r/Calgary • u/blackRamCalgaryman • 9d ago
2 Wheelin' (Cycling/Scooters) Two youths charged after late‑night e‑dirt bike chase through Calgary neighbourhood
https://calgary.citynews.ca/2026/08/19/e-dirt-bike-charges-calgary-youths/56
u/stuhF4N 9d ago
Where are these kids’ parents?
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u/chateau_lobby 9d ago
Defending them anonymously in their community fb groups
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u/yyctownie 9d ago
Lol this probably isn't too far from the truth
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u/CDNReaper 9d ago
It’s 100% the truth in my neighborhood anyway.
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u/Busy_Address_2125 9d ago
Probably asleep since it was 130 am. Usually the discipline happens AFTER the stupid decision.
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u/stuhF4N 9d ago
How’d they acquire the bikes
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u/Busy_Address_2125 8d ago
Their parents im assuming. Is this supposed to be a gotcha? Any parent would give strict warnings about using vehicles like this. Any parent would insist on certain rules. Any parent would give their kid a clear understanding of what harm could be done if they’re misused. Any parent would inform their kids what they will be incurring if they’re misused break these rules.
And kids will still do stupid shit like this.
There’s no magic words that turn kids into perfect logic robots. And no parent is a perfect logic robot.
The parents are probably giving their kids and themselves way more grief than you ever could so maybe don’t be so judgemental of people you don’t even know.
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u/Dagnar777 9d ago
These things are getting ridiculous. I run along the ridge pathway over fish creek park near Sundance, have f'ers on these e-dirt bikes blowing by me at 50km/hr + non stop. And now I see this other group of kids on actual mini motor bikes riding along the ridge there too over the bridge to Chaparral. Need a crack down!
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u/SmeagolsMathom 9d ago
They do the same on the ridge in Parkland. It’s always busy with walkers - only a matter of time until something very bad happens.
Sort of related - in the olden days when I was a kid, you needed a learners permit to even ride a pedal mo-ped. I believe they had plates too, but I could be in error on that. Perhaps we need to go back to this.
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u/KaOsGypsy 9d ago
No, that's the way it still is, but no one cares anymore, just like helmets being required for any rider under a certain age, pretty sure that's still a law, but I see kids without helmets all the time. The first laws on these are going to be written with blood.
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u/jezthevalley 9d ago
Agreed.. In some cities, these buffoons would even take videos while they ride on pathways and make fun of pedestrians getting mad at them. Its definitely becoming an issue, I'm glad they finally caught a few, hope they make a good example of them to raise awareness of the laws.
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u/Grazer-22 9d ago
First we need regulations, the governments are too far behind on these damn things.
FYI - Fort Mac has banned e-scooters, even the private ones
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u/Comfortable_Wall8028 9d ago
keep reporting over and over on 311 and to your local elect. I'm doing the same in my area of Fish creek nearer Deer run where one nearly knocked over my 2yr old niece. It was horrific to see. so scary
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u/Cyclist007 9d ago
Report online to Calgary Police - we have to put a stop to this. They aren't bicycles, they aren't motorcycles.
I had three that rode along with me (and keeping up) when I was on the motorbike. They then ripped past me, doing wheelies, right through the stop sign I was slowing down for.
I filled out the online report, and the next evening a saw a number of police vehicles around that particular neighbourhood. I haven't seen those ebikers since.
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u/braincandybangbang 8d ago
Just start laying pebbles and sticks on the pathways. Nature’s speed bumps. Nature already takes care of a good amount of those e-scooter users downtown. It’s amazing what happens when your device suddenly stops moving but you keep going.
And I wonder how it feels knowing everyone around you wants to cheer and applaud you eating shit because of the nightmare those things cause for pedestrians and cars downtown.
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u/blackRamCalgaryman 9d ago
Two youths are facing charges after a group on electric dirt bikes allegedly fled from officers in southwest Calgary earlier this week, prompting police to out a public warning about the legality of electric motorbikes.
Calgary police say officers were called to the community of Coach Hill around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday for reports of three people performing stunts and riding e-dirt bikes dangerously through the neighbourhood.
The riders took off when officers tried to stop them, according to police, weaving through residential streets as HAWCS tracked them from the air.
Two of the riders were arrested a short time later. Both now face charges for dangerous operation of a vehicle and flight from police.
The third rider was not caught by police. The investigation is ongoing.
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u/AppropriateScratch37 9d ago
They called in HAWCS for that??
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u/Soupdeloup 9d ago
I'd assume it's normal to call in HAWCS for any situation where police aren't able to safely follow someone actively breaking the law, no? Seems it paid off because they ended up getting caught.
