Appalling...

This is what America has become. Too angry to say much else.
posted by Windopaene at 7:02 PM on September 19, 2021 [8 favorites]

I never liked cyberpunk, and I like it even less now that it's real.

Who are the robbers under the bridge, I wonder? I expect they have some kind of organization.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:15 PM on September 19, 2021 [6 favorites]

¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that we have your backs. We are going to win this fight together, we were going to win this fight, just like we took on fast food,¡± 32BJ Union Secretary-Treasure Marty Pastreich said in Foley Square Wednesday. ¡°And we¡¯re gonna win. We¡¯re going to win job protections. We¡¯re going to win fair wages, we¡¯re going to win together.¡±
posted by clavdivs at 8:00 PM on September 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

Appalling...This is what America has become.

I do not enjoy the way the This Is America gif now autoplays on the back of my eyelids.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:12 PM on September 19, 2021 [4 favorites]

Fantastic article.

Interesting to hear the NYC delivery has shifted apparently nearly 100% to electric bikes. (here's the 'brand' mentioned in the story: Arrow Bikes, apparently only available in NYC.) It is, somewhat unsurprisingly, hard to handle security for a $2-3k bike, and apparenlty even harder to get the cops to give a shit when they're (often violently) stolen. The delivery survey estimate puts it at around 15k(!!!) thefts per year.
posted by kaibutsu at 9:02 PM on September 19, 2021 [10 favorites]

So Chevette Washington is one of my heroes. This just goes to show that Gibson has been restrained in his vision.

Make sure to register your bikes on Garage 529 or Bike Index you all.

For those of you not living in some dystopian hellscape such as the one depicted in this amazing article, there are some other practical measures one can take to reduce the likelihood of your scoot being pillaged.

Nothing will prevent a determined thief with the right tools from stealing your bike. The best strategy is to make it as difficult to steal your bike as is practicable. Plan so that your bike is more difficult to take than your neighbour's. Think a bit like a mercenary. Get the thieves to go choose someone else's bike, instead of yours. It's like the old joke about being in a group of people in a forest, being chased by a bear. You don't need to be the fastest runner, you just need to be the second slowest.

Security begins with lock selection. Nothing less than a metal U-lock provides any real level of security. Cables locks should only ever be used as a secondary lock to secure your wheels or saddle. Light chains are far too easy to cut through with bolt-cutters and provide a relatively far lower level of security for their weight and expense than a decent dual-shackle U-lock. It's true that very high-quality, hexagonally shaped and hardened chains can be more secure than an equivalently priced U-lock, but they will weigh twice as much, defeating the purpose of having a high-quality lightweight bike. These chains make eminent sense for E-Bikes, however, as the pedal-assist motor over-comes the weight objection.

A dual-shackle u-lock secures the crossbar on both sides of the shackle, instead of just on one side. Single-shackle locks can be defeated with a simple leverage attack, by putting a pipe inside the U, and then simply twisting it against the locked side. The other disadvantage of single-shackle locks is that a thief needs to make only one cut, instead of two, in order to be able to remove the lock. This is the case with many locks, including some pretty pricey ones, among them some of the most recognized brands.

These single-shackle locks can be recognized if the shackle uses a bent foot on the non-locking side. Look for a lock that has the key-way in the centre of the cross-bar, not the end. Avoid locks that have a significant protrusion of the cross-bar on either side. These can be defeated by merely hitting them really hard with a ball-peen hammer. Choose a lock with a shackle that extends through the lock-body to better protect against torsion/twisting attacks.

All Abus brand u-locks are dual shackle locks, while Kryptonite locks from the Evolution Series 4 and above are dual shackle. As a general rule of thumb, Abus brand u-locks will be 20% stronger and 30% lighter than the equivalently priced Kryptonite lock.

Fill the shackle/inside area of your lock. If you leave large amounts of space open inside the shackle of your lock, then it leaves you vulnerable to hydraulic or twisting attacks. A hydraulic attack is where large amounts of pressure are used to force a lock open. These attacks are commonly carried out with carjacks, hydraulic cutters, or similar equipment.

Position your lock with the keyhole pointing downwards. If your bike lock is poorly positioned when securing your bike it can make it easier for thieves to damage or remove. Unskilled thieves will often take to brute force to remove bike locks, so it¡¯s important that you keep your lock off the ground. A lock that¡¯s secured on the ground can easily be struck with a hammer or other heavy tool and simply broken open. Keeping your lock off the ground reduces the damage that a thief can do.

Combination locks are always less secure than keyed locks. Avoid them.

Secondary Locks:

Smart riders use a dual-locking strategy. I have an Abus Granite 6500 folding lock as my main lock for my $5000 commuting-daily electric bike, as I love the convenience and ease of use of Abus's folding locks, and the attachment holster is a big problem-solver for carrying it. I'm not concerned with the weight, as I have a motor. This is the strongest folding bike lock made, but naturally, it's darn heavy. It's a level 15 security rating in Abus's world.

