Yellow Bikes on Campus

41,866 Views | 239 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by halibut sinclair
techno-ag
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bearkitten
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I came home from work the other day and there is a yellow bike parked in front of my house and no one from my house had rented the bike. None of the neighbors had left it either. It was just dumped and became my problem. Not cool.
theycallmemrtibbs
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According to SeeClickFix, 277 reports for "Dockless Bike Share" logged just in the last month. Total issues logged looks to be about 494. So 56% of issues are these bikes.

Wonder how much this is costing taxpayers for the code enforcement office to be the one having to deal with this.

And there's still bikes EVERYWHERE.
stinkerbelle
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Saw one of these at the park behind Neal Elementary School in Bryan on MLK Street yesterday afternoon when I had to make a trip over to the school.
GiveEmHellBill
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AG
bearkitten said:

I came home from work the other day and there is a yellow bike parked in front of my house and no one from my house had rented the bike. None of the neighbors had left it either. It was just dumped and became my problem. Not cool.
I'd move it to the curb for garbage pickup.
Love Gun
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Just replying to this thread so I can make it one of my watch topics.

Anyhow, I've seen them at HEB in North Bryan and even on Sandy Point, close to Bryan Lake. This is getting ridiculous
Carny89
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I saw one deep in west side last week. A hour later it was being jacked by some kids. They were having a blast.
Oogway
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All of the hassles and inconveniences aside, if you stop and think about it, their introduction to our community has been interesting to observe. I've never ridden one-the caution on page 2 by TexasAggie02 made me pause, especially since they (Ofo) admit that they sell your phone data to third party companies but the bicycle and their use are like a grand display of a range of human behaviors.

You have the pranksters who place them up in trees and other awkward places w/o regard to the folks who have to clean up their prank.

There are the official entities who allowed the company to come in and didn't seem to be aware that, like cars, bicycles need a place to park and unlike cars can be abandoned pretty much anywhere. The lack of extra bicycle racks and such meant that even well-intentioned riders left them on sidewalks, at traffic corners, and sometimes in the grass. What is bicycle etiquette in this case? No one seemed to know. Or care. Or if they did care, were outnumbered by those who didn't care.

The sheer number of them multiplied the number of riders who think phone use and bicycle riding is perfectly acceptable while traveling through campus. That is some video worthy of Russian Youtube right there.

Unlike leaving your car on someone's lawn, somehow the bicycle is seen by some users as a yellow ornament or a sculpture and pretty much abandoned as if you are supposed to stand back and appreciate the juxtaposition of the bright yellow against the green grass.

Then you have the nonstudent resident population who have been interacting with the bicycles at various levels of amusement and frustration.

At some point, it will all end, and we will still be scratching our heads.
techno-ag
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AG
There are just too many bikes in both towns. I get tired of seeing them everywhere. Stupid bike lanes take up too much roadway, too.

Both cities should simply ban bikes. Problem solved.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
Oogway
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But I finally took my training wheels off! Spoiling my fun, you are!
Rapier108
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Two people down the street from me have basically taken two of these bikes for their own personal use. They're always riding around the neighborhood with them, even towing their two kids behind in those little trailer things.
techno-ag
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AG
http://wtaw.com/2018/10/15/college-station-council-wants-an-update-on-new-rental-bicycle-regulations/

CSTAT wants an update.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
halibut sinclair
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91_Aggie
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AG
Rapier108 said:

Two people down the street from me have basically taken two of these bikes for their own personal use. They're always riding around the neighborhood with them, even towing their two kids behind in those little trailer things.
Unless they "broke" them, you have to pay to ride them... so I imagine if someone keeps paying, the rental company won't care.
Rapier108
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Bye Bye Ofo

Quote:

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. (KBTX) The city of College Station announced Thursday it's revoked a permit for the company ofo, which operates the yellow ride-sharing bicycles.

As of October 12th, the company is no longer allowed to operate in College Station and the bikes will be picked up after the fall semester.

