Face masks are not the only thing junking up the neighborhood lately — COVID-19 physical distancing drastically increased the number of abandoned rental scooters and bikes littering the area.
I keep seeing ruined rental scooters and bikes in alleyways, gutters, the tree-lawn, behind dumpsters, and even in hedges. However, not all rentals share the same fate:
- One bike brand has easily disabled locks, and is therefore the default choice for local teens and my homeless neighbors.
- Apparently no one has figured out how to permanently unlock the new black electric bikes, so those just block sidewalks like in the before-times.
- Bikes that need to be returned to a dedicated docking station are least likely to be strewn about the place, presumably because no one wanted to take the financial hit to keep the bike.
- Meanwhile, destroyed scooters keep popping up in the strangest places.
The trashed rentals are even more noticable because most of the non-disabled scooters and dockless bikes vanished over the past few months. Perhaps this is because of the decrease in tourists and overall activity, or because DC recently halved the number of rental companies that can operate in the District.
Although the scooter remnants are annoying and occasionally a tripping hazard, they are far less disturbing than the omnipresent discarded masks floating around. Hopefully part of DC’s reopening plan includes a cleanup. 🗑️
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