Wednesday 27th October 2004
Oy (that’s my) bike!
I came across a link to their website today, and it reminded me of when I first came across the concept of OYBike. Coming home from a DramSoc event in the early hours (or very, very late hours, depending on your sleeping patterns), a beggar-type came up to me on Shepherd’s Bush Green, wanting to show me something. He led me over to a pair of bikes, shackled to a bike rack, and explained that you could hire them by sending a text. He thought it was brilliant, in a what-will-they-think-of-next, what-a-cool-world-we-live-in kind of way.
He then sponged some money off me, but that’s beside the point.
Is this the next big transport idea? Pah. Is it ever going to make money? Doubt it. Maybe if they sink lots of money into it, there’ll be enough locations to make it worth while. The company involved has got the co-operation of the council, so maybe if they can get financial co-operation, they’ll be sorted. Sponge off the state, it’s the only way to go.