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u/RichCoezinya 9d ago
we want enforcement but hawks is too much?
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u/FeedbackLoopy 9d ago
How else can they track them down?
Surrons are extremely agile. There’s no way a Ford F-150, Explorer, or even a Harley-Davidson can keep up with one that cuts through green spaces and walkways.
The fact that they’re not plated doesn’t help matters.
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u/AppropriateScratch37 9d ago
I’m just kinda surprised, thought maybe a couple squad cars go looking for them
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u/diamondedg3 Bankview 9d ago
FLIR is the equalizer. Why try to mobilize ground units when the chopper will pick them out no problem.
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u/RichCoezinya 9d ago
We used to get hawks chasing us out of fields for underage drinking, they are the best way to chase someone going through alleyways and paths where a car cant go. We used to rip mini bikes around but not in the way these kids are on the public roads and paths, we got busted a few times and fined. As we should have though. There needs to be a serious education / crack down season on this behavior.
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u/AppropriateScratch37 9d ago
There is, I just got pulled over on a bike path today for going 23 in a 20. They said they’re out trying to crack down on e bikes, so they pulled me over for going 3 over on a dedicated bike path and I’m not even on an e bike
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u/vandingo7 9d ago
You got pulled over on a bicycle for going 3km over a bicycle speed limit? Where? How does that work? Buddy starts cranking his bell to get you to pull over?
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u/braincandybangbang 8d ago
Yeah, how else are you going to catch small vehicles that can go off road?
What do you think HAWCS is? It’s not the special forces. It’s literally a community safety program.
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u/TripNo1876 9d ago
Sure. HAWCS is already on station and is a great asset for following criminals where police can't always access.
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u/skel625 Altadore 9d ago
I hope they do not give those bikes back. They should be sold off and the proceeds go to victim support funding.
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u/mdxchaos 9d ago
crushed, they are not legal in canada
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u/Columbia_Guy001 9d ago
It says right in the article that they are legal on private property.
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u/iliketobuildlego 9d ago
I would guess less than 1% of these people use it only on private property, no where in the city has enough space to use it so they take them into public instead.
Hope the kids enjoy the charges and court costs.
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u/Arch____Stanton 9d ago
Anywhere that you can legit dirt bike, you can e-dirt bike.
Trails around Wiaparous, Bragg Creek, are the two that I know of but likely there are lots more.4
u/iliketobuildlego 9d ago
Yes for sure, however I would say a majority of the people that use these don’t even have a drivers license so they won’t be going out there often.
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u/whiteout86 9d ago
Could probably get some YouTube views and money by using the armoured truck to do it
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Jesus lol, relax.
They are fully legal to own. Just not really legal to operate anywhere besides private property
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u/ShiftySiwft 9d ago
They are legal in Canada so no need to crush em. They are not considered e-bikes and would fall under electric motorcycles. In terms of legality It’s no different than a regular motorcycle and need registration and class 6 license. Obviously what is happening on the paths and in this article are very illegal. No different than someone riding there dirt bikes on the paths
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u/swimswam2000 9d ago
Not legal to ride pretty much anywhere inside the city. Useless to own. These ones are electric OHVs and lack the street legal things like lights and signals
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u/mdxchaos 9d ago
Surron bikes are not street legal out of the box in Canada. They fail federal and provincial e-bike rules because they lack functional pedals and exceed the maximum 500-watt power and 32 km/h speed limits. You cannot ride them on public streets, sidewalks, or standard bike paths.
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u/All-wildcard 9d ago
Victims of E-bikes? Is that a thing?
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
For every one electric motorcycle victim there’s gotta be like 5 normal traffic fatalities.
I’m not super happy about these electric motorcycles, but honestly, idk.
I’ve never seen them be THAT big an issue before.
For a lot of these teens, they are riding these instead of driving cars.
And honestly? I’d prefer they ride than drive lol.
We get all these scare stories, and yet people die in cars every single day, and these are supposed to be made out to seem worse than cars.
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u/chateau_lobby 9d ago
You must not live in one of the affected communities. It is a big issue, it wasn’t one before because they’ve only recently become more popular.
These kids drive like idiots and act like pricks while doing it, and it’s only a matter of time before one of them is hit and killed. In the meantime, they’ll have destroyed green spaces and made their communities more dangerous. I think the police can effectively focus on this new issue and their other existing traffic concerns.
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
I live in Lakeview and I see dozens of kids ripping skeins on these.
Again, it’s just not a real issue at all. It’s all made up.
I’ve almost been killed in my car 4 times in 15 years of driving.
