Editor: In the afternoon on Oct. 26, my wife and I were walking home along King Street after voting at the WISH Centre. On two separate occasions, we were buzzed by young adults on E-scooters.
I am using the term “buzzed” because they approached us silently from behind , travelling very fast, did not slow down and came way too close to us.
I am sure this occurs on a number of sidewalks in our communities.
I have read that Chatham-Kent is not participating in Ontario’s Kick Scooter Pilot project and that locally these E-scooters are only allowed on private property. I was happy to read that the local police are running an awareness and enforcement campaign for the use of these vehicles. I hope when the police encounter a person riding illegally, they take the time to stop and talk with the person.
In 2025 there were six youth deaths in Ontario related to E-scooters and the number of serious injuries is rising exponentially.
I became very concerned for my safety when these E-scooters passed so close to us. I am one of a growing number of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. We are encouraged to stay active to slow the progression of the disease, and walking is a very popular activity, so I try to walk daily. As my disease progresses, maintaining my balance is one of the problems I will encounter. It will not be easy to walk in a straight line all the time and the last thing I need is to stumble just when an E-scooter is flying by.
If these vehicles are going to be on the sidewalks, the riders must respect pedestrians. Slow down, give lots of space and warn them of your approach and don’t assume everyone will be walking in a straight line.
Mike Sinclair
Chatham
