Wheelie Kids

I read with interest and a bit of trepidation your article on the bike kids. Actually, I’m pretty steamed about it.

As an avid cyclist, I often ride down State Street and encounter these riders. I admit I feel pretty scared as a middle-aged woman with a youth-filled teen tearing at me on his back wheels and those huge tires streaming towards me. My experience is that these kids observe no rules about which side of the street to ride on, or have any respect for other cyclists.

We are putting other people in danger? Why is this allowed? In my opinion, this Indy article is totally glorifying that behavior. I have been nearly hit a few times, and then glared at by the kids who cannot hear me shout out with ear buds in their ears making this doubly dangerous. Being hit with one of these big wheeled SE bikes would be a catastrophe for me.

While I’m very glad to hear they will be elsewhere on Wednesdays, I wonder about people out taking a stroll or the many cyclists such as myself put in danger with the wheelie kids tearing up and down State Street.

Please, can we ask for Santa Barbara police to be present to help out those of us observing rules and just trying to enjoy our walks or rides? Let’s set up regular days at SBCC for the kids to ride.

I do agree they need something to do to blow off teenage steam especially during this pandemic. But doing so on State Street is not the answer.

I think this issue needs to be addressed immediately before a serious accident happens.