What happens when you lock your bike to a tree?
If you live in downtown New York, you will pay a hefty $1000 fine. In Toronto you get a notice from the city to remove it within 24 hours or they will do it for you. But there’s also a double whammy to consider.
Unfortunately some people approach a city bike rack as if armed with sickle walking into a harvest. Small trees won’t stand a chance against this onslaught. Landscaping projects can quickly be transformed into something reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie. Nor will it prevent some bike thieves who will just saw down the tree.
So what happens to the abandoned bike when the city cuts it loose? It’s brought to a waste depot where it will undergo processing, packaging and shipped to the forsaken town of Innisfil for auction. Others will meet an undignified end, stripped of rubber and plastic, the frame crushed and melted into tiny metal cubes.
Think twice before locking a bike to a tree, especially the saplings. Take the time to find a spot. A few extra minutes won’t kill you, but it could kill the tree. Both your bike and tree deserve a better fate.
City of Toronto | Notice of violation
