"Any parent who buys their child any form of e-bike is a complete idiot" is a rhetorical trick designed to short circuit your critical thinking. 🚩 You don't want to be an idiot, right? So you will reflexively agree with the manipulator.
Replies
Lol the train of logic that goes "I'm not an idiot so I wouldn't do that" (whatever it is) is too often that of folks that aren't exactly critical thinkers
jul 24, 2025, 2:36 am • 0 0 • view
Class 1 ebikes are great for teens.
jul 24, 2025, 12:25 am • 5 0 • view
And everyone
jul 24, 2025, 1:05 am • 3 0 • view
I see so many teens out and about independently on ebikes. 👏🎉👏 It's so much better than if they were given cars, or if their busy parents were chauffeuring them around in a frazzled state
jul 24, 2025, 12:47 am • 14 1 • view
My nephew told me lots of middle schoolers in Redondo and Torrance are riding them
jul 24, 2025, 12:53 am • 0 0 • view
Hermosa and Manhattan Beach, too
jul 24, 2025, 1:00 am • 1 0 • view
Redondo & Hermosa require MS+HS students to complete a 2 hour ebike safety course in order to get a sticker that allows them to park bikes at MS/HS. Younger kids aren't allowed to ride ebikes to school. Their bikes are inspected (no illegal mods or class 3 allowed), brake check, helmet fitted
jul 24, 2025, 2:06 am • 11 0 • view
Kids are riding much more responsibly since the program began. Police say that the egregiously bad ebike riders and drivers (that they stop) are 18+
jul 24, 2025, 2:08 am • 8 0 • view
I believe this, but I still see a lot of teens who don't have helmets and don't seem have a good sense of the rules of the road.
jul 25, 2025, 9:00 pm • 0 0 • view
I believe you, and I also think everyone is better served by these individuals riding bikes instead of driving cars
jul 25, 2025, 9:08 pm • 1 0 • view
I agree, I'm just not sure middle schoolers on e-bikes that go 20-25 mph is the same as "individuals riding bikes". It's more like unlicensed teens riding motorcycles.
jul 25, 2025, 9:10 pm • 0 0 • view
In California, Middle schoolers cannot ride ebikes that go faster than 19 mph and minors are required to wear helmets on all bikes (motorized or not). If they illegally modified their ebikes, the ebikes are confiscated. Our community is serious about kids being autonomous and responsible
jul 25, 2025, 11:08 pm • 1 0 • view
bsky.app/profile/gspe...
jul 24, 2025, 1:57 am • 0 0 • view
"Idiot" is an ad hominem attack which means the speaker has no foundation for their stance other than a personal attack. I do wish this is the more common response, resulting in questioning the manipulator.
jul 24, 2025, 12:08 am • 1 0 • view
I wish, in my climate science career, I didn't have to take classes in how to combat rhetorical tricks. But, it's been useful
jul 24, 2025, 12:14 am • 2 0 • view