Stealing a pay-per-ride bike

Mankini · Jun 24, 2015

Does anyone know anything about those tourist cruiser bikes where you pay $8 an hour?

Do they have any sort of GPS/RFID/tracking technology?

My plan is to use a pre-paid debit card with just enough on it to check out the bike; then keep it for 'awhile'.
I wouldn't keep one: theyre dorky and not very versatile. But just to have for a month or so.

landpirate · Jun 24, 2015

I know that the Bikes in London have tracking devices built in. Even if you're not planning on purloining one for a while it's a bit creepy if you're paying with a bank card as it means they know who you are/where you are/where you've been.

Mankini · Jun 24, 2015

Yeah! After I posted this thread I did a little research and discovered a lot of crazy foo'z in NYC are stealing em...when tourists leave em sitting around not locked up. But nothing about any sort of tracking mechanisms...???...The thieves are getting caught because they spraypaint them, trying to disguise an obviously silly-looking bike. -And they didn't have receipts!

No one-time use, drugstore debit cards available in UK? You'd think the West would have gotten rid of them long ago because theyre so easy to 'misuse'. LOL

Durp · Jun 24, 2015

Go pick up cans for a couple days, cash them in for about $50, go to a flea market and buy a nice 10 speed or mountain bike.

Kim Chee · Jun 24, 2015

I thought those bikes looked so distinctly different from regular bikes that everybody could pretty much tell it didn't belong to you.

I still like Amsterdam's model for bikes...pay a small annual fee and you get the rights to any gov't bike. You can lock it or leave it unlocked, it doesn't matter. If you want to fix it up you can, but you better lock it. Bikes everywhere!

Andrea Van Scoyoc · Jun 25, 2015

@JimH1991

You are seriously full of awesome advice.

@voodoochile76

There is no shame in doing something other than stealing one.

"Stealing" train rides is one thing. Train tickets are expensive and if there's no real cargo on a train, and they're going on their route anyway, there's no reason trains couldn't offer misfit travelers, rides.

Being as they don't and the gas is being spent anyway, I just see that as taking advantage of an opportunity, if you train hop.

Stealing bikes (that someone - probably taxpayers - paid for) just punishes everyone.

Aluminum cans are abundant (depending on where you are) and you can have enough money saved for a flea market bike, in no time.

I speak from experience. I fund my Bohemian Resource Center exclusively by collecting cans.

Not passing judgement, just saying...there's other ways, and then you'll own the bike.

Don't need it later? Sell it.

You win, either way.

landpirate · Jun 25, 2015

In my home town in the UK, the police put notices on bikes they deem abandoned, it says something along the lines of "this bike will be removed within 7 days if it is still here". I have waited the seven days and then taken bolt croppers to the lock and made that bike mine. They're usually pretty rusty and need a little work, but all the police are going to do is sell them on or scrap them anyway. I've also got bikes from the local tip (is this called a dump in the US?) I've paid the guys who work their like £10 ($15) for a pretty good bike.

ps. I moved this over to the bike touring section of the forum as I reckon it fits better there. Hope that's cool.

Andrea Van Scoyoc · Jun 25, 2015

@landpirate

That is such a good thing. I wish the cops in the US were that cool.

Where I am, the cops would never do that because A) They would be afraid to miss out on the cash - no matter how little it might be - for the scrap value or B) They might miss out on the glory they'd get from the local media by donating the bikes to needy kids of their choice.

Mankini · Jun 25, 2015

I remember when various cities would paint a bunch of bikes yellow or orange, then leave them around for people to use freely. Maybe some cities still do this. That kind of program is what we need. That way theft isn't even an issue because you can just take it as long as you need it, then leave it downtown for someone else to use. I was just being spiteful towards pay-per-use bikes because its a capitalist venture rather than a civic minded one.

Andrea Van Scoyoc · Jun 25, 2015

voodoochile76 said:
I remember when various cities would paint a bunch of bikes yellow or orange, then leave them around for people to use freely. Maybe some cities still do this. That kind of program is what we need. That way theft isn't even an issue because you can just take it as long as you need it, then leave it downtown for someone else to use. I was just being spiteful towards pay-per-use bikes because its a capitalist venture rather than a civic minded one.

Oh, absolutely, pay-per-use bikes are a greedy racket.

The "free bike borrow system" is absolutely the way to go.

I think all cities should be mandated to have such a system.

But, I despise money, anyway. In my opinion it's the reason the world is in the state it is.

What's better?

Scenario A) People steal pay-per-use bikes because preying on those wishing to improve their health or leave less of a carbon footprint and then complain about, "freeloaders and tgieves,?"

Or

Scenario B) Where there is a free bike system funded by donated bikes or bikes siezed from those who stole them and money might not be made, but the environment isn't impacted, people have transportation and everyone wins.

Oh, yeah, wait...this is America...if you're not making or screwing people out of money, you're a loser.

*major eyeroll*

::soapbox::

Mankini · Jun 25, 2015

Yeah youre right. Why is culture so stagnant in the US? I love thinking about evolving; becoming better than I was yesterday; growing; learning; maturing; etc. And I discovered transhumanism-what Francis Fukuyama calls "The most dangerous idea in the world."........Needless to say, Frankie boy is a notorious conservative...It is conservatism, and conservatives' fear of evolution that is the root-and direct result of- stupid shit in our daily lives. And that, Madame, is my soapbox.

