Menaced by moped mayhem in Manhattan

 Blitzed. 

That's the only word for it. A recent visit, as pedestrians, to New York City left my wife and I feeling like targets of an aggressive army -- of scooters and electric bicycles. 

You can drive your car or take a taxi in Manhattan, but often you will not move much faster than you would on your own two feet. 

New York drivers do their best to speed things along by honking their horns in frustration, but traffic congestion prevents attaining much momentum. 

Scooters and electric bicycles don't just keep up with traffic, however. 

They beat it, sometimes faster than speed limits, and sometimes by blowing lights, using sidewalks, and running through and against traffic. 

Mind you, riders are highly skilled. Their antics look like the fruit of plenty of practice and too much bravery.

To them, pedestrians are no more than traffic cones. Yet I can't say I personally suffered a near miss in three days of walking around. These guys are good.

They also are probably unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured, and likely undocumented. I couldn't spot a license plate on any of the mopeds or scooters, gas or electric, that shot past me.

This much is sure: if I do get hit I won't see it coming, won't have time to dodge, and won't have any recourse.

New York City recently cracked down on unregistered motorcycles and scooters, but no law enforcement effort could really curb the mayhem. How would officers even catch up to a misbehaving rider?

Checking registrations, though, is a possibility, and cities are trying.

"In New York City, authorities have seized 13,000 scooters and mopeds so far this year...," the Associated Press reported.

"They crushed more than 200 illegal mopeds and other delivery vehicles (on a single day). Authorities in Washington, D.C., meanwhile, launched a program... called Operation Ride Right to ensure drivers of two-wheeled vehicles are complying with the law. (In the first week) authorities have made five arrets and impounded 17 mopeds."

In contrast to the scooters, the riders of actual full-size motorcycles in Manhattan appeared to me to be law abiding. They displayed license plates and even tended to park legally, seemingly something no scooterist bothers to do.

As a result, of course, a real motorcycle looks to me to be no quicker getting through mid-town traffic than an automobile.

For commuters there's a solution to this, already in place and functioning in Manhattan.

It's called a subway, and it took us everywhere we wanted to go with promptness and even air conditioning. As a bonus, it is incredibly cheap to ride and you never need to find a place to park it

OK, I know the subway doesn't work for everyone. And I know that door-dash delivery riders serve a function I can't see getting done any other way.

Riders ought to obey the laws, however.

Some laws could use strengthening, to address changes in what some call "mini-mobility."

There is a New York City E-Vehicle Safety Alliance that advocates for licensing, registration and limitations on where electric bicycles and scooters can go. Some proposals the group backs would affect gas mopeds as well, confiscating any that display no plate, or a forged plate.

The changes the group wants would make it easier to enforce safety. It suggests that delivery ap riders wear individual identifying numbers on the back of reflective jackets. In case of mishap there would be punishment for both rider and ap.

That might encourage a welcome bit of caution.