Personal mobility devices (PMDs) have been in the news a lot lately, with police cracking down on those flouting the rules regarding their usage.

The Sunday Times even conducted their own sting operation on the "growing menace", writing that every single rider on a PMD they observed had broken the speed limit.

Enter a disgruntled reader, Phillip Tan, who felt compelled to share his views on PMDs in a Straits Times forum letter published on July 8, 2019.

The jacket must have the registration number on it

Basically, Tan argued that errant PMD riders who have previously been caught speeding should wear a jacket with the PMD registration number embroidered on it.

Here's a summary of his points:

• A pedestrian hit by a PMD would most likely fall and not be able to see the registration number of the PMD in this commotion.
• Hence, those who have committed a past offence should be forced to wear a white jacket with the PMD's registration number embroidered on it the back "in big, bold black type".
• This will allow someone who has been hit by a PMD to catch their registration number as the offender speeds away.
• People will also be able to discreetly take photos of the speedster, making it easier to catch the offender.

Other solutions

The letter seemed to become a lightning rod for citizen-proposed solutions to the PMD menace, with commenters chipping in with their own ideas:

Ban them!

Of course, there was also a familiar call for an oft-used tactic by law-enforcement in Singapore:

...Or not?

Then there were others who disagreed entirely, highlighting that this suggestion would not be fair to errant PMD riders:

Here is Tan's letter in full:

Make errant PMD riders wear jacket with registration number

A Sunday Times report (Too fast and too reckless, July 7) has revealed that many personal mobility device (PMD) riders ride way beyond the speed limit.

This is particularly dangerous on footpaths and shared paths, as the report also showed that a pedestrian hit by a PMD moving at more than 15kmh would most likely fall.

How, then, would a person who has fallen be able to see the registration number of the offending PMD?

Even a person who is able to remain standing will have difficulty as most PMDs' registration numbers are at the front and the offending PMD would have passed already.

To address this problem, I suggest the authorities make PMD riders caught speeding wear a white jacket with the registration number embroidered on the back in big, bold black type.

These offenders must wear such jackets before being allowed back on footpaths or shared paths.

Another plus in enforcing this is that if the person wearing such a jacket is speeding, one can easily snap a photo of the offender after he has passed you. To take a photo of a speedster when he is approaching you is not practical as he might get into a quarrel with you.

This move to make it easier to catch errant riders might seem a step too far. But nothing should hold back a system if it works.

Phillip Tan Fong Lip

Top image from Pexels and Hollywood Leather Jackets