Be prepared for a ton of bikes swimming around in the bay :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5e-fhUCxmk
Sad that it took that Youtuber embarrassing OBike to make any attempt to retrieve their bikes (47 in one trip, @5:15 into the video).
Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
221–230 of 299 posts
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#222Earlier quoted context omitted.
> there is a lack of respect for property Australians lack respect not just for (other's) property but for other people and society in general. In my opinion, Australians on the whole are rude and selfish.
On the contrary, I find most Aussies to be helpful and friendly people. Rude, perhaps, but friendly. I guess it depends on where you live. South Eastern and Central Melbourne is a much nicer are than Bendigo (I assume you've at least been to Bendigo given your username).
No, Aussies have a bit of a "larrikin" streak, to use the polite term.
As an Aussie, I'd term is as bordering on obnoxious and irresponsible at times - and it saddens me to write this.
Whether in Europe, South America, or Asia, everybody has a funny story about what we've allegedly done - whether it's pissing on the eternal flame in Paris, stupid stunts with climbing temples in Cambodia, trying to plank on idiotic places in Singapore hotel balconies, or just general pranks.
My parents are originally from Singapore, and like it or not, they at least have the law and order thing down pat.
Look at the mess we've made with shopping trolleys from Coles/Woolworths...
So don't blame the bike companies for us deciding to do stupid things with their property.
It's like somebody blaming a shop for graffiti, because they left their wall empty...
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#223Earlier quoted context omitted.
OBike has been a shocking failure in Australia. Not necessarily from a business perspective, but from an environmental one. Because they aren't physically locked onto anything, it has become a game to see what stupid place you can put an OBike. Recently they fished a couple of dozen out of the Yarra River. People think it's amusing to just abuse them. Half of them have the wheel lock broken off them, so they're free…
> OBike seems to work a lot better in Singapore, where people have respect for property. Um... nope. It's just as bad in Singapore. https://mashable.com/2017/10/05/singapore-designated-parking... Stop blaming Australians for being fed up with companies who use littering as a business model. These shitty bikes are all over the public footpaths here and people are tired of it.
Sorry, but this is just being shifty and irresponsible. And how are they using littering as a business model? The bloody twats who are picking these up without paying and dumping them in a creek are the ones littering - it's like blaming the shopping centre for you stealing, because they had stuff for you to steal.
Look at the mess Aussies have made with shopping trolleys from Coles/Woolworths. The supermarkets got so fed up they implemented locks on the wheels - nearly every supermarket here does this now.
The only reason the bikes are worse is because they're lighter/easier to move than trolleys, and the locks aren't as hard to overcome as for trolleys.
That, and Australia is in general very un-bike friendly. It's a cultural thing - we love our V6/V8 engines, our big SUVs, and our giant McMansions - we essentially copy the US in those traits. You compare this to say, Europe, or Japan which tend to be much more bike friendly.
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#224There's a lot of room for improvement over the new wave of bike startups. I had shockingly bad experiences with OBike - extremely inaccurate locations for their bikes, broken seat, zero response from support when I explained I couldn't lock the bike, and apparently no restrictions in the whole country, so bikes end up all over the country as well as in people's residences or workplaces (not to mention canals and rive…
NYC's Citi Bike started out terribly. But they've improved in leaps and bounds since inception: Better bikes that are rarely broken (some with the really cool NuVinci continuously variable gears), better app, more up-to-date stats on available bikes and docks, good manual rebalancing and community incentives to rebalance (Bike Angels), valet at crowded stations.... to name a few improvements.
They've had to raise their price almost every year - but at $180/year its still a steal.
When Uber came to NYC I (wrongly) thought that it wasn't going to have such a great impact because of the sheer number of yellow cabs that were never that far away. My initial feeling about Uber Bike if it comes to NYC is that it would be great - and help boost bike rider numbers.
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#225Earlier quoted context omitted.
On the contrary, I find most Aussies to be helpful and friendly people. Rude, perhaps, but friendly. I guess it depends on where you live. South Eastern and Central Melbourne is a much nicer are than Bendigo (I assume you've at least been to Bendigo given your username).
