NEW YORK — It’s happening again: a reported NYPD crackdown on your warm dinner.
But that may be oversimplifying the story.
According to the Daily News, police have registered so many complaints, they’re now compelled to ticket and possibly confiscate those ubiquitous, silent electric scooters and e-bikes frequently used by restaurant delivery employees.
If you’ve ever been famished, waiting for that meal on wheels, this could be bad news. We’re not talking about these motorized scooters.
No, the crackdown is likely because of bikers who ride an e-bike — like the one PIX11 News spotted Friday night riding with one hand on a cellphone, running through red lights.
But let’s face it, those bikes, propelled by a battery-powered motor allow restaurants to expand their delivery range and get dinner to you faster.
Not surprisingly, the restaurant owners PIX11 News approached were not interested in chatting Friday evening. Cops have reportedly been instructed to start handing out Environmental Control Board violations, which carry a $500 fine.
The good news: e-bikes are still selling like hot cakes at bike shops around the city, including NYC eWheels on the Upper East Side, mainly because they’re convenient. And they can help New Yorkers get up a hill without sweating through their suit.
“Absolutely, traffic laws need to be enforced. I don’t think my customers are the folks that are knocking over people. As long as you are riding respectfully, there’s no reason to expect to be ticketed for obeying all the laws,” Peter Yuskaukas of NYC eWheels.
