I see a lot of comments about enforcement, (or lack of enforcement). It seems that the consensus is that a law that isn’t being actively enforced can be ignored. That mindset doesn’t hold up if there is an accident. If you find yourself in court and it turns out that you were knowingly violating the law, you are pretty much screwed, especially if it is a civil case. Think of someone that always gets away with driving around after having four beers. They don’t get pulled over, but then they hit a pedestrian or have any sort of accident. If they are over the legal limit, everything changes. The same thing can happen if you have a mishap while riding where your type of bike doesn’t belong.
Maybe we should consider obeying the law because it is there for the common good rather than just thumbing our noses at the laws because they are hard to enforce and we are getting away with it. For the record, on the rare occasion that I ride on an MUP, I don’t want to have to put up with a bunch of yahoos that are clowning around on their little electric dirt bikes.
A video was posted on this forum recently showing a large group of unclassed “ebike” riders in Maryland. They were going off the path and had no regard for the place where they were riding, but they seemed to feel that they were victims when the were stopped. Instead of having their bikes confiscated and being fined, they got off easy with a few getting warnings. Other videos show groups riding what are basically electric dirt bikes on public paths, riding off onto the grass, riding way too fast and often riding wheelies, even when riding near pedestrians And giggling like a bunch of little kids.
I don’t care if someone with a class 2 or 3 rides where only class 1 is allowed as long as they are riding their bike as if it was a class 1, but that same rider has nothing to complain about if they get caught. That is is risk that they choose to take. I do have an issue with people that are riding these little electric dirt bikes that can ruin it for everyone.