JANESVILLE — Parents are often disappointed in their kids these days as teen phone use has skyrocketed. Luckily, for Janesville parents, a new mode of transportation has kids out and about more often.

The Rock County area is the latest community to see an uptick in electric scooters for children.

While some residents have complained about the potential dangers of riding on roadways at speeds up to 25 mph, we simply have to disagree. Twelve-year-olds riding across Milton Avenue with no helmets or other safety equipment simply look too cool to stop because of some jealous complaints.

Parents are agreeing.

“Before our son Nathan started riding his electric scooter, he had no friends or social life to speak of,” said Darcy Blakes of Janesville. “However, earlier this week, a bunch of his ‘scooter buddies’ got together to support Nathan when he was going through a hard time.”

Blakes later said that the “hard time” that she had mentioned was Nathan’s recent hospital stay after a freak scooter accident which caused him to lose feeling in his lower extremities.

It is clear that some over-concerned neighbors need to just mind their own business and let kids be kids.

Back in the 70’s and 80’s, teens and older kids were allowed to roam free with their bicycles all around the city, and nothing bad ever happened to them. There certainly weren’t six times the amount of child bicycle crash deaths in 1975 compared to today. That would be an oddly specific number to reference.

We at the Janesville Globe 100% support the use of electric scooters in any and every manner possible. And the next time you see a child with no helmet on riding the scooter 25 mph when the crosswalk says stop, just look the other way. That kid is on their way to greatness, or the emergency room, most likely.