I hope Australian kids annoy adults enough that this moral panic about social media dies from adults just giving up because kids resort to even more annoying behavior, that would be poetic justice.
Just wait until all those teen grow up and figure out that old farts on social media are responsible.
Unfortunately the old farts on social media were once the teens being treated like criminals for existing. It’s a cycle. Yesterday’s rebels become tomorrow’s pearl clutchers.
Define old fart? To me a old fart is in their late 60 early 70’s. This is the boomers. They were the first true generation of plenty. They were promised a good life and they had one unless they were foolish with the opportunity. Let me assure you they have been against any ones freedom except their own from the start.
I know plenty of older Gen X who’ve turned into pearl clutching, curmudgeonly hypocrites and even a few younger folks who’ve developed early onset “get off my lawn” syndrome. While I’ll certainly grant that it seems to be far more common among older folks it’s a mindset we all can fall into if we’re not self aware enough.
Hell I know more than a few joyless Gen Z’s who already have fallen into the habit of being utterly scandalized whenever they see someone enjoying life a bit too much. Not all by a longshot yet, but a concerning amount for ones so young.
“We really recognise the tremendous opportunity that ebikes can offer for getting anyone, including younger people, from A to B, independently,” McLean said. “[It] is a really, really positive thing that connects them to education, to work, to social things and communities as well.
“There’s lots of benefits that go along with them, but when we have really high powered ebikes and people driving them dangerously and without helmets, then they certainly pose a significant risk.”
Seems like a pretty balanced take honestly.
If it goes faster than 28 mph, has a motor more powerful than 1000w, or lacks usable pedals, it’s not an e-bike at all. People riding these things get people who ride actual electric bicycles fucked over though, which is unfortunate because electric assisted bicycles open up a lot of opportunities for people who are elderly or have other physical disabilities (or if you don’t want to arrive at work all sweaty).
I am all for making e-moto and e-bikes legally distinct but punishing cyclists because of e-moto bullshit is a stupid decision. Also, parents who buy their kids motorcycles with no training, safety gear, or evaluation of their child’s judgement should be held accountable instead of the people who are just trying to get to work on an e-bike.
Yeah I completely agree. This exact issue kind of triggers me, and I did draft a longer diatribe complaining about exactly this, which I didn’t post.
I have an assortment of bikes including e-bikes, all of which I love equally. They’re truly amazing machines.
If you purchase a $200 k-mart commuter, and a $400 wheel hub motor and battery from temu, then perch a 12 year old precariously in the saddle that’s not an e-bike it’s an unregistered unregulated electric motorbike. This type of set up can easily achieve 50km/h with the majority more like 60km/h and some exceeding 80km/h.
The bikes just aren’t built for this kind of stress, and the people riding them don’t have a reasonable understanding of the risks. They scream around on bike paths weaving around kids and babies in strollers.
The current rules here in west aus (as I understand them) merely allow pedal assist up to 25 km/h. Critically, that means the bike can allow you to switch between modes providing more or less assistance, but no throttle. Additionally a lot of the temu bikes require you to move the pedals but do not require you to provide any effort - the pedals moving is more like a switch that allows the motor to engage.
The basic problem is that existing legislation just isn’t sufficient. Guilting parents isn’t enough. There needs to be better laws, and they need to be actively policed.
The answer is simple: ban teens
That’s pretty much it. Ban them from congregating in parking lots. Ban them from malls. But if your kid has friends over and one sneaks beer and has a wreck, you’re getting sued. But don’t discipline your kids or that’s abuse. Also, if you kid has a vape at school, they are getting a criminal charge. Whatever you do, don’t allow kids to exist, especially with other kids outside of your house, but also, don’t let them be entertained when they’re bored either.
My point is, maybe it’s all too complicated and there should be a different approach.
