I’m sure many of you came across an article in amongst the cat videos and kookslam montages in your news feed, regarding an elderly gentlemen (if you could call him that, I mean he was old but perhaps not a gentlemen) defacing an O bike. For those not aware of the term (I certainly wasn’t) an O bike is one of those share bikes, you know the ones that are meant to encourage sustainability and the idea of a liveable city. We actually have them in Newcastle, there are the electronic ‘Byko’ bikes in Wickham as well as the more tradition push pedal kind on the foreshore. Warners Bay of course, for those willing to venture out, is also another hotspot for this ever growing trend.
Why aren’t there more bike stations, and greater accessibility to these share bikes that will surely encourage people to explore the city in ways they never thought possible? Well maybe it’s because of the fact that we really don’t want progression, awesomeness and change. People were initially blaming the youths for the destruction of such hubs, now it seems, as opposed to being a generational thing, it’s just some deep seeded hate for progression with a sprinkle of pent up anger.
I for one am all for these bike stations, particularly in summer. What better way to be introduced, or for many of us, reintroduced to the city than on a bike? Furthermore, on a bike that you don’t have to worry about lugging back into your car, or fussing over when you want to stop in and grab a beer. Or even having to worry about any sort of on going bike maintenance, surely I am not alone in this concept being a good thing?
What you do you all think? Do you regularly, or have you ever used the bike stations in town? Would you ever consider using them? Or do you think they will simply be defaced by reckless humans both young and old?