Sadly, there is a relatively simple attack that can be made on this lock that was discovered by the Lockpicking Lawyer about a year and a half ago, and word of this has spread to the criminal underworld and now these folding locks can no longer be counted on to secure your bike for more than a quick dash into the store or coffee shop. However, it is still my go-to for short in-and-out stops like those, as I will be back before this hack could work and every bike around it always has a less secure lock and would be the more likely target of a thief.

That said, if I'm locking my bike anywhere for more than about 10 minutes, sort of sketchy, or past sundown, I will also then add a second high-quality u-lock into the mix. This means that a thief with an angle-grinder will need to spend quite a bit of time, and also create a LOT of noise and sparks in order to get my bike. The exposure time becomes pretty risky. They will likely move on to someone else's bike instead.

Using a cable to secure your wheels is a good secondary measure. I am lazy, so I have replaced the quick-release skewers on all my mid-level bikes with locking security skewers. These use a tool to secure the wheels and seat-post and will prevent junkies and teenage boys from stealing your wheels. It is not a keyed system, and will not stop a bike thief from stealing your wheels as they will have this tool, or know the trick to defeat them.

On my bikes worth more than about $900, I use Pinheads? which are a truly keyed system and will prevent all but a professional bike thief, who is actually targeting your wheels, from attempting to take them.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 10:01 PM on September 19, 2021 [84 favorites]

(my favorite trick is using my Brompton for most around-town purposes, which I can fold and take inside almost always.)
posted by kaibutsu at 10:37 PM on September 19, 2021 [6 favorites]

1. tip generously always and in cash when possible, 20% or $5, whichever is more, with a 1.5 or 2 x multiplier depending on how awful the weather is. ?Confirm with your delivery worker if tipping through the app, "your tip should be..." in Spanish is "su propina debe ser de..."

2. the article says the business model was "pioneered by Uber" but it's the same scheme of piecework and middle-men shirking responsibility for ostensibly independent contractors that would be familiar to 19th-century sweatshop workers.

3. The one difference between the old model and the new is that here, we the customers have the ability to pay drivers/delivery guys fairly because we know the apps don't. Pare of the apps' marketing strategy is pretending that we don't have a moral obligation to tip and focusing on how cheap the pre-tip face value is, but if we can't afford to tip the drivers, we can go to the restaurant and pick up the food our fucking selves.
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:32 PM on September 19, 2021 [7 favorites]

Appalling...This is what America has become

[2 astronauts meme]
"always has been"
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:32 PM on September 19, 2021 [7 favorites]

Lurking on local cycling groups, I find it fascinating that bicycles are the first experience for some well-off white people, as a member of a marginalised group.

"I went to the police and they treated me terribly and did absolutely nothing! Instead, they actually turned around and booked ME for something minor instead!"

"I was just riding along and someone randomly shouted abuse and death threats at me because of how I looked!"

They're shocked. Shocked!
posted by other barry at 11:36 PM on September 19, 2021 [24 favorites]

I don't even ride a bike OR live in the city and I read every word of PareidoliaticBoy's lock synopsis, that was fascinating, thanks.
posted by jeremias at 4:23 AM on September 20, 2021 [6 favorites]

Some people have had limited success using AirTags as a bike tracker. (Keys first here, then they try a bike.) I'd imagine this will become less effective over time as thieves figure out how to game the privacy protections (and naturally won't work as well -- or at all -- in less densely populated areas).

Is there an at-all-affordable bike lojack out there that doesn't rely on permissive access to other devices/networks and won't deactivate if isolated too long? Something that hides inside the seat tube, maybe?
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:27 AM on September 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

The post title sounds like a modern-day update of The Warriors.
posted by JohnFromGR at 8:12 AM on September 20, 2021

Is there an at-all-affordable bike lojack out there that doesn't rely on permissive access to other devices/networks and won't deactivate if isolated too long? Something that hides inside the seat tube, maybe?

The trackers for dogs might work, for some definition of "affordable" but they might be annoying. Like ours tells us whenever our dogs leave our yard, but this includes every day when we take them for a walk, somehow it doesn't register that like, the phone is moving with the dog, it's probably fine. Those would be small enough to fit down a seat tube if designed for it, but they need to be charged about once a week.
posted by RustyBrooks at 8:19 AM on September 20, 2021

I have some really intense feelings and opinions about bike theft in that it's one area where I get straight up conservative and outright draconian about what kind of punishment should be served for bike thieves.

Like, I objectively know it's not justifiable but part of me thinks bike thieves should be treated like horse thieves in a lawless Wild West and strung up even though I don't think capital punishment is a good idea in general.

Bikes, to me, are way more personal than cars. For a lot of bike owners bikes aren't just transportation or fun but also a companion and the best thing about their lives. Or, as in the article, an essential tool for work and income.

Anyone who rides their bike a lot as their main transportation usually spends a lot of time and money customizing it to fit them and suit their needs, and it's not just about the cost of the parts.

Even if someone has good insurance that fully covers bike theft it can take a long time and work to replace all of the extra parts and accessories, and sometimes you just can't find exact replacements for vintage or specialty parts or accessories.