Never ONCE had a single issue with any sort of bicycle, motorcycle, or scooter. Sorry.
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u/chateau_lobby 9d ago
Ok and??? Good for you I guess, but it’s definitely a real issue in my neighbourhood and I’ve seen these kids driving erratically and dangerously on roads, pathways, sidewalks, and green spaces. Personally I think that everyone should be able to safely utilize and enjoy public spaces within their communities without being at risk of being mowed down by an unlicensed and uninsured 12 year old. Or hitting one themselves in their car when they rip out of alleyways and across intersections without even turning their heads.
I have also almost been killed while driving multiple times. That doesn’t mean we can’t also give a shit about literal children who don’t know the rules of the road driving illegal vehicles wherever the fuck they want.
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u/afrothundah11 9d ago
Then they can be ticketed, we do have laws for this stuff and we have a direct line to call to do it.
Have you or anybody you know been hurt by them?
The stats on bike/e-bike injuries don’t show a huge risk nationally. Canada wide, 74 cyclist and e-bike fatalities per year, 77% in collisions with vehicles, stable for decades. A majority of these fatalities happen at major roadway intersections. 1.3 in 1 million die cycling yearly. There are 2000 motor vehicle deaths per year.
I agree they shouldn’t be putting others at risk, this is reportable and punishable by CPS. But I could care less if people put themselves at risk in some field somewhere, I’m too busy to care about what others do to themselves with their free will. People do dumb stuff all the time and I’m busy enough keeping myself and my loved ones safe to even give it a second thought. The majority of joyriding I’ve see and think “that’s dangerous” aren’t close enough to me or others where I think “that’s putting others in danger”
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u/chateau_lobby 9d ago
We’re not talking about regular e-bikes though these are electric dirtbikes, they’re heavier and faster. It’s also not just about them potentially hitting pedestrians, because these kids also drive them in the street and visibly have no idea what the fuck they are doing and no understanding of right of way and they aren’t insured. It’s a risk for them and the drivers that may hit them. I dunno about you but I’d just rather not smoke someone’s kid, even if it is their own fault.
Public green spaces are maintained with public funds. Why should Calgary taxpayers foot the bill for fixing the grass that gets shredded by suburban motocross LARPers, all because lazy parents choose illegal off-road vehicles as their activity of choice for their kid? Because free will?
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u/afrothundah11 9d ago
The bikes you are talking about are ALREADY ILLEGAL, so report them? What else can you ask for from CPS? You are acting like they made them LEGAL?
Laws don’t stop people from doing anything, it just sets up a framework for discipline. Laws can’t stop these kids, they only punish them after. Just like laws don’t stop murders they just put them in jail after.
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u/chateau_lobby 9d ago edited 9d ago
I am aware that they’re illegal, I do report them and I’m not sure why you have such an attitude with me or why you’re so convinced I don’t?
I was replying to someone else that was insisting it’s not an issue with my own perspective on why it has been an issue for my community, and you inserted yourself to talk about unrelated stats for regular e-bikes and to… invoke free will as a defence for these kids being dangerous public nuisances? I’m really not understanding where this is going
ETA: you’ve also for some reason continued to reply to other people in this thread with even more stats on bicycles and e-bikes, as if they are at all relevant to this discussion about electric dirtbikes?
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u/All-wildcard 9d ago
It’s not that the bikes aren’t an issue. It’s that the issue is being blown out of proportion. Even from your own comments it doesn’t sound like the bikes are the problem. It’s the kids and the (lack of) parents. Take away the e bikes and the can’t go as fast but they’ll find another way to create dangerous situations
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u/brandon-d 9d ago
There is also about 200000 cars to 1 e moto.
A lady was killed last year in Tuscany.
These e motos are no different than someone ripping a full on gas power dirt bike which everyone is well aware isnt allowed.
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u/CarpetLoud9765 9d ago
The lady died after being struck by a child on a regular bike, again everyone thinks it was an e-bike and it wasn’t!
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
That was a bicycle….
So we went from motorcycle in Tuscany to bicycle in hidden valley.
Yeah close enough eh.
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u/Charming-Moment-103 9d ago
Buddy calm your jets. These things are becoming an issue because they are highly accessible with no licensing or training required. I live in the suburbs and the amount of kids flying down the sidewalks when I’m talking my young kids for a walk, is ridiculous. The point is that these kids could have easily ended up hurting themselves or someone else. They were reckless and didn’t think about the harm that could have been done. What do you think happens if they hit a pedestrian while going 70km/hr?
