Originally Posted by
01 CAt Man Do
It wouldn't surprise me. I found one of those pubic use e-bikes stashed just off one of the MUP behind were I live. The bike was there for over a week and apparently it was just discarded and wasn't being used. I sent the company that provided them an e-mail telling them where it was. They wrote back thanking me but the bike remained where it was for at least another week. Eventually though they must of sent someone out to get it because it did disappear at some point.
Most of the "share" bikes aren't really public use, but rather rentals, and they should have built in GPS trackers, and an app to find the bikes (I assume cell phone connected). So, a cell phone dead zone could be a problem for the company.
Nonetheless, riders are also tracked, and should responsibly lock the bikes, either at the designated racks for free, or elsewhere for a fee, depending on how far out it is.
Who knows, perhaps the bike ended up in somebody's garage, but hopefully the tracking keeps people somewhat honest.
You're probably right. Someone rode it until the battery went dead, or they got close enough to their house to dump the bike and walk home.