Why do people abandon bikes? Do they ride them and then forget about them? Do they lock them up and lose the key? Is it some kind of urban activity like throwing sneakers on a lamp post?
WNYC listeners submitted over 500 pictures of abandoned bicycles in New York. They showed them to the Department of Sanitation but they won’t be removing most of them anytime soon.
According to Transportation Nation: “The life cycle of a bike left to rot on NYC streets is long, and intentionally so. The complaint process is as clunky as the cast off bikes themselves and the criteria for removal is stiffer than the U-lock holding this pilfered cruiser to a bike rack on Bleecker Street.” .
There are many of these bikes in Park Slope. The Department of Sanitation makes the point that they don’t know if these are really abandoned or not. So they’ve come up with their own critera for removing these bikes. Here goes:
–The appearance is crushed or not usable;
–Have parts missing from bicycle other than seat and front wheel;
–Have flat tires or missing both tires;
–Handlebars and pedals are damaged, or the fork, frame or rims are bent;
–75 percent of bicycle is rusted.
Read more about this cycling conundrum at Transportation Nation where there is an abandoned bike tracker, a map and all sorts of interesting facts.
I know why they are left to rot…these hipsters run for the hills when they realize how much it costs to live in KEWL Park Slope! They are such environmentalists that they would prefer to let the abandoned pile of vintage junk rust and have lead paint drip into the storm drains. Some Earth lovers! I have even seen them abandon them on private property. If that happens on my gate, that bike is MINE!!!!!