Safah “Sean” Shirzad, manager at Scooter Importer in Alameda, wheels a Sur-Ron Ultra Bee to the lot for a photo. Shirzad said he advises his customers that e-motos are not street-legal, but he’s not sure whether the information lands.
Lea Suzuki/S.F. Chronicle
Regarding “How illegal ‘e-moto’ riding became a dangerous Bay Area teen status symbol” (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, April 4): As a Marin County physician, I have seen firsthand the troubling rise in pediatric injuries related to electric bikes and e-motorcycles at my hospital.
The Chronicle’s recent reporting on Rep. Jared Huffman’s proposed legislation and illegal e-motos as a Bay Area teen status symbol underscores why this issue deserves urgent attention.
California’s recent laws, including Senate Bill 1271 and Assembly Bill 1774, are an important step because they begin to address the device itself, not just rider behavior. That shift is overdue.
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Many products sold as e-bikes now function more like motorized vehicles, yet remain easily accessible to children. If we want to prevent serious injuries, policy must go further: standardized age restrictions, mandatory tracking of injuries and deaths related to e-bikes and e-motos, and meaningful accountability for manufacturers and retailers.
If these devices are powerful enough to cause life-altering trauma, they should be regulated accordingly — not treated as ordinary bicycles under outdated policy.
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Kirsten Jennifer Voss, San Rafael
Change is hard
Regarding “No one did density better than 19th century Paris. This S.F. neighborhood rediscovered that magic formula” (Opinion, SFChronicle.com, April 5): I was surprised that the column lauding Haussmann buildings in Paris didn’t state the obvious parallel to San Francisco: They were highly controversial in their day.
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Critics like Victor Hugo lamented that Georges-Eugène Haussmann was destroying historic Paris architecture, imposing uniformity on neighborhoods and making the city more segregated — similar to criticisms of modern San Francisco development
But there were enormous costs to society for Haussmann buildings; working-class neighborhoods were razed to make room for them.
Perhaps the true lesson of Haussmann is that what is ugly and costly today can become beautiful tomorrow. As much as I love medieval cities, the uniformity of Paris’ 19th century design makes it much more livable as a city.
Olga Musayev, San Francisco
Add speed cameras
Given the success of the speed cameras installed in the city, for generating revenue and reducing traffic-related deaths and other incidents, can we please get them installed on the Bay Bridge?
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It can be downright terrifying to drive across the bridge — in either direction — due to people pretending like it’s a NASCAR speedway.
Let’s put up more cameras at stop lights while we’re at it, to fine all the people who regularly run red lights. Use the money from the tickets to pay for more cameras.
I’ve had it with people treating the city streets and freeways like car-racing video games and holding the rest of us hostage to their dangerous and life-threatening actions.
There are solutions to these problems, ones that are being shown to work, and they aren’t difficult to implement. So let’s get on with it and take back our streets.
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GOP not the answer
Regarding “Give GOP a chance” (Letters to the Editor, April 7): The letter writer points out all the problems he sees California facing and asks, “I mean, seriously, can it get any worse?” I am afraid the answer is, “Yes, it can get way worse.”
Many Americans voted to put a Republican in the White House. Now, the country is facing problems that make California’s seem like a walk in the park.
Democrats are not perfect by any means, but now they are the only party with some integrity, and they are the only party that represents hope for the future.
We must and we can come together to elect a Democrat as our governor.
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Wayward thinking
What’s wrong with this once great country?
How can a third of Americans still believe in President Donald Trump and his nonstop lies, distortions and fantasies?
Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership.
Read more about our transparency and ethics policies
In war, the first victim is truth.
And now American soldiers and innocent Iranians are dying. For what?
Malcolm Odell, Exeter, N.H.