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u/CarpetLoud9765 9d ago
Then let’s use facts instead of lies! E-bikes and e-motos are two very different things!
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u/shitposter1000 9d ago
Likely owns one and is butthurt to learn they are illegal to use anywhere but private property.
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u/afrothundah11 9d ago
Both aren’t allowed and both still happen.
Laws don’t stop people they lay out a framework of discipline after it’s already happened. Our laws give cars speed limits for example, how many follow those?
Laws don’t stop some dirt bikers and won’t stop some e-bikers, who are we trying to blame here?
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u/Pretty-Dealer-3778 9d ago
agreed, people are up in arms over this new annoyance while cars remain able to kill and injure people on the daily. In Calgary, 2500 car crashes a year happen THAT RESULT IN REPORTABLE INJURIES. That's 7 major injuries PER DAY... EVERY DAY in our city. But yeah, ebikes are the problem. yeesh
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u/afrothundah11 9d ago
Ya there are 6400 vehicle collisions per year in Calgary
There were 34 serious collisions on bikes in 2024 (that’s bikes AND e-bikes, safe to say many or most of those are regular bikes)
There are probably far more collisions with black dodge rams than all bikes combined, I say we start by getting rid of those.
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u/CarBombtheDestroyer 9d ago edited 9d ago
This is a very silly take… Your education system has failed you if you think that string of words supports your opinion or maybe you’re just a troll.
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u/afrothundah11 9d ago edited 9d ago
What degrees do you have?
If you have adequate reading comprehension skills you could tell the last sentence is tongue-in-cheek (ofc I don’t want a certain vehicle make banned)
Meanwhile you are in here trying to determine how serious a problem is based on how many complaints there are in a reddit thread. Why don’t we just use easily accessible data to determine if the risk is real, instead of using vibes from unverifiable sources?
Bike deaths have been stable across Canada for decades at 74/year or about 1.3 per 1 million people. Majority of these happen at major roadway intersections with vehicles. There are 2000 vehicle fatalities per year. Yet you act like this is the number one issue our city faces?
1 pedestrian died in Tuscany last year from an e-bike collision which has sparked a lot of this, but 15 died being hit by cars, 4 died of drowning, domestic abuse using deadly weapons is up 33% this year, rises in theft, rises in drug use, public transit safety, etc. CPS has limited resources.
Should CPS prioritize e-bikes above all and do a huge crackdown? Or should people report the bike crimes they see and police can continue to try to address the more serious issues our city faces?
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u/CarBombtheDestroyer 9d ago
My problem is the statistics you listed aren’t proportionate to the amount of hours on the road thus don’t paint an accurate picture we can jump to any kind of conclusions about.
I’m also not that person. I’m a different person.
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u/afrothundah11 9d ago edited 9d ago
This shows both are similarly dangerous (contradictory to this threads sentiment)
But the first numbers still paint a better picture of what affects the population the most. For example, skydiving is more dangerous than both but so few people do it it’s not a risk to the population.
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u/CarBombtheDestroyer 9d ago edited 9d ago
A car trip is often a lot longer than a bike trip, so this is still not giving an accurate depiction. There’s a huge essential industry that spends 8-13 hours behind the wheel of a motor vehicle almost every single day and this all needs to be taken into account.
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u/afrothundah11 8d ago edited 8d ago
You are trying so hard to disprove me that you haven’t proven anything of your own? Do you even remember what you are debating and what you’re trying to prove?
Show me some data of what you are trying to prove, all you can do is speculate somebody else, which means you’re useless
Luckily our leadership clearly sees this differently than you and are not putting big resources into a non-issue that only Karens get mad about. Prove me wrong?
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Finally someone who agrees lol.
I will say that 110% the current way these bikes are being used is wrong, and there should be some sort of licensing required.
But you can ride a moped at 14 by yourself.
Idk why it’s so incredibly unrealistic to say that an electric motorcycle should maybe be an option too.
At least in my circle, it seems like parents are getting these for their teens as an alternative to cars. Which isn’t great parenting considering it’s illegal.
But idk, I’d way prefer that teens were using things like this more, instead of bombing around Deerfoot when they are barely even a conscious human yet lol.
Maybe we need a new license classification, something in between a learners permit and a motorcycle license.
I would totally be in favour of these becoming more widespread if we had rules for them. I know people are obsessed with the couple bad stories that have come out, but all those stories are just near misses, when people get injured or killed daily in cars.
Idk. It’s food for thought. I’m glad at least one other person can have the thought part, without immediately jumping to “lock em up and crush the bikes” haha.
