Electric Slower

Last week while riding to work I caught up to someone riding an electric bicycle (that always sounds like such an oxymoron). I have a huge distaste for these contraptions. These things look pretty much exactly like a scooter, except they have pedals. It really is very hard to see the difference.

The people riding them don’t ride them like bikes, they tend to ride them like scooters. Except they ride in the bike lane. And sometimes on sidewalks. Quite often I see the rider weave around, and most of the time the electric bikes are slow. I have passed many of them while riding my bike.

On Monday when I rode to work I came up behind one nicely dressed woman on an electric bike. She was definitely on her way to work, but she was dawdling a little so I managed to catch up to her pretty easily. At a red light I waited behind her and when the light went green we both left.

I wanted to pass her, but she was going just a tich slower than me so I would have ended up beside her for a long time. Then I noticed there were no pedals at all. She was actually riding an electric scooter in the bike lane. Is that legal? I kind of doubt it.

She shoulder checked a couple times and saw me right behind her. After a quick hand signal she turned right, then drove up onto the sidewalk and rode along for a short bit. I know that isn’t legal. I guess she had reached her destination.

This is just another rant about someone doing stuff I don’t like.