Re: Electric bicycles in the news

On Mon, 28 Apr 2025 08:02:00 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

On 4/27/2025 9:08 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On 27 Apr 2025 19:36:56 GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
 

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:

On Sun, 27 Apr 2025 13:47:18 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
>

https://nypost.com/2025/04/26/us-news/gunmen-on-citi-bikes-shoot-two-in-nyc-overnight/

>
Citi Bikes have GPS trackers.  The police should be able to identify
the shooter from the credit card used to pay for the bike rental.
>

>
Are they docked or dockless? The dockless bikes folks just ride them, and
can hear the clicking from the brake, tends to be more that they get left
in awkward spots and are remarkably awkward to move!

 
Citi Bike uses docks.  See photos:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=citi%20bike%20docks&udm=2>
with kiosks:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=citi%20bike%20kiosk&udm=2>
 
More:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citi_Bike>
 

I don't know but there seem to be methods yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgdT9PZU7Ps
(two minutes)

How does dumping the Divvy bike in the lake give someone a free ride?
That's about as useful as defacing the QR code or serial number.  I
haven't seen any mention in the alarmist press on the use of RFID tags
commonly used to track the bicycles through the manufacturing process.
However, there are a fair number of hints found with a Google search:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=bike%20share%20RFID%20chip&udm=14>
"RFID ON THE MOVE"
<https://nabsa.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/RFID-on-the-Move-Guide-to-User-Authentication-and-Access-Control-for-Bike-Sharing.pdf>

Somehow, I'm not alarmed by the possibility of being poisoned by a
submerged eBike.  Lake Michigan is a fresh water lake, so there will
be less corrosion damage.  Corrosion damage plus water incursion into
the battery will not start a fire because the lake water will cool the
battery to well below the point where thermal runaway becomes a
problem. 

Sealed eBike LiIon battery packs do not seem to be rated for "Ingress
Protection", so I can't guess their level of waterproofing:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_code>
The typical 18650 cell does have a pressure relief valve, which is
small enough to pass gasses, but block water.  Maybe in deep water,
but not near shore as in the video.

The NBC YouTube video clip lacks any kind of relevant numbers, such as
the number of Divvy bikes recovered from Lake Michigan.  I also tried
to find what might be contaminating the water and what constitutes a
hazard.  I gave up after 15 mins.  It's much like radioactive
contamination from Fukushima, where the concentration is so low that
laboratory measurement is very difficult.  I'm fairly sure that
ingesting an 18650 cell isn't particularly healthy.  I'll wait for the
inevitable litigation and the obligatory "Do Not Eat" sticker on the
batteries and battery packs.

If Divvy kept a record of rented that bike just before it morphed into
a submersible vehicle, they could find the evil bicycle thieves.
Unwanted bicycles deserve a proper burial:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=abandoned%20bike%20share%20china&udm=2>



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Jeff Liebermann                 jeffl@cruzio.com
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