In Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, some shared bikes have been thrown into the river in Houjie Town, with hundreds of them being salvaged from the water every month. This news made it to the top searches on Baidu on December 3, sparking a heated discussion among netizens.
According to a local resident in Dongguan City, while walking along the banks of the Da Be River in Houjie Town, many shared bikes were spotted tossed into the river.
Sanitation workers involved in salvaging the shared bikes stated that there are 22 rivers in Houjie Town where abandoned shared bikes can be found daily. It takes the effort of six people to salvage one shared bike, making it a time-consuming and labor-intensive task to retrieve hundreds of bikes each month.
In response, a lawyer mentioned that the intentional destruction or indiscriminate disposal of shared bikes may constitute a crime, cautioning the public to be mindful of such actions.
Some netizens explained the phenomenon of shared bikes ending up in the river by pointing out that shared bikes are a convenient mode of transportation for people, but many users carelessly leave them scattered in residential compounds, causing blockages in traffic and occupying fire emergency passages. Additionally, shared bikes are haphazardly placed in the middle of roads, on highway entrance ramps, near markets, and around parks.
Criticism was directed towards those who throw shared bikes into the river, with some netizens questioning the mindset of such individuals. They suggested imposing strict penalties on offenders to deter such actions in the future.
Moreover, some netizens highlighted that the incident not only results in economic losses for the shared bike companies but also disrupts the urban environment and social order. It exposed issues in shared bike management, including excessive deployment and chaotic parking practices.
A netizen using the handle “Little Gingko 2023” emphasized the dangers of throwing bikes into the river, stating that during heavy rain, the accumulation of bikes could block the river due to their relatively heavy weight.