A driver in the Sunset recently shared a close call: kids on e-bikes sailed through a stop sign at an intersection where the cross street had no stop, nearly causing a serious collision. The kicker? The kids immediately accused the driver of being on their phone. Classic deflection from someone who just ran a stop sign on a vehicle they're barely old enough to operate.

Let's be clear about the facts here. The driver had the right of way. The kids didn't stop. Multiple people on the street could see this wasn't even a close call in terms of fault.

As one local put it bluntly: "I just love how e-bikes essentially put every moron and stupid child on a motorcycle with zero training or discipline or requirements. Brilliant oversight and parenting overall."

Hard to argue with that. E-bikes can hit 20-28 mph, and we've decided that literally anyone — including unsupervised minors — can hop on one with zero licensing, zero training, and zero accountability. We regulate lemonade stands more aggressively than this.

Now, some folks will point out — fairly — that the quiet residential streets of the Sunset have always been places where kids play, and drivers should be cautious. That's true. Driving 25 in a residential zone and staying alert is the bare minimum. But that argument cuts both ways. You can't demand drivers be hyper-vigilant while giving cyclists and e-bike riders a blanket pass to ignore stop signs.

This is ultimately a failure on two fronts. First, parenting. If your kid is riding an e-bike on city streets, you'd better make sure they understand traffic laws before they end up as a hood ornament. Second, enforcement. San Francisco has essentially adopted a "laws are suggestions" approach to cycling enforcement. One SF resident nailed it: the city needs to "enforce ALL public road laws," not just the ones that apply to cars.

The good news? Nobody got hurt this time. The bad news? "This time" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. It's only a matter of time before one of these incidents doesn't end with an angry social media post but with an ambulance.

Parents: talk to your kids. City Hall: enforce the laws you already have on the books. It shouldn't take a tragedy to make either of those things happen.