Description

This post regards mo-ped use in the city, both in terms of excessive noise and now, for me, public safety.

On Wed July 18, I was riding my bike up Cambridge Street heading west from Inman Sq. I was in a section that had no bike lane but I was well to the side. Suddenly an extremely loud, high-pitched, ragged noise of a mo-ped burst some distance behind me, maybe coming from the traffic light in Inman Sq, The sound was so loud and distressing, and the speed with which the mo-ped was apparently coming up behind me - was distressing and scary. There was a long stretch between some parked cars to my right so I moved a bit further over to allow this menace to go around me. It continued to whine and scream behind me but would not pass. I glanced behind to see where it was, and when I looked back up I wobbled and crashed, landing face-first on the concrete curb. My face was bashed and my back/neck snapped. A bystander called 911 and I was taken by ambulance to the ER where I got scans and xrays. I have a fracture in my cheekbone, a fracture in my collarbone and a concussion; plus the abject trauma of the accident both in physical and psychological/emotional terms. It could have been so much worse.

The mo-ped did not stop and no one got the plate or description.

I have been disturbed before by the excessive noise of a mo-ped in my neighborhood, but now this noise has moved from irritant and nuisance to dangerous. I am suggesting the city craft more specific laws regarding mo-peds in terms of noise and rules for their use in our city.