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State Police curb number of scooters in Southwest Corridor Park

Seized scooters about to be towed away

Seized scooters about to be towed away. Photo by State Police.

State Police report impounding 14 scooters along the Southwest Corridor Park - as their riders were having some dinner in a local restaurant - Tuesday night.

State Police say two troopers from the department's motorcycle unit cataloged scooters that were either large enough to be registered or weren't or that were owned by people who who didn't have licenses, along the linear park from Dartmouth Street through the Fenway around 8 p.m.

The two Troopers cited the operators, who at the time were inside an establishment having a meal.

State Police add the troopers "received many thanks from passersby and residents as the mopeds were secured, and towed from the area."

Neighborhoods: 


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Comments

Imagine if cops put effort into their jobs every day instead of just for a day or two after a politician brings up an issue or someone is killed by a driver.

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Because nobody ever complains when they do, right? lmao

As for those "politicians" you speak of, who the hell do you think sets the priorities for law enforcement? I'll give you a clue: it's not the individual street cop. You get what you vote for.

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n/t

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But why would Ed tell the cops not to enforce the laws? That just seems so reckless!

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I never trust anyone who says "trust me."

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As for those "politicians" you speak of, who the hell do you think sets the priorities for law enforcement? I'll give you a clue: it's not the individual street cop. You get what you vote for.

Did you mean those politicians EXCEPT Ed?

law enforcement priorities? Ed Flynn isn't the only politician in Boston and certainly not the majority.

You said politicians set law enforcement policy in response to someone complaining about cops not enforcing the law enough. I agree! So that certainly includes, among others, Ed Flynn!

Again, why would he do that? That's so reckless!

Didn't he just have a public meeting about road safety and picked selective testimony favorable to his position?

Yes, I said, politicians. I did not say "all politicians." You said Ed Flynn--I didn't. But I didn't know setting law enforcement policies and priorities was reckless. Why is it reckless to set law enforcement priorities? I'll give you another a free spin. Make it good.

Cops could literally just sit outside Chick-fil-A in Copley and get hundreds within the first day.

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When literally not answering calls for citizens beating their wives and kids, shooting each other, stabbing each other, stealing from each other, overdosing, preying on kids, assaulting people, destroying property and...you get the picture. Maybe.

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Just two State Troopers handled this incident @eddie. Did you read the story or just the headline?

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They enforce traffic and laws on state property.

Shootings are down close to 50% this year, so we're running at about one shooting every five days.

Also down (although not by as much %-wise) are rape, robbery, assault (domestic and non), residential burglary, larceny from motor vehicle and auto theft. Commercial burglary and "other larceny" are up, though.

What I'm trying to say is that despite whatever you may see on the news in Tewksbury, there's not an epidemic of murder and mayhem in Boston, and most of the child predation occurs in the Church anyway.

As other posters point out, there are a lot of police.

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I know that the police department is (severely) understaffed. You should know that too, but you clearly don't. Lemme guess, yuppie blow-in? Despite what you don't see from your armchair, there are PLENTY of police calls to keep officers running. And whom do you think keeps the crime rate in check? It's just a miracle, right? lmao

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While scofflaw drivers freely sped past the scene.

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Those damned scofflaws "speeding" down Boylston Street - cause it's always an open roadway with no traffic. I see them hauling ass all the time...at 14 MPH. Sometimes even as fast as 25!

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… with the Southwest Corridor?

Sounds like you’ve never even been on Boylston Street.

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Do cars drive on the Southwest Corridor? I thought it was all peds and bikes?

…. did someone say cars drive on the Southwest corridor?

speed down the Southwest Corridor? Sounds like you've never been there. Boylston Street has also been a focus of this problem. Other than the occasional police or maintenance vehicle, you won't find cars in SW corridor, and they won't be speeding. Spin again.

The two Troopers were able to identify dozens mopeds and scooters that were improperly registered or being operated by unlicensed individuals. The two Troopers cited the operators, who at the time were inside an establishment having a meal.

They were inside a business eating a meal...but were cited for operating a vehicle without a license.

Cool. That should get thrown out on its face and their property returned to them.

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As soon as they get proper registration. The registration aspect can get the mopeds impounded.

And I would assume that they will only be released to properly licensed individuals.

From what I've been told, it's tough for the cops to do anything about unregistered mopeds being operated by unlicensed individuals. I'm glad they were able to do at least this.

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Nails and ball bearings exist.

Any unregistered vehicle can be impounded, no?

because cops aren't allowed to chase scooters or mopeds. And the moped/scooter operators know this...

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95% chance they didn't own these scooters and/or can't prove ownership.

But even the operating without a license isn't a difficult thing to prove.

As the trooper tags and tows each bike, if the owner comes up and wants to claim it, you ask for a license and simply cite them because you know they had to have driven it there.

Operating without a license on a moped or scooter is only a $30 fine anyway.

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Have been suspended until 2066.

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Oh. My Doordash delivery order will probably be late with 14 fewer drivers out there!

