For the editor,

I am the owner of AI Rides LLC, a personal electric vehicle repair and sales store, located in the South Bronx off Bruckner Boulevard at 132nd Street and St Ann Avenue. I became the owner of this business in August 2021 and since then I have been welcomed with open arms and flowing traffic.

My business is not located in any storefronts, so all my business is by appointment only. The only way to find my business online right now is to search Google Maps for personal electric vehicles and bike repairs. I fear that a bill in Congress will negatively impact and potentially end any growth for my small business and many others who cannot afford storefronts or pay for large ads placing them at the forefront of Google searches.

The clients I receive via the Internet allow my business to continue to operate. Passing the American Choice and Innovation Online Act in Congress will go against everything I have worked hard to build.

I understand that the House and Senate are considering passing this bill, which would not allow Google searches to contain Google Maps in the results. Given that the Senate Majority Leader is our one and only Senator Chuck Schumer, I strongly urge him to consider the devastating impact this could have on small businesses like mine.

New York City has just recovered from the pandemic. I think we should reconsider doing anything, even inadvertently, to harm small businesses in New York.

Samuel Pacheco