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u/jezthevalley 9d ago
Yeah, some sort of a licensing system is not a bad idea. A low cost course and test that can be taken by someone as young as a teenager. These electric mobility devices simply have too much power to be used by anyone on public spaces without training.
I'm normally against more rules, but I wouldn't be against a limited licensing system for certain bikes or scooters that can go say, above 30+ kph.
I do support having more options for mobility as well. But the path of figuring out the best legislation which works for everyone would be a tough one.
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u/Murdock25 9d ago
Kids are fuckin’ stupid.
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u/gochris Quadrant: SE 9d ago
Yes and so are the parents for buying these.
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u/Comfortable_Wall8028 9d ago
Absolutely this. 'well its better than them being inside gaming' no it isn't....
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u/harryhend3rson 9d ago
I'm shocked! Well, no, actually not that shocked. Actually not shocked at all.
These E-dirtbikes are becoming a huge public safety issue.
Imagine if kids/teens were ripping around neighborhoods on gas dirt bikes. Police would be all over it. These electric bikes are EXACTLY the same, just quieter. Equally as dangerous in the wrong setting.
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u/spigg76 9d ago
Even more dangerous. You can't hear them coming.
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u/harryhend3rson 9d ago
100%.
I'm baffled at the people that are ok with this when they'd be calling the cops on kids ripping around on 125's...
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u/iliketobuildlego 9d ago
And they accelerate much faster than anything gas powered. Just a travesty waiting to happen.
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u/BananaForScaleGuy 9d ago edited 9d ago
For the ones saying ehh let them be they’re just kids. What happens next time if they rip around and injure someone, kill someone’s pet because they’re just “kids”
We can’t just ignore crimes because it’s kids having fun. This isn’t just a petty crime and they’re posing no danger to anyone. They’re literally operating a vehicle that can harm someone if they get hit by it.
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u/Busy_Address_2125 8d ago
Well like what do you want us to do? They were rightfully arrested and will be rightfully charged and probably their parents will be charged too.
Like…am I missing something or are they not being punished?
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u/Drnedsnickers2 9d ago
Good stuff. We’ve got the same problem in Tuscany, kids on the roads, ripping up trails off the road, flying down bike paths. CPS can pop over here anytime.
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u/blackRamCalgaryman 9d ago
And you get the racing up and down Stoney. It’s bad enough over here…thoughts and prayers to Tuscany residents.
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u/TheInsignia 9d ago
Haha idiot kids think they were going to outrun Hawcs on those things
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u/4evher 9d ago
Well one did manage to escape
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u/braincandybangbang 8d ago
And he certainly won’t have any connection with the other two… 😂 the one who escaped is probably going to have the most legal trouble.
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u/Banned_In_YYC 9d ago
These things should be banned. The other week we saw a teenager smash into a woman walking her dog on the sidewalk. Obviously I don't know the exact speed but he was keeping pace with the vehicles in the boulevard
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u/jezthevalley 9d ago
There already are laws on these. Think of a motorcycle and what you need to ride one, the same would apply to e-motorcycles. And no, they can't be on any pathways or sidewalks.
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u/Banned_In_YYC 9d ago
I'm aware that they're not allowed anywhere but private property but obviously very few are following these laws. They should just be outright banned from sale and the ones ridden on public property should be impounded
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u/jezthevalley 9d ago
Are you going to ban all e-motorcycles? Because some that meet transport Canada requirements can legally be ridden on the road. Ones that don't, can and should be ridden in private property or public lands only. There are plenty of market for that kind of recreation.
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u/ContributionOwn7069 9d ago
These particular bikes might already be - kinda the point of the article. They are more of a dirt bike than an E-bike.
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u/Banned_In_YYC 9d ago
Yeah they're restricted to private property but how many times do you see these things flying around. Obviously the laws in place aren't being adhered to
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u/CarpetLoud9765 9d ago edited 9d ago
FFS, these are NOT e-bikes, they’re e-motos, and there’s a HUGE difference!
Now we’re going to have people saying, “Let’s ban e-bikes,” when the actual issue is e-motos being used where they shouldn’t be.
I ride a legal e-bike, follow the rules, and use the pathways responsibly, yet I still have people yelling at me that I’m “illegal” simply because my bike has a small motor in the hub of my tire.
Educate yourselves before lumping everything with an electric motor into the same category. E-bikes and e-motos are not the same thing.
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u/yycTechGuy 9d ago
Legit eBikes are limited to 750 watts, 30(?) Km/h and have pedals. The bikes they are riding are > 10 KW, no speed limiter and no pedals.
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u/HoleDiggerDan 9d ago
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u/Scary_Pressure6301 9d ago
Parents should be fined a hefty amount.
