I just used a bicycle parking in Kyoto for the first time. I put my bike into a slot and it locked the wheel. Later I came to pick it up, entered my slot number, paid the fee, and the bike was released. Did I miss a step or something? Because if I didn't, then anyone can pick up any bike by paying a tiny parking fee.
by geirby
5 comments
Yes, you missed a step, if you didn’t lock your bicycle. Anyone can take your bike any time if you don’t lock it. The paid parking, if not in a building or enclosure, is just there to make parking revenue, not to protect your bike. The lock you put on your bike, like locking the doors on a car, is there to keep an honest man honest. They don’t significantly slow down a thief.
You mean steal a bike?
Yes absolutely, anyone can pay your parking spot. But to steal it would be a crime. To avoid that you need to lock the bike yourself after parking.
A high trust society is nice, isn’t it?
Depends where you are. The one at Kitaoji does indeed function like that. Most others will give you a ticket that you need to hold on to and put back in the machine.
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