Editorial: Jailing for wheelies

When did people become so careless? 

Being taught how to cross the street has apparently gone out the window. Young adults and even children are riding their bikes into oncoming traffic.

We’re sick of it. 

Long Island has some of the most aggressive drivers in the country — why do we have to worry about high schoolers popping a wheelie in front of our cars on a major county road? 

And they don’t care. They laugh it off, make faces or — worse — curse at us like it was our fault they chose to almost kill themselves. 

The worst part is, though, someone is bound to eventually get hurt — something we truly do not want to see. 

But we are grateful to the Suffolk County legislators who are trying their hardest to crack down on people taking advantage of our streets. Whether it’s a child or an adult riding their bike down the hill in a pack, bicyclists have become difficult to deal with.

And that’s sad, because we don’t want to banish or punish them for something so healthy, but there needs to be more communication.

While county Legislator Rudy Sunderman’s (R-Mastic) recent reckless bicycling bill is rather harsh by telling riders that they could face jail time for inappropriate biking, if everyone just listened to their mothers, grandmothers, fathers and teachers to not go near a fast-moving car, then this wouldn’t have been a problem.

And more adults can speak up. In the summer of 2019, officers with the Suffolk County Police Department’s 4th Precinct spoke with TBR News Media about their program to educate reckless bicycle riders. The officers compiled a video with clips of teens creating havoc on Smithtown. The purpose was to use the video to educate parents after officers stop a youth for reckless bicycling.

Even without watching such a video, adults know riding in the middle of a busy street is not safe. Before someone faces jail time, educate your children, speak up to the young people who harass you with their bikes.

Of course, the driver of a 3-ton vehicle will be blamed if someone gets hurt, but that shouldn’t be the case. Bike riders should not be taking advantage of our streets and should not be risking their lives by showing off unnecessary tricks.

We all know what wheelies look like. They’re not original, and we don’t care. 

Be safe.