08 February 2010

bicycle graveyard.

I liked this recent story about our own Bicycle Coalition Bike Ambassadors wielding tools to rid the city of skeleton bikes."  One of my professors claims that these bikes are not so much victims of theft as abandonment- and once they've been sitting around for a while, the restaurant worker subculture of bikers (see in highest volume in Center City near Broad Street between 12am and 2am) will part them out so they can get parts for their own bikes.  While I don't know if that's true, I am sure glad the BCP is out there cleaning up.  


Then of course, it snowed in Philly.


Many people opted not to ride.


Like me.


Others left their bikes right where they were. Many of the racks at Temple had one or two bikes emerging from the melting snow or wedged in between heaps of plowed snow.


At home, our own resident unfunctional bike- a victim of a broken chain- has taken a turn at modeling. 

2 comments:

Adam said...

I agree with your professor. If a bicycle is left in the same spot untouched for a while, other cyclists will begin to sniff around, a bit like vultures. After a few more days, when it become more apparent that it is abandoned, people begin to pick off parts. I've found myself considering doing the same thing, but can't bring myself to do it.

Mama-san said...

Beautiful pictures, thanks for the post!