I love electric mobility. I think e-bikes are the next best thing to come around after regular bicycles, and it goes without saying that they open doors for folks into the cycling world, particularly folks who otherwise wouldn’t be able to ride due to physical limitations.
E-bikes, as it would turn out, are also an excellent and efficient way to get people around town. That’s why tons of e-bike-sharing services have become so popular all over the world. These services give commuters the freedom and mobility they need, all without having to follow the sometimes inconvenient schedules of public transport.
So yeah, in theory, e-mobility has the potential to bring a lot of good to society.
But we don’t live in a theoretical world, and it should come as a surprise to nobody that there are tons of folks out there who just want to watch the world burn. Case in point: whoever’s been dumping Divvy e-bikes in Lake Michigan for months now. The motive behind such antisocial behavior?
Well, your guess is as good as mine.
Now, I get it.
E-bikes may not be your thing, and it might make you angry to see so many people enjoying the convenience of mobility around the city In that case, you must have no friends and probably need to see a therapist. And of course, releasing your anger by throwing e-bikes into the lake does favors for absolutely zero people.
Indeed, the situation has gotten so bad that volunteers are flocking to Lake Michigan to fish these e-bikes out of the water. A report from NBC Chicago states that in just five outings, a total of 53 bikes have been fished out of the lake—and that’s just 200 yards of lakefront. Imagine just how many bikes are becoming one with the fishes as we speak.
Naturally, there’s a much bigger issue here than just litter and wasted e-bikes. Unsurprisingly, given the fact that hundreds if not thousands of e-bikes have found their final resting place in Lake Michigan, it’s more than likely that quite a bit of battery acid from these bikes’ battery packs has already leaked out and contaminated the water. And in case you didn’t know, Lake Michigan is the biggest source of drinking water for the state of Illinois.
Now, I don’t know about you, but battery acid and drinking water are two things you I don’t want to hear in the same sentence.
That being said, you can do your own little part to help. If you happen to see any Divvy e-bikes in the water around Lake Michigan, well, you can quickly and easily report it to 311. For reference, there are more than 800 Divvy stations across Chicago, with around 15,000 bikes and scooters for rent.
