep, yep, I'm very I'm very careful.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Okay, but someone's not all that careful. They step off
and you clip them or whatever. They're going to sue you.
If you don't have insurance for the moped, they're going
to come after you personally. I assume if they have
sufficient medical bills, right, probably?
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Yes?
Speaker 8 (34:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Have you ever looked into whether or not you could
get some relatively inexpensive insurance to give you a substantial coverage?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
No?
Speaker 9 (35:07):
I never have, no, But maybe I will after this conversation.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Just the thought, just a thought. I mean, we all
can be involved, and I don't even like to mention this,
but we all can be involved in an accident. All
of us get distracted, you look them the wrong way,
and somebody blows to a sign. I had an incident.
It was about, I don't know, a couple months ago.
I was on Lake Street in Brighton heading over to
(35:32):
my gym in Watertown. And I don't know if you're
familiar with that area, but Washington Street there's a coming
down and I happened to notice the light was I
was the first one. The light was red. So I'm
parked ready to you know, on first one out, but
I noticed like this bicycle it's flying down the road
and like it was some guy who was looked like
he was wearing pajamas and a bathrobe or something. Weird,
(35:54):
just weird looking dude. And it kind of caught my attention.
And when the light turned green, you know, I started
through the intersection, but I looked this guy was still coming.
It was like he lost control of the bike. If
I hadn't looked, if I hadn't seen him, if I
hadn't stopped, he would have either ended up, you know,
t boning my car and probably killing himself. Frightening. Frightening
(36:15):
to realize that there were people he blew right through
what for him was a red light.
Speaker 9 (36:20):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
And I don't know. I yeah, he was so fast.
I couldn't even see those pj'sies. He just looked dressed weird.
I mean it was a Sunday morning at eight thirty. Wow.
Speaker 9 (36:32):
Yeah. I had a friend who had a two year
old Toyota Corolla and he was going through an intersection
and a kid, underage kid was coming down the street
and he didn't stop at the intersection and t boned
my friend's car and it actually totaled it. The insurance
company totaled his car because of that, and I hit
my friend. Did not pursue an illegal action against the
(36:53):
driver of the scooter. But that's how much damage they
can do.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah, they certainly can. But it's well, Gary, you stay
safe out there, okay.
Speaker 9 (37:02):
Yeah, I don't want to lose you.
Speaker 8 (37:03):
Yeah, all right, thanks Gary, I thank you too.
Speaker 9 (37:07):
Soon.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
I'm gonna get one more in here, Hilarry and need
him Larry. If I have to, I'll hold you over.
You go right ahead. He got a couple of minutes.
Speaker 8 (37:12):
Go ahead, Larry, Sure, Hi a long time, first time,
first time.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
All right, let's get a run of a pause, Larry,
that they are there, give me your study all right
now the digital studio audience. Go ahead, Larry.
Speaker 8 (37:27):
I have an antique moped and it was sitting in
my garage. Needn't repair for many men men many years.
Speaker 7 (37:34):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (37:34):
And I got it running about five years ago and
it's great.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (37:38):
And what I learned was if your moped is a
three speed, so I have three gears to shift on it,
you need to get insurance and a plate. Now your
previous call has said he has a moped and he
has to have a plate with no insurance. I didn't
know that the smaller mopeds or mopeds that weren't three
(37:59):
speed needed a license s plate, but I guess they do.
But mine requires because it's a three speed.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (38:06):
And it's the motor is no bigger than any other moped,
which is forty nine cc. That the uh, that's the
point at which when once you hit fifty cc, it
becomes a different kind of vehicle.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Do you know you you rehabilitated? Do you think the
people at the legislature. Have you ever talked to any
of those people? Do you think they have any idea?
They're clueless. Hey, Larry, I got to take my break.
Can you stick behind the news. I'd like to pick
you up on the other side. I can, Yes, Okay,
you hold on. You'll be first up on the other side.
Those of you who are there, you will follow Larry.
(38:38):
And we're gonna stick with this into the next hour.
I have one line six on one line six, one seven,
nine thirty back after the ten o'clock news on night
side
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