Electronic-looking things in pavement (christchurch)

eightyfish

Having a pint in the Bull & Castle by Christchurch, I noticed about 20 new two-foot-tall posts in the pavement. They look like they have a light sensor on the top of them, are oval in shape, and have a socket on the side which looks a bit like the thing you plug a seat belt into.

Sorry, I don't have a photo.

Does anyone know what they are?

admiralofthefleet

they are for the free bikes. there is a thread in commuting and transport about it

here is the thread, with some pics

Nolanger

Not exactly the safest of places to have these things either.

eightyfish

that was fast. mystery solved. thanks.

Ste.phen

Nolanger wrote: »

Not exactly the safest of places to have these things either.

why so?

Wishbone Ash

eightyfish wrote: »

Sorry, I don't have a photo

Please, allow me.........

Nolanger wrote:

Not exactly the safest of places to have these things either.

I would have thought it was an ideal place.

eightyfish

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Please, allow me.........

That's the ones!

Gavin "shels"

Scrapping half the pay and display parking on Golden Lane to make way for these things aswell atm.

Wishbone Ash

Gavin shels wrote: »

Scrapping half the pay and display parking on Golden Lane to make way for these things aswell atm.

I don't think there was ever any great demand for P & D on Golden Lane. There always seems to be plenty of spaces there.

eightyfish

Gavin shels wrote: »

Scrapping half the pay and display parking on Golden Lane to make way for these things aswell atm.

It'll be brilliant if it works (like in Paris), but I just think that skangers will destroy every last bike.

Ste.phen

Wouldn't they have to pay to unlock one before they could trash it?
Or would in-situ trashing be a problem? I presume there's CCTV near them all...

spurious

They are not free. The city has had its streets destroyed by those awful 'Metropoles' as part of this deal. If the bicycles get attacked by anti-social elements and have to be replaced (hopefully at a large cost) by poor old JC Decaux, I for one won't be shedding any tears for them.

Ste.phen

Anyone think their logo looks like the guy is ****ting all over dublin city?

Gavin "shels"

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I don't think there was ever any great demand for P & D on Golden Lane. There always seems to be plenty of spaces there.

Serious!? :eek: Never any parking when I go down there, even passed there today at about 4-5 and not a space.

Wishbone Ash

Gavin shels wrote: »

Serious!? :eek: Never any parking when I go down there, even passed there today at about 4-5 and not a space.

But you have a huge fan club Gavin. Wherever I go, the streets are deserted.

sdanseo

Gavin shels wrote: »

Serious!? :eek: Never any parking when I go down there, even passed there today at about 4-5 and not a space.

The idea is you use the bikes instead :P

Dunno how people drive into town, any time I do and I'm pulling my hair out by the time I get there. Not worth the stress of the sitting in traffic for 90 minutes each way amid soccer moms and taxi drivers who haven't a bull's notion how to bloody well drive. These bikes will suit me down to the ground, I can get off my bus at Connolly/Talbot St junction, can grab one of these at Talbot Street and be in college in Bolton Street in a tenth of the time it'd take to walk For €5 a week that's worth it - or even better if they're 30mins free.

eightyfish

Ste.phen wrote: »

Wouldn't they have to pay to unlock one before they could trash it?

No, they'd trash it where it is. Just for the craic.

stevensi

I've been to Paris often and have used these bikes which are great. However I have been reading recently that they are having problems with vandalism of the bikes and are currently reviewing the system

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/vandalism-vexes-paris-bike-rental-system/

You can bet a few would end up in the liffey to join the ones already in there. I was walking along the quay from the city to Heuston station during low tide and counted 26 bikes in the river along the way!

eightyfish

stevensi wrote: »

You can bet a few would end up in the liffey to join the ones already in there. I was walking along the quay from the city to Heuston station during low tide and counted 26 bikes in the river along the way!

On vandalism and pointless theft: I had my bike locked in the proper place in the basement of my (new) apartment block. Chain lock around the bike, couldn't get the Kryptonite lock on there so left it in its clasp. After a week, some child-skangers had robbed the Kryptonite lock. What the hell are they gonna do with a lock without a key? Probably use it to hit people. Serves me right for thinking that nobody'd rob a locked lock.

There's a buzzer with a little camera into our building. Since we moved in the skangers have poured oil into it (and it was fixed), scratched the glass with a blade, burned it with lighters, painted over it, and filled it with oil again. They have crow-bared the apartment name off the wall, as well as the instructions about how to use the buzzer. They have robbed the fire extinguishers three times. Last week, the ripped up the windowsills.

These bikes will be destroyed.

the_syco

Ste.phen wrote: »

Nolanger wrote: »

Not exactly the safest of places to have these things either.

why so?

It's right outside a pub. People come out, and think "hmmm... I'll cycle to the nightllink".

arybvtcw0eolkf

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I don't think there was ever any great demand for P & D on Golden Lane. There always seems to be plenty of spaces there.

If your car is ever lifted by the clampers truck, have a look on Golden Lane and the surrounding streets, thats where they park 'em when they are too busy to get down to the pound!.

It won't be clamped, and you can drive away