Bike-share program: Please don’t ride our bikes naked
“For the love of all that is decent, please consider the other riders.’’
If you’re headed to the World Naked Bike Ride this weekend, you might want to remember to BYOB – bring your own bike, that is.
Hubway, Boston’s bike sharing program, issued a statement on Wednesday asking that riders refrain from using the company’s bikes in the absence of clothing on Saturday night, or any other night, for that matter. Fears that nude riders might take advantage of the convenient Hubway service are well founded. In 2013, photos of riders on Hubway bikes surfaced, giving Monday morning commuters a reason to wipe down their seats before cycling to work.
“For the love of all that is decent, please consider the other riders,’’ a Hubway spokesperson said in a statement to The Boston Globe.
Riding a Hubway bike naked isn’t technically against the company’s policy, but the company is highly discouraging it for safety and sanity reasons. The World Naked Bike Ride organizers have responded to these concerns, urging riders to at least wear underwear if they’re going to be using the public bikes, an option that the event does allow, along with body paint, glitter, and pasties.
But for those looking to go full frontal, it’s unclear what the consequences could be. As there’s no direct Hubway policy against naked riding, the company has little power to enforce their request.
The event, schedule for this Saturday at 9 p.m., is designed to promote bike safety and raise awareness of the harmful effects of oil dependence, according to the organization’s website. It begins in Cambridge and ends at the State House.
Hubway and the World Naked Bike Ride did not respond to request for comment.
Scenes from the 2014 World Naked Bike Ride in Boston
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