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Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

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Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#291

Post by lmm »

bbarn wrote: post #285
lmm wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whenever an easier way of doing something people have built their identity around comes along, people who've built their identity around the hard thing see the new thing as cheating/bad.

I don't care about any of that. I'm fat and old now. I care about the danger of very high speed users who don't have the skill to handle their machines in close quarters with me, my wife, my kid on the bike paths.

Realistically e-bikes as they're being sold - limited to 20 - don't present any more danger of that than conventional bikes. Of course it's possible for an unskilled user to go faster than they can handle, but that's always been possible on a conventional bike too.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#292

Post by rtpg »

darkstar999 wrote: post #287
rtpg wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The parking spaces are meant to be used as a public good. Uber is taking this space and using it as commercial storage. It's the same as if someone shoes up to a public beach and starts laying towels and beach chairs everywhere, and then charges people to use the beach chairs. Or if someone started using water fountains to fill up water bottles to sell at the park. There's a pretty common notion that if you're using…

What about taxis clogging up public roads with their private service?

that's why there are medallions?

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#293

Post by PhasmaFelis »

flukus wrote: post #231
neumann wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh god yes. I live near a small creek in central melbourne. My morning commute passes usually 3-4 newly trashed O-bikes that have been ghostied into the creek, or recently fished out by a neighbour. I recently spotted a guy with a super nice camera stalking the riverbank and jokingly asked him if he was O-bike spotting. He replied that he was, I pointed him to two submerged on the other bank and he said he was making…

> At this point, I wonder what their business model is. Same as silicon valley, keep growing to attract more and more venture capital, worry about profitability later.

Step 1: Build user base. Step 3: Profit.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#294

Post by jakecopp »

Jedi72 wrote: post #229
victorhooi wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Like these ridiculous laws in Sydney:

- Riding without a bicycle helmet: $319 - Riding furiously, recklessly or negligently (whatever that means): $425 - Cycling on footpath and over 12 years of age: $106

I wonder if the laws are because Australians are "larrikins" or the other way around.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#295

Post by jakecopp »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #252
megablast wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So it works badly where you live, but works well in another location you have no idea about? Thanks for your logical feedback.

If you must know, I swapped notes with my friend who lives in Singapore. People in Singapore have much more respect for the rules and following the rules, plus the consequences are more severe for breaking the rules. Meanwhile in Australia, bending and breaking the rules is a national sport. Also, the consequences for breaking the rules are much less severe. If a cop caught you throwing a bike into a tree or some oth…

- Riding without a bicycle helmet: $319

- Riding furiously, recklessly or negligently (whatever that means): $425

- Cycling on footpath and over 12 years of age: $106

And people wonder why Australians break laws, these are fines in NSW (which includes Sydney).

Trundling down the footpath to the shops on a Sunday morning: $425 fine! No wonder Sydney is so car centric.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#296

Post by skrebbel »

bbarn wrote: post #284
skrebbel wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't even mind the e-bike trend as much as some people Taking this off topic but.. what? Why would anyone "mind" e-bikes? I recognize that you and me are probably in very different filter bubbles but everyone I know is either ambivalent to them or a fan (and owner). Here in NL bike commutes certainly increased. People used to mostly commute within their city, but now that e-bikes don't suck, I know several peopl…

You're missing a few things. One, bike paths here are designed for low speed traffic, and narrow. In the last two years I've seen a lot of crashes from ebikes on the bike path I ride to work. Two, they are practically motor cycles now. Bigger tires, bigger helmets, faster speeds, all that, and no licensing required. That's on roads. The off road side it is trail damage, people getting stuck out in places they normall…

Thanks!

In fact I don't even recognize the e-bikes you describe. Our e-bikes are normal city bikes (i.e. not sports bikes) but with a battery stashed somewhere.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#297

Post by SideburnsOfDoom »

mseebach wrote: post #261
SideburnsOfDoom wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The .... who are picking these up without paying and dumping them in a creek are the ones littering Correct, though the term used for enabling this kind of bad behaviour, as the bike company is doing, is "creating an attractive nuisance" and it's not blameless. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attractive_nuisance_doctrine

No, this does not apply at all . > It states that a landowner may be held liable for injuries to children trespassing on the land if the injury is caused by an object on the land that is likely to attract children. The doctrine is designed to protect children who are unable to appreciate the risk posed by the object, by imposing a liability on the landowner. People stealing and vandalising bikes aren't children wande…

> People stealing and vandalising bikes aren't children wandering into a hazard.

There are differences, and there are similarities. I have heard "attractive nuisance" used (not in a legal context) in a looser sense that covers this case - ie. when you can legitimately ask "well, what else did you think was going to happen?"

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#298

Post by mseebach »

SideburnsOfDoom wrote: post #297
mseebach wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, this does not apply at all . > It states that a landowner may be held liable for injuries to children trespassing on the land if the injury is caused by an object on the land that is likely to attract children. The doctrine is designed to protect children who are unable to appreciate the risk posed by the object, by imposing a liability on the landowner. People stealing and vandalising bikes aren't children wande…

> People stealing and vandalising bikes aren't children wandering into a hazard. There are differences, and there are similarities. I have heard "attractive nuisance" used (not in a legal context) in a looser sense that covers this case - ie. when you can legitimately ask "well, what else did you think was going to happen?"

> I have heard "attractive nuisance" used (not in a legal context)

Well, you linked to the legal context, so you'll have to excuse me for misunderstanding.

> "well, what else did you think was going to happen?"

People not stealing bikes, vandalising them and throwing them in nature? Do we really have to invent pseudo-legalities to get around the simple fact that people doing this are utter assholes (and criminals), regardless of whether the company providing these bikes have behaved perfectly?

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#299

Post by cardern »

komali2 wrote: post #169
txcwpalpha wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The most convenient aspect of this service is that you can drop off the scooter anywhere you want, there are no designated drop off zones, which is a true solution to the last mile problem. In Dallas, there are 6 different bikeshare companies that all operate with this model of "leave the bike where ever you want when done", and it's resulted in most of the city reviling all of the bikeshare companies. The bikes end…

I wonder if this could be explained as a culture difference - speaking as a native Texan turned San Francisco resident, it is my feeling (unbacked by any other data) that here the community is more communal - compliance with recycling/compost is greater, shared resources seem cleaner / more respected (I don't see dockless bikes or Scoots left strewn around), and even in traffic people generally defer to letting someo…

No I think the tragedy of the commons would still take hold in SF without some kind of penalty in place (either by the company or by the government, or both) for leaving the bike in a bad spot. Of course this will require a method of enforcement as well.
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