"Some men just want to watch the world burn."
That memorable quote comes from "The Dark Knight," but often feels applicable to real-life situations and people. How else to explain someone senselessly slashing the tires of all the e-bikes at a Citi Bike dock near Yankee Stadium?
An NYC-based Redditor posted about the frustrating sight they noticed while commuting from the Upper East Side to the Bronx. They said they've rolled with the punches when it comes to other vandalism, like scratched-up QR codes or unreadable bike numbers, as they have a bike key, which allows them to use tampered bikes.
While acts like scraping off QR codes theoretically enable rogue users to hog a bike for themselves, severing tires offers no tangible benefit to anyone. For that reason, the Redditor called it "a new low."
It's unclear what the motivations are to do this, if any. Maybe they hate e-bikes and are trying to discourage Citi Bike users. Or they just like wrecking stuff for fun and seeing people get upset as they go to the docks. The Redditor leaned in that direction, theorizing it was "kids" doing it.
Whatever the case, acts of e-bike vandalism are unfortunately on the rise. They come with consequences, as e-bikes provide a pleasant alternative to gas-powered vehicles and the subway with many positives.
E-bikes can help cities cut down on air pollution, reduce traffic, and lower dependence on dirty energy. Consumers who use Citi Bikes also get a chance to audition e-bikes as a go-to vehicle for them at home for local errands and more. It's even a way to entice them to consider an EV to replace their gas-powered car.
Slashing the tires of e-bikes both frustrates users who want to get a ride and pressures Citi Bike to discontinue stocking them at all.
Redditors echoed the original poster's experiences and demanded action.
🗣️ When you think about owning an EV, what concerns you most about public charging stations?
🔘 Chargers not working 🚫
🔘 Chargers not being available 😥
🔘 Charging being too expensive 💰
🔘 Charging taking too long ⌚
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"I've also seen it all over that area," a user chimed in, noting there were "too many to be a coincidence."
"Put out a few complaints and call Citi Bike this is also happening around the grand concourse," another suggested.
One Redditor did take issue with the original poster's characterization of the culprits. "Should really stop calling criminals and vandals kids," they said.
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