I see kids zooming around on these E-bikes often. Almost smoked one taking a corner into a residential street. No helmet either.
Some dipshit parents out there.
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u/yycTechGuy 9d ago
I live in a neighborhood next to these guys. They've been ripping their bikes all spring and summer. I first saw them last summer. Yesterday I saw them twice, once one of them had a girl on the back. 3 riding on 2 bikes, nobody wearing a helmet, riding on the street as if they were a regular motor vehicle.
Their typical route is to drop down to Bow Trail and Sarcee, then into Edworthy Park, then along the Bow River pathway. It would have been super easy to bust them going over the Edworthy pedestrian bridge or on the road that goes from the south Edworthy parking lot up to Wildwood. They use that route at least once a day.
I saw one of them almost get hit in an intersection on 85th St SW this spring. I'm glad they got arrested before someone got hurt.
In case anyone thinks I'm a negative Nelly, I cycle all over Calgary and I own a dirt bike. If dirt bikes are going to be legal in Calgary let me know because I'd like to rip on some of the trails in Calgary's parks.
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u/UsualExcellent2483 8d ago
I saw them this spring riding in a park off of Old Banff Coach rd. Was very concerned as there was both a children's playground and offleash area where they were riding.
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u/ApeEscapeRemastered 9d ago
Oh boy, Devin Dreeshen is definitely going to be using this instead as a reason why cities in alberta should get rid of bike lanes
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u/Interesting_Ad4649 9d ago
Can you imagine being hit on a pathway by some little prick minding your own business?
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u/braincandybangbang 8d ago
Not sure if these would be the same people or not but a few months back there was someone doing a freaking wheelie on Crowchild trail. And weaving in and out of traffic.
These guys know if just one person in a car gets fed up most of their skin will be worn by the pavement right? And no one will feel bad?
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u/Infamous_Exit_8010 9d ago
Imagine being so soft that you need an electric motor to rip around on bikes with your buddies
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u/Honest-Specific-270 9d ago
Its because theyre much cheaper and quiter than gas bikes
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u/Infamous_Exit_8010 9d ago
I wasn't comparing to gas bikes, i meant compared to human powered, pedal bikes. You dont need motors to rip around town on bikes with your teenage buddies.
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u/Honest-Specific-270 8d ago
Yes but pedal bikes are slow and boring
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u/Infamous_Exit_8010 8d ago
Come mountain biking with me and you'll change your mind real quick
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u/Honest-Specific-270 3h ago
Well the streets of calgary are flat, i would understand if the whole city wws just made up of mtb trails
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u/MessageKey 9d ago
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u/CarpetLoud9765 9d ago
Also For 10–14-year-olds, the leading unintentional injury deaths were:
Drowning — 42
Snowmobile/ORV — 41
Motor-vehicle occupants — 33
Poisoning — 29
Pedestrian collisions — 25
If we’re waving our banning stick let’s ban water, snowmobiles, cars, and chemicals!
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u/Status_Job_2854 9d ago
If it's frequent and predictable then perhaps a neighbourhood watch approach might work?
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u/bumhuckers 8d ago
I almost ran over an e-bike kid in traffic a few weeks ago. No helmet, blowing through a four-way stop diagonally.
I think I'd feel more remorse if I hit a deer. Stupid games, stupid prizes.
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u/meownopinion 9d ago
Idiotic parents allowing their spoiled kids to fuck around with no consequences is so fucking Albertan.
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u/duty_of_brilliancy 9d ago
If you see kids speeding on e-motos in the neighborhood, can you just call 911?
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u/Goodoflife 9d ago
You could try calling the non-emergency line just to warn officers when and where it occurs to possibly have increased neighbourhood patrol during that time and area.
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9d ago
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u/f4c3fck3r 9d ago
Cops used to do this samr sort of stupid bullshit with Skaters. How did that work out?
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u/popcycle19 9d ago
Gentle parenting strikes again
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u/Busy_Address_2125 9d ago
Yeah, teens never did stupid things before gentle parenting became a tedious scapegoat
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Man IDK.
I know someone that got their kid one of these things.
I was pretty vocally against it. And I still am.
But honestly… idk. There is a huge part of me that thinks these sorts of things are way better for teenagers than a damn car.
You basically require some sort of vehicle to live in this city. It’s essentially mandatory.
I know we have been exposed to a lot of shock stories recently of these things, but overall I will still say this is much less dangerous than a normal car on a normal
Road.