I'm having a hard time even thinking of something analogous to compare to bicycles like this. It's like someone stole your prescription glasses, or a custom fitted medical or mobility device or something and it just seems to be much more personal than a car. Or maybe it's almost as bad as someone stealing someone's dog.

As a bicyclists I've thought about this a lot and how difficult and expensive it would be to find a suitable replacement bike and all of the parts and accessories I have going on. A lot of my parts are used but if I had to replace everything new it would cost nearly as much as a decent new bike.

Bringing it back to the dystopian cyberpunk feel of the article, part of me wishes for an active bike defense system like in Virtual Light. If someone tries to steal my bike I want it to yell at them with an alarm system, perhaps voiced by Samuel Jackson cursing at them and threatening them with bodily harm and gunfu, and then if it gets moved beyond, say, 5-10 feet they get electrocuted by the massive ebike battery and knocked the fuck out by it.

Thankfully I live somewhere with relatively low property theft and crime like this, and a huge part of my bike's natural theft protection is how my bike looks like a total junker and beater even though it's not. It has stickers all over it. I leave it dirty on purpose as a point of pride the way 4x4 or off road enthusiasts leave mud on their Jeeps or trucks even while I keep the drive train and moving parts clean and all the functional parts very well tuned.

It is instantly recognizable as my bike and mine alone to the point that if someone did steal it and try to ride it around town there's dozens if not hundreds of people that would recognize my bike and know that something is wrong with someone else riding it because people know I don't let other people ride or borrow it.

It's so recognizable that if it showed up for sale on local Facebook or Craigslist or something I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone I knew contacted me to ask if my bike got stolen.
posted by loquacious at 9:21 AM on September 20, 2021 [9 favorites]

This means that a thief with an angle-grinder will need to spend quite a bit of time, and also create a LOT of noise and sparks in order to get my bike. The exposure time becomes pretty risky

I¡¯ve helped clear abandoned bikes from a parking garage. You can cut through any u lock in seconds with a cheap cordless angle grinder. Doesn¡¯t matter what fancy brand you buy. There is no such thing as a good lock anymore. Your only defence is to have a bike the thieves don¡¯t want.

And thieves really don¡¯t care about ¡°exposure¡±.
posted by grahamparks at 12:33 PM on September 20, 2021

This article is incredible.
posted by subdee at 1:52 PM on September 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

I¡¯ve helped clear abandoned bikes from a parking garage. You can cut through any u lock in seconds with a cheap cordless angle grinder. Doesn¡¯t matter what fancy brand you buy. There is no such thing as a good lock anymore. Your only defence is to have a bike the thieves don¡¯t want.



Almost but not quite true.

you likely need a 7 inch grinder - much bigger - to get through that bad boy.
posted by lalochezia at 4:29 PM on September 20, 2021

My preferred security, is to bring bikes inside wherever possible. At home, I've become pretty good at various installations of cheap, rental-compatible hooks and racks. When commuting, fortunately I have enough sway at the places I've worked, to bring bikes inside the building. I've even had success with some smaller shops and cafes - at least we always try to be within sight of the bike.
posted by other barry at 4:41 PM on September 20, 2021

In the first paragraph of the article, they talk about organizing crossings of the Willis Bridge (Manhattan/Bronx) using a megaphone, because its safer to cross the bridge in groups.

Later in the article, they talk about lobbying politicians to get the cameras on the car lanes turned towards the bike lanes; trying to get the cops to recognize that the theft of a 3,000 bike is grand larceny; organizing a 1000 person march on city hall to demand cops do something about the armed thefts (at gunpoint, at knifepoint) of bicycles; taking photos of bikes and sharing them on WhatsApp with other riders; and installing GPS trackers and going in a group of 20 to get the bikes back after getting the security footage of them being brought inside the thief's appartment. These guys are well beyond "bring the bike inside" this is an article about mutual aid.
posted by subdee at 5:39 PM on September 20, 2021 [15 favorites]

It's a really interesting article and the video about the Willis Avenue bridge protectors is awesome.
posted by bendy at 8:38 PM on September 21, 2021

For those interested, looks like the trackers out there are typically around $150, and there are some made to go into the bar ends or seat tube. The latter may be iffy in terms of signal (especially in steel bikes, I¡¯d think). They usually come with at least a year of service, then there¡¯s a fee.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:44 PM on September 22, 2021

NYC Set to Pass Food Delivery App Laws Securing Workers Minimum Pay, Bathrooms and More (The City)

The proposals were sparked by the activism of Los Deliveristas Unidos, a labor organization of immigrant delivery couriers who kept New Yorkers fed during the pandemic.

The new package of six bills would allow food couriers access to restaurant bathrooms, put limits on how far they can be asked to deliver, set minimum payments per trip and ensure that tips get to workers.

City Council Passes "Groundbreaking Package Of Legislation" To Help Food Delivery Workers (Gothamist)
posted by ectabo at 1:31 PM on September 23, 2021 [3 favorites]