Errant teenage cyclists have become a growing concern in Singapore, with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) conducting raids on them over the past few months.
In early September, the SPF arrested a 13-year-old boy for public nuisance during a raid on teenage cyclists in Bukit Panjang.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, a teenage cyclist shared a compilation of videos showing a group’s rides around the island.
The post sparked backlash from netizens, who criticised the group for riding recklessly and endangering other road users.
In a Reddit post on r/singaporespeaks on Monday (26 Oct), a netizen reposted the now-deleted video by one of the teen cyclists.
The netizen wrote: “I feel so sorry for their parents.”
The video first opens with a group of teen cyclists posing for the camera.
Source: r/singaporespeaks on Reddit
Subsequently, the video features the teens being chased by police cars and performing stunts on the main roads at night.
Source: r/singaporespeaks on Reddit
Some of the cyclists were filmed speeding down expressways without proper safety gear.
Source: r/singaporespeaks on Reddit
Additionally, the Original Poster (OP) interjected some pictures of news articles about teen cyclists who were arrested.
Source: r/singaporespeaks on Reddit
In one of the clips, some of the teens can even be seen tailgating a cargo lorry.
Source: r/singaporespeaks on Reddit
Later, another teenage cyclist, riding as a passenger, holds a fire extinguisher and sprays the agent into the air.
Apart from bicycles, some of the teens also filmed themselves riding Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) on main roads and expressways.
Source: r/singaporespeaks on Reddit
Soon after the upload, netizens became disappointed and upset by the teenagers’ reckless behaviour.
Many criticised the teenagers for being a “nuisance” on the road, posing a danger to road users.
Some say that “natural selection” will take place, having no empathy for the teen cyclists.
Source: Reddit
However, some netizens defended the teen cyclists, claiming that it is “just a phase” and they would eventually grow out of it.
Despite that, most netizens rebutted the argument, saying the teenagers may lose their lives before getting the chance to grow out of the phase.
Source: Reddit
In a news release on 18 Sept, SPF arrested 27 teenagers during a raid on teenage cyclists in Bukit Panjang.
According to investigations, several teenage cyclists also made nuisance calls to the police emergency line, and they also allegedly used abusive words toward the police officers who responded to the call.
Thus, the feedback prompted a joint enforcement action by SPF and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) against these errant cyclists.
The police conducted checks on 27 teenagers, aged between 12 and 19, of whom 13 are being investigated for various offences.
Additionally, LTA also seized seven non-compliant bicycles and engaged their teenage riders to “raise awareness” of cycling rules and guidelines.
SPF said the authorities take a “serious view” of conduct that compromises public safety and order.
The police will not hesitate to take firm action against those who make nuisance calls to the police or direct abusive words or behaviour towards public servants.
Lastly, the police said SPF and LTA will conduct regular enforcement operations and firmly deal with offenders accordingly.
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Featured image adapted from r/singaporespeaks on Reddit.