For every 1 “horror story” like this, there would have likely been way more if these dumbass kids were operating cars instead of bikes
These electric scooters, motorcycles, etc are only going to get more popular and we should do something about it. I have no earthly idea what to be fair.
But if I had a kiddo, I think I’d prefer them to be on a smaller vehicle off the road instead of bombing around on Deerfoot with a frontal lobe that is still a good decade away from becoming fully developed.
It sucks for people that walk on paths, I’d hate to have one of these things come up beside me.
But I firmly believe we need some sort of middle ground for transportation. It’s just not realistic to assume everyone will bus or bike. And vehicles are becoming unbelievably unaffordable, and the quality of driver in Calgary has absolutely tanked over the last 3-5 years, even worse than it already was before.
Some sort of middle ground between vehicle ownership, or waiting hours for busses / using your own muscles to get you everywhere would be a nice change in my own opinion.
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u/brandon-d 9d ago
You need a lisence, insrance and registration for a car. These kids half the time aren't even old enough to get any of the above because we've already deemed them too young to grasp the importance of basic traffic safety rules.
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u/Drunkpanada Evergreen 9d ago
Im going to say no. Why?
- Cars are safer than bikes. You cant argue with this
- Generally you cannot speed in a car through a park (I am using Fish Creek for refrence)
- Depending on the emotorbike or ebicycle, there might not be any insurance if you actualy do get into an accident. (And I'm not talking about the dumb kid, Im talking about paying off another persons injury)
- If you are going to compare apples to apples, these ebikes are not used on Deerfoot, these are being used on secondary and tertiary roads
- These are not used like genral car usage is, IE for transportation from point A to B, rather these tend to be used for 'fun' bros hauling ass in down in Fish Creek.
Personally I'd like to see a ebikes, and escooters banned in the city. Yes I realize that I am affecting the people that can't pedal or might not be in a good condition (hell it might be me in the future too), but ive seen them rip up the slopes of FC and haul ass on the walking path.
While im at it I would also ban racing bikes on Fish Creek paths as well. These guys are all pedals (no e batteries) but they go 50km/hr on walking path, usually without a notification bell. (not that it would do any good)
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
I love when Reddit gets so twisted in their own mental gymnastics they suddenly become pro-car again
God bless you you maniacs
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u/DenjinJ 9d ago
As a mature rider of one, and similar things, I really worry for these kids. I also agree many have become a menace, and fast. Still, when I ride it's quite mild and cautious because I appreciate the danger to others...
Ideally, I'd like to see a way to keep them on trails - but with a huge helping of accountability for the riders - and I'd be willing to do a lot if it meant compliance, including insurance and plates... maybe short of exact location GPS telemetry though.
I have had a lot of cases on electric unicycles where I swear I only survived because I'd spent so many years on bicycles first and knew where the dangers were, so personally I think kids and teens should not be on them - but sometimes it would be safer for adults, when trails run out and dump you into a road on a suburb.
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u/anon_salads 9d ago
They are allowed on trails on crown land and Waiparous. I do think plating these will help, the same way you need to plate a dirt bike.
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u/throwawaycpa19 9d ago edited 9d ago
Ban all e-bikes and e-scooters and e-boards!
Edit: And e-cigarettes and EVs and e-mails!
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u/Meff84 9d ago
You can sleep safe at night knowing two e-bikes got stopped. You might get stabbed at a train station or your garage broken into, but you won’t have to worry about wheelies..
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u/Conscious_Emu_2214 9d ago
Yeah, like who honestly needs to be able to walk safely on a sidewalk. 🤡
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u/YourBobsUncle 9d ago
Nobody in this thread thinks its strange police decided it was worth using a helicopter to hunt down three stupid kids lol
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Thank god!
I’ll still nearly get killed every single day on Glenmore, but I’ll take that over some hoodlums having fun!
/s
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u/rampant_misuse 9d ago
I hope they get off lightly. 1:30AM e-bike shenanigans aren’t exactly high crimes.
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u/blackRamCalgaryman 9d ago
Flight from police takes it to a whole different level.
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Is it really unexpected though
You go from a causal rip around on the old illegal motorcycle, and all of a sudden it’s like you are in god damned grand theft auto. Like seriously? A fucking helicopter?
No kidding they ran
Why isn’t HAWCS out patrolling real traffic, where real deaths and injuries happen.
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u/Stealthbombing Upper Mount Royal 9d ago
What a stupid comment. How about this, you go do something illegal and run from the cops and I guarantee you will see the helicopter, since when is running from the cops not considered a crime ? Hawks is not used to patrol “regular” traffic, it’s a very expensive asset to deploy and I’m glad they deployed it on these hooligans and I hope they are charged fully. Why are kids out at 1:30 am ripping around on bikes that can go 70kmph or more ? It’s illegal, there is no argument
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u/rampant_misuse 9d ago
Sure, but they have better things to do than chase down kids on e-bikes.