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Because if they can’t beat drivers, they join them.

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Good riddance sez crankmeister magoo

Awe shucks sez compassionate magoo.
Magoo.

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I've grown VERY tired of these "scooters". A good chunk of these should be registered as a vehicle. They are too big, have too much HP, and lack a pedal to fall under the moped law (which really needs to be updated!)

They zoom everywhere. I literally was just crossing the street an hour ago and one comes zooming by and nearly clipped me. I wish I had clotheslined the fucker.

They don't follow traffic laws. They drive in pedestrian zones and on sidewalks. They drive on pathways meant for bikes and pedestrians.The owners soup them up with LOUD exhausts so you can hear blocks away. They are becoming a nuisance and more prevalent.

But they are attractive to some people because you don't have to register them and they go fast (so no one will catch you). And a good number of them.. especially the ones in front of CFA @ Copley and Shake Shack in DTX all wear 'masks' so they can do whatever they want and not be ID'd. (Sorry folks, COVID isn't an excuse anymore to wear a "do rag" over your face. If you are doing that, you are up to no good b/c you don't want to be ID'd)

I am very surprised these delivery companies do not require them to be plated and registered (with insurance). But then again... these companies tend to do a blind eye at this stuff.

So yeah, more of this please.

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You've been on this website long enough.

On on side are the folks that insist that automobiles, and specifically their drivers, are the worst thing around. Lawbreaking abounds with those people.

On the other side are the people who distain the entitlement of bicyclists, who do things like run red lights.

Surely, one unifying item is scooters. As dangerous and polluting as a car, and driven by the most entitled of riders. The riders literally do things that the worst of car drivers and the worst of bicyclists could only dream of doing.

I don't know how to solve this one, but I'd love to see a solution. Mopeds are somehow rationally ridden in other parts of the world, but certainly not in Boston.

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Cybah, like ....bicycles???

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You also might be surprised to learn that I have been looking at eBike's to buy one to commute to work lately too.

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There are gas-powered sit-down things like the ones confiscated here, which I think are the same thing as "mopeds".

Then there are electric scooters, which you stand up on while riding. These often go too fast to be safe for use on sidewalks, but they're fine in the street.

And then there are non-motorized kick scooters, which are totally harmless except possibly to their users.

I wish there were different words for different things.

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.

With the addition of e-bikes, there is a huge spectrum of powered cycles now. e-bikes were simple, pedal-assisted bikes at one time, but now they can be 100+ lbs and capable of 30+ mph. They may have pedals, but who's going to pedal a 100 lb bike when you have a throttle right at your thumb? Nobody.

The legality of all these different types of vehicles seems like a huge gray area.

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They do this to keep them legal. Considering how light they are it is weird that they have speed governors but cars and scooters don't

So, you think ebikes can't go faster than 28, huh? Is this a joke? And you think all ebikes are light? Is 100 lbs light?

The speed limit is controlled by software, and in a lot of cases it can be overridden. One manufacturer of those 100+ lb fat ebikes, Ariel, has an app. The ebike comes delivered with the appropriate speed limitations, however that can be changed thru the app to be unlimited. That's just one bike, similar means can change the max speed in other ebikes. It's a joke. Nothng like doing a sedate ride on a bike path when an e-motorcycle flies by you and yells at you to stay on the right.

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Most people have no idea how to change that. Of course they don't even try to govern the speed of cars or motorcycles, but blame those ebikes.

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...but there is a pretty wide audience that does care and it's as simple as a google search. Then, you have a bunch of idiots terrorizing the streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, etc.

Govern actual motor vehicles? It's called "speed limits". But sure, write a letter to your reps suggesting that motor vehicles should have speed limiters on them. Guaranteed that letter ends up posted on The Wall of Hysterically Stupid Requests from our Constituents. They need a good laugh.

FWIW, I think e-bikes are great. We just got one for my wife. A lot of people that would not ordinarily ride a bike are riding now. And longtime riders can keep riding longer. That's fantastic. Like I said earlier, the issue is that some ebikes have crossed the line.

Now, go write that letter.

I guess you might with the car bias. They removed the concrete barriers for the bike lanes in boston because it caused too much body work. Never mind the 2 or 3 lives it saved. How many cars would hit buildings if they could not exceed the speed limit?

Let us know what happens.

And, what have barriers got to do with speed limiters?

You write the letter.

That's a stretch. A car can go 60 mph regardless of whether there's barriers or not. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it's a fact. Yes, bikes are protected and that's good, but it nothing to do with slowing vehicles down. Your logic is apples vs goats kind of logic.

Look, I'm an avid cyclist and promote measures for safe cycling, so don't paint me as some whacko swrlly bro machine nutjob.

“ so don't paint me as some whacko swrlly bro machine nutjob “

Ok, whatever you are though, you are clever with words. .

Explain

Going 60 miles an hour in a single lane bordered by concrete or vehicles? Ok wear a helmet.