Andrea Van Scoyoc · Jun 25, 2015

It's a shame that we, humans, as the supposedly superior species, are worse than the animals we look down on, domesticate, control and kill at will.

If animals kill or steal, it's for survival...not to screw anyone over or get rich.

Sorry...had to share the soapbox just a sec...I'm really passionate (some say, "radical") about everyone helping everyone.

It's just the right thing to do.

Okay, done...

::bag::

lone wolf · Jun 25, 2015

voodoochile76 said:
Does anyone know anything about those tourist cruiser bikes where you pay $8 an hour?

Do they have any sort of GPS/RFID/tracking technology?

My plan is to use a pre-paid debit card with just enough on it to check out the bike; then keep it for 'awhile'.
I wouldn't keep one: theyre dorky and not very versatile. But just to have for a month or so.

http://boulder.craigslist.org/zip/5083943569.html
i'm sure that bike is gone by now... log into your craigslist account, go to free in the for sale section, type "bike" and enter. from there you can click email alert and get instant emails anytime someone advertise a free bike.

alternatively you could post your situation in the for sale "wanted" section and possibly find someone to give you a bike.

Mankini · Jun 25, 2015

::eyepatch:: ::asshat::

soapboxes are where it's at!!! I love your comments/thoughts. I have a bike of my own. I was just in a bad mood in Aspen one day, and saw tourists renting those silly CitiBikes...and vile thoughts of naughty deeds filled my head.

And tortures him now the more, the more he sees
Of pleasures not for him ordained: then soon
Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts
Of mischief gratulating, thus excites:
"Thoughts whither have ye led me? with what sweet
Compulsion thus transported to forget
What hither brought us? Hate, not love, nor hope
Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste
Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy,
Save what is in destroying. other joy
To me is lost.

Matt Derrick · Jun 25, 2015

voodoochile76 said:
I remember when various cities would paint a bunch of bikes yellow or orange, then leave them around for people to use freely.

the reason most cities don't do this anymore is because fucking asshole teenagers would take them and throw them in the river or do other stupid shit with them. that's the #1 reason seattle doesn't do it anymore.

to answer your question though, prepaid cards use a different 'number set' than regular credit cards, although they're still the same # of numbers (assuming they're the same bank, i.e. visa, mastercard, etc).

the same reason you can't use a prepaid card on a redbox machine is the same reason it *probably* won't work on a rent-a-bike (and other services like netflix, gamefly, some vending machines, etc). that reason is that the verification process sees the card is a prepaid card and declines the transaction, no matter how much money is on one of the cards.

of course, i've used prepaid cards to burn several gym memberships, so it still works in some places. the only way to know for sure is to try it out.

Mankini · Jun 25, 2015

I know what ya mean about people being disrespectful with the free loaner bikes. Maybe this sort of thing would only work in certain urban settings with a seriously respectful populace: i.e., Asheville, Eugene, etc.

pigpen · Jul 9, 2015

voodoochile76 said:
I know what ya mean about people being disrespectful with the free loaner bikes. Maybe this sort of thing would only work in certain urban settings with a seriously respectful populace: i.e., Asheville, Eugene, etc.

Eugene is actually kinda notorious for being over run with bike thieves. Being that there's a high concentration of tweekers and college students it should come as no surprise.

That being said stealing two thousand dollar road bikes is still gonna be more lucrative than stealing free bikes.

But then again there's also no shortage of shitty teenagers who just wanna fuck things up round Eugene.

kylec443 · Jul 15, 2015

in santa cruze ca you can use a prepaid card but i use to know some one who stole one and tore it a part and fixedit to look like a regular bike and sold it

shabti · Aug 3, 2015

voodoochile76 said:
Does anyone know anything about those tourist cruiser bikes where you pay $8 an hour?

My plan is to use a pre-paid debit card with just enough on it to check out the bike; then keep it for 'awhile'.
I wouldn't keep one: theyre dorky and not very versatile. But just to have for a month or so.

I have a conflicted feeling about this, simply because I've been working with VeloPaso to get a bike share started in this city. I dunno about where you live, but here, it's not a "tourist" bike thing. It's a resident bike thing. Reaching out to low income people, students, etc, plus the exercise thing....we've been fighting for a bike share for a few years now.

So....yeah. Steal one. I feel that if you can get away with it, the bike share people will get better security. If you don't, then they (we?) will use it to tout how successful and cost effective and wonderful (and cancer curing miraculously gilded on the blessed bones of Jesus) these Bike Share programs are.

Thanks for planning to return it eventually! These programs really are awesome enough that they could ride a dinosaur into battle.

edit: oh, and about it being a "capitalist" venture. I know that there are some places where the only bike shares are businesses, but many are co-funded with city funds. The fees they charge are kind of like Library Fines, not really enough to keep the whole thing afloat.

Mankini · Aug 3, 2015

Free, or at least affordable for common people, that's all I ask! So many cities used to provide them free. :O I would never touch one if I knew it was a Green/socially responsible endeavor...I was mainly mad at the ones in little ski towns for seeming very exclusive, pricewise.

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