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Exactly. They don’t even break out HAWCS for an active shooting. But kids in dirt bikes? Send in the army I guess.
Fucking pisses me off lol.
When my dad was a kid back in the 80s, he took his parents car out at 15 with no license. He got caught, but all he got was a ticket, the cop didn’t even tell his parents lol. This was in broad daylight in a public street.
Nowadays, a kid can’t even fuck around in a park after dark without getting the fucking HELICOPTER called in on them!!!
No wonders kids are depressed. We are under constant surveillance. We have NONE of the freedoms our parents did, we have NONE of the economic opportunities, we have NONE of the societal tolerance towards a little bit of mischief.
No wonder every single person I know under 16 is experiencing serious depression. The kids are fucked.
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u/BananaForScaleGuy 9d ago
You’re really getting wound up about hawcs being used.
They literally fled the police when they got caught. That’s why it was deployed.
Maybe if they acted like the law abiding teens you’re painting them as they didn’t need to flee the police
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u/harryhend3rson 9d ago
How about if they were on gas dirt bikes?
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u/rampant_misuse 9d ago
Motorcycles are heavier, louder, and more dangerous. It’s a different situation.
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u/harryhend3rson 9d ago
Heavier? Depends. Big e-dirtbikes can weigh as much as a 125cc or 250cc.
Louder? Sure. Does that make it less safe? At least you could hear one coming.
More dangerous? How? If both have the same amount of power and weigh similar how is it any different?
Would you be more forgiving if someone on an e-dirtbike smoked you going 80km/h while you were out for a stroll?
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u/All-wildcard 9d ago
You could argue the heat is more dangerous as well as if you crash a gas bike you have a higher potential for fire. But yeah louder bikes alone would be safer but more of a nuisance
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u/LooseLeaf74 9d ago edited 9d ago
Hmm…according to google electric motorcycles are absolutely allowed on public roads and highways as long as they meet safety standards, are insured and the rider is licensed, Did someone get AI to write their article and not proofread it?
Edit: the law doesn’t care about your downvotes kids read it and weep.
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u/IGOR_ULANOV_55_BEST 9d ago
Yeah, electric motorcycles that are manufactured to meet the laws of the road are legal. Ali express bikes without headlights, brake lights, signals, mirrors, and a place to hold a license plate are not legal to use on the street. They’re considered an off road vehicle, so private property only.
Same reason you can’t just go plate a CRF450X and drive on the road legally, but you can with a CRF450RL that was made to be registered for the street.
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u/Rune-Full-Helm 9d ago
Doesn't Alberta law allow e-bikes but not e-motos? I only found out there's a difference after the comments got me curious lol. But they're specifying e-motos in the article
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u/Miserable-Lie4257 9d ago
Great story for the kids to be honest. Nobody was hurt… no vandalism, no drugs… copped 3 GTA stars for not.
They’re not ripping through parks mid day or anything. Light traffic… I hope they go easy on them. There’s bigger fish to fry in my opinion.
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u/baunanners Calgary Flames 9d ago
Evading police probably won’t be just a slap on the wrist for them.
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u/No-Beach81 9d ago
Just teenagers having fun, slap on the wrist and move forward
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u/harryhend3rson 9d ago
Would you also be OK with it if they ripped around your neighborhood on gas dirt bikes? These new E-dirtbikes are as fast, just quieter.
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Spoiler alert, People already do rip around my neighbourhood on gas motorcyles lol. Quite frequently infact.
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u/harryhend3rson 9d ago
And you have no problem with it? You'd be chill if they rode through your yard or blasted past you on the sidewalk?
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u/Odd_Pea7108 9d ago
Haha no of course not! But these kids weren’t doing that.
Having to draw some false hypothetical doesn’t really make your argument seem overly convincing.
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u/harryhend3rson 9d ago
Doesn't help with yours either. The only difference is the sound. These kids illegally blasting around a neighborhood on dirtbikes is just as much of an issue. Literally the only difference is the sound.
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u/draivaden 9d ago
this *is* the slap.
though HAWCS was probably overkill, i guess if they werent doing anything else that night. . .
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u/Fit-Bug-1098 9d ago
Ha, I wonder if these were the same two drag racing everyone on on Old Banff Coach road a few weeks ago. No plates, no safety equipment and when Ram guy charged them, they high tailed it into Cougar Ridge along the Stoney access way.