This a response to the article which was published on The Beat a couple of months ago "Does Silver City have to be Siren City?" as well as the follow up articles that followed.

I am a resident of Silver City. I ride my electric bikes everywhere. I don't own a car and I ride my bikes every day. Over the past several years, I would venture to say that I have probably ridden more than anyone else in the city - around seven thousand miles on three different bikes. In that time I've been very safe. I've had only two minor accidents in which no other vehicle was involved. In one crash I ran into black ice where there was no street light at night. In the other I was carrying multiple items in my hands while I rode down the street, and I simply fell off the bike.

Within days of the article "Does Silver City have to be Siren City," I was out riding in the middle of the day as usual. I turned left off of Maple Street onto Swan Street and was nearly struck by an ambulance! It was speeding northbound on Swan with its emergency lights on but no siren. I have to assume that the driver or supervisor had been influenced by the above mentioned article. I had to pedal hard to avoid being struck.

I think "Siren City" would be better than "Accident City." In my opinion, emergency personnel need to do what they need to do without concern for the petty annoyances of a few residents. Lives are at stake.

Thanks for your time,

Scott Kennon