According to the city of College Station, ofo did not have the proper auto liability insurance to operate its vehicles that are used pickup bicycles that were left in improper places across town.

<snip>

Texas A&M announced it will be looking for a new vendor to supply ride-sharing bicycles for the spring semester.
https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/College-Station-revokes-OFOs-permit-498602811.html

Good riddance. Saw two of these things on a roof about a block from my house on Monday.
Stupe
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S
Saw that on Facebook this morning.
Oogway
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So, A&M has had maroon bikes and yellow bikes, anyone like to speculate on what the next version will be?
AggiePhil
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AG
They will be blue.
legalbird
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I saw some bums that cut the lock on the back wheel. The bike was fully converted into his own bike so he could skip payments and have a mode of travel and lifestyle.

Saw this same approach in other cities. Bums don't abide by laws or rules.
techno-ag
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AG
It'll be interesting because I think A&M's contract with Ofo continues. CS will have to enforce their ban whenever a bike leaves campus.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
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CS78
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The company has no incentive to keep them wrangled in to campus. The more spread out they get, the more customers.
The Brazos Kid
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Maybe they'll bring in electric scooters like the ones they have in downtown Dallas. Rode one a couple months ago up there and nearly broke my neck
nickstro66
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AG
Looks like their permit was just reinstated
FlyRod
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woodiewood1
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An easy and sure way to solve the issue with the bikes being left everywhere off the user's property is for townspersons to be able to pick them up and take them to the police station for a $10 credit on their electric bill.

When Ofo comes to pick them up, charge them $20 to release them

It would develop a nice small business for a lot of people. I would pick up a few dozen a week in order to lower my electric bill to zero.

Issue solved.
dallasiteinsa02
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woodiewood1 said:

An easy and sure way to solve the issue with the bikes being left everywhere off the user's property is for townspersons to be able to pick them up and take them to the police station for a $10 credit on their electric bill.

When Ofo comes to pick them up, charge them $20 to release them

It would develop a nice small business for a lot of people. I would pick up a few dozen a week in order to lower my electric bill to zero.

Issue solved.

People would just go to campus once a month and pick up 20 bikes in one stop.
Carny89
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Then the bike company won't get them or pay the $20. Then u just hauled a bunch for free.
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AgGunNut
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AG
I'd prefer public works, code enforcement or something. The police don't have time to deal with nonsense like this.
FlyRod
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Rapier, I think we're neighbors. I saw two on the roof of a house near me and they're still there a few days later!
carpe vinum
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AG
Not so fast, my friends.
Permit reinstated with payment of a fine.
There is your magic determining factor.
For enough cash you can continue to piss off the populace ala Suddenlink.

You are electing the people, and paying the people that continually approve this stuff.
BQ_90
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AG
Thought I heard on the radio today that the a&m will end the contract this fall
biobioprof
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https://www.kagstv.com/article/news/local/college-station-reinstates-ofo-operating-permit/499-608376384

Quote:

Since A&M entered into an exclusive agreement with Ofo in early 2018, over 39,500 people in the Bryan-College Station area have registered for the service. Collectively, Ofo users in the area have biked more than 330,000 miles.

"We worked with Ofo to reinstate their license because we don't want to take this resource away from students and others that rely on it," Special Projects Manager Aubrey Nettles said.
What is not clear to me is how many of the Ofo uh ohs are users vs nonusers moving them to make Ofo look bad, or just for "fun". In other cities the bikes have to go into special racks when you're done.

Seems to me that abuse by users can be addressed by the tracking tech. But abuse by nonusers is harder. First, I'd like to see data on how often bikes that end up in weird places were moved while the tracking system registered them as not in use.
Jess04
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TAMU is changing companies.
Quote:

Now, Texas A&M will be transitioning to a new bike share vendor in the coming months.

https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/ofo-planning-to-remove-bikes-in-coming-months-from-College-Station-498725981.html
 
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