No, Aussies have a bit of a "larrikin" streak, to use the polite term. As an Aussie, I'd term is as bordering on obnoxious and irresponsible at times - and it saddens me to write this. Whether in Europe, South America, or Asia, everybody has a funny story about what we've allegedly done - whether it's pissing on the eternal flame in Paris, stupid stunts with climbing temples in Cambodia, trying to plank on idiotic pl…
I think you've replied to the wrong comment? I agree with you, you can't blame obikes littering for people throwing them in rivers and on roofs.
You're damn right about Aussies (and also Brits and Kiwis) having stories about doing dumb shit overseas. It's almost a point of national pride, "hey, let me tell you about this time I disrespected an entire culture by pissing in an inappropriate location while pissed!".
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#226Earlier quoted context omitted.
I live in Seattle.
Maybe you're ok with a dozen+ orange, green, and yellow bikes intermittently on your corner, in front of your house, or strewn on the paths of public parks. I'm not.
The bikes are obnoxious, but I confess that the cars are just as obnoxious when you first start letting people park on the street. "Clean" lines typically means nothing there. And it does have a pleasantness that is hard to state.
I say this as someone that now lives somewhere where everyone parks on the street in front of their house. For me, I loved the month or so we didn't have a car, because it was actually somewhat likely that there would be no car in front of our house.
None of this is to defend the bikes that are being left everywhere. Just trying to strengthen the thought that the cars are just as obnoxious, but we have grown to accept that. If anything, I fear we will grow to accept these bikes. I'm still hopeful that the bikes will actually get used and not just strewn about.
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#227Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The "eyesore" factor is a trivial downside compared to the massive convenience of just being able to park the bike anywhere. You're saying the problems they cause other people matter less than the convenience they give to you?
Why are colorful bikes left on sidewalks an eyesore, but rows and rows of cars parked next to sidewalks not?
I mean, everyone up-thread says "eyesore", but there are other concerns as well.
Chaining a bike to a random object can be a necessity; not everywhere has any bike racks, let alone ones anywhere near where you need them. Chaining a bike to a random object can be perfectly fine.
But people also chain bikes in ways that block access to sidewalks, buildings, and other bits and pieces of the public spaces. It may not be intentional; the way other people use spaces may be different from yours, and it may not be obvious that locking your bike to a particular place may make life more difficult for other people.
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#228Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is finding bike parking a problem there? If not, why does it matter? "Abusing" is a strong word. How about "using them for what they were made to do without breaking any law or social contract".
Yes. It's abuse because Uber presumably have a lot of bikes they would like to inject into the system. Every bike displaces one available parking spot. Suppose there's a small town with one bike lot at the library. Everyone keeps their bike at home except to go to the library. Does the use of those bike spots affect the public? Yes. Would it be okay if Enterprise Car Rental used public spaces to hold their inventory?…
You're arguing an invalid point. As a cyclist, I never have a problem finding a place to park.
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#229Earlier quoted context omitted.
On the contrary, I find most Aussies to be helpful and friendly people. Rude, perhaps, but friendly. I guess it depends on where you live. South Eastern and Central Melbourne is a much nicer are than Bendigo (I assume you've at least been to Bendigo given your username).
No, Aussies have a bit of a "larrikin" streak, to use the polite term. As an Aussie, I'd term is as bordering on obnoxious and irresponsible at times - and it saddens me to write this. Whether in Europe, South America, or Asia, everybody has a funny story about what we've allegedly done - whether it's pissing on the eternal flame in Paris, stupid stunts with climbing temples in Cambodia, trying to plank on idiotic pl…
> My parents are originally from Singapore, and like it or not, they at least have the law and order thing down pat.
I am prepared to put up with a bit of 'larrikinism' if the alternative is a society where nobody ever questions/breaks the rules.
Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore
#230Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is finding bike parking a problem there? If not, why does it matter? "Abusing" is a strong word. How about "using them for what they were made to do without breaking any law or social contract".
Yes. It's abuse because Uber presumably have a lot of bikes they would like to inject into the system. Every bike displaces one available parking spot. Suppose there's a small town with one bike lot at the library. Everyone keeps their bike at home except to go to the library. Does the use of those bike spots affect the public? Yes. Would it be okay if Enterprise Car Rental used public spaces to hold their inventory?…
> Would it be okay if Enterprise Car Rental used public spaces to hold their inventory? No. That's not how rental companies work.
That’s exactly how car sharing works in my city. Originally they had designated spaces, but after a year or so they switched to allowing you to park in any public parking space (and some private) within the city center.