Bike sharing
Bike sharing has arrived in St. Louis! Two companies, Limebike, based in California, and Ofo, a company out of China, have opened for business in the city of St. Louis. Each company has deployed a fleet of 750 bikes—bright green for Limebike (hence the name) and yellow for Ofo.
What is it and how does it work?
All of the bikes are “dockless,” meaning that a rider doesn’t have to pick up or drop off at a specified location.
It’s a bit like Uber. All of the bikes are tracked by GPS. Riders use a smartphone app to find a nearby bike. Here is a screenshot from Limebike’s smartphone app taken in downtown St. Louis.
A code scan from the app unlocks the bike, which starts the clock. When the ride is over, locking the bike wheel ends the trip. The account’s credit or debit card is then charged.
At the moment, Ofo charges $1 per hour. Limebike charges $1 for each half-hour. Limebike also has a 50% discounts for students.
You have to be 16 to rent a Limebike and 18 to rent an Ofo.
User Agreement/Terms of Service. By using the bikes, riders expressly agree to the companies’ User Agreements and Terms of Service. Here are some highlights:
- Liability waiver. Riders expressly waive any liability against the bike share companies for any injuries they receive while using the bikes.
- It’s up to you to stop the clock. If you reach your destination and then forget to lock the bike, the clock continues to run. Not only does this mean your bank statement is going to be charged more than you anticipated, but it also means that somebody else can just take the bike and ride it on your dime.
- Only you get to use the bike. You can’t let another rider use it. Nor can you have a “passenger.”
- Park it in an appropriate, public place. Here is a screenshot of the Ofo STL reminders.
Other issues
- It’s up to you to have a helmet. The bike share company does not provide helmets for its riders. If you want one (and you do), you’ll need to provide your own.
- You agree to obey local cycling laws. Obey traffic signals and signs. Riding in the street and bike lanes, when possible.
- Ride like nobody can see you. Defensive riding is the best way to make sure that you don’t collide with a vehicle.
- Don’t be a jerk. Bikes don’t belong in trees. Or underwater. Or on top of signs. Or on the roof (scroll down to the last pictures in the article. I will confess to giggling. Don’t judge.)
