Latest news with #LimeBikes
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'Modern travel is rotting our brains but I have found a solution'
Do you ever ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?" Like the Talking Heads, I'm sometimes confronted by that question. Most often, after a long drive. Something about being plugged into a satnav—watching the time-to-arrival tick by and the purple line wiggle through the digital landscape—removes me from the real world. Half the country can pass by, and I've barely noticed. It turns out I'm not alone in this feeling. Over the past decade, multiple studies have shown satnavs chip away at our sense of direction. Scientists at the University College London concluded that plugging in stops drivers from making memories of the world around them—perhaps explaining why TomTom-assisted travel can be so hard to recall. An increasing number of people are concerned about this. Over four in five motorists aged 35+ say using a satnav or map app has made their navigation skills worse, while three out of five young drivers would never go anywhere without some form of technological guidance. The worry is that, as the tech gets better, the negative long-term impact on our brains will only grow. A small but alarming MIT study published this month suggests ChatGPT users quickly became lazy, prone to shortcuts, and very forgetful when given essay-writing tasks—compared to those who weren't using a large language model. In broader societal terms, it's a problem for the deep-thinking future of our species. When it comes to travel specifically, each time tech takes on a bit more of the organisational burden, are we also losing some of the joy of adventure? I decided to find out (albeit in a very unempirical, non-scientifically rigorous way) by heading out on a tech-free, analogue road trip. The rules were simple: no satnav, no phone maps, no looking up anything online before or during the trip. Just me, my partner, a car, a guidebook, and an OS map. After picking up a beautiful BMW 3 Series from Sixt—which has 2,200 rental outlets worldwide, including a newly opened branch at London Liverpool Street—the first challenge was figuring out how to switch off its massive dashboard console. It immediately sprang to life, eager to offer me a spot of digital assistance. Once effectively shut down, the next task was getting out of London. As a relatively inexperienced driver with four failed tests (and one pass!) checkering my record, I hate driving around the English capital perhaps more than most. It's a blood-pressure-raising nightmare of indicating buses, swerving Lime Bikes, and three-point-turning cabbies—something I'd trade for an expensive train ticket any day. But years of cycling London's streets and hopping on tubes to its outer reaches in the cause of local journalism have left me with a decent understanding of how it all hangs together. My wife and I made it to Epping and then smoothly onto the M11 with just our bare wits, some road signs, and no arguments. Conveniently, much of the UK's motorway network is built atop Roman roads—meaning they're very straight and very long. Reach the A1, and before you know it, you're in Northumberland, no turns required. After heading west to Hexham, I realised I didn't have the address for the beautiful YHA Ninebanks where we were staying, and I'd yet to invest in a proper map (that was a Day 2 purchase). My top tip for analogue travellers in this situation? Head to your nearest Waitrose and ask the cashier for directions. Without fail, they're friendly locals with the time and inclination to help. Half an hour later, we'd settled into the YHA—a stone-brick building filled with geologists attracted to an area known for its excellent rocks and whooping curlew population. Had we searched online for accommodation instead of taking a recommendation, we may never have met the lovely owners, Pauline Elliott and her partner Ian Baker. They cook, clean, and welcome guests to this incredibly remote hillside refuge. (If you're interested, they're currently looking to sell the hostel.) The next two days unfolded as relaxed and stress-free as possible. Without anywhere we had to be—and without a satnav feeding us a false sense of urgency—we stopped off wherever and whenever we fancied. A tour around Hexham Abbey was followed by a druid-filled midsummer morning at Dilston Physic Garden, before stops at the iconic Ovingham Goose Fair, a cricket pitch in the shadows of Warkworth Castle, the chart-toppingly pretty Bamburgh, and then Holy Island. There is a small but growing movement of people embracing analogue travel, realising that tech doesn't switch itself off when the holiday begins—and that it can get in the way of a truly relaxing, restorative break. Katie King, who owns a hospitality company, 'absolutely loves switching off.' The 38-year-old works remotely and suffers from 'digital exhaustion sometimes,' which is why she chooses holiday destinations without phone signal or WiFi. The East Midlander loves to ditch Google reviews in favour of testing out restaurants herself; she saves up her holiday snaps to post once she's home; and she switches off from work completely. 'Addicted to checking emails? Perfect time to detox and reset that habit. Enjoy the surroundings—if it's urgent, they'll text you. I work in hospitality, not hospitals. I deal with ads, not A&E,' Katie told The Mirror. 'Want to navigate from one part of an unknown country to another, on the other side of the road? Map out your route and factor in 'getting lost' time. When we 'got lost,' we found some of the most incredible spots for lunch, shopping, swimming and more. When you accidentally wander off the beaten tourist track, the real adventure begins.' Hector Hughes and his company Unplugged have been at the forefront of digital detox travel for years. They welcome guests into charming cabins across the UK and invite them to truly switch off. 'We include everything people need to be offline for three days: a phone lockbox, physical map and compass, cassette radio player, instant camera, and analogue entertainment like books and board games. Our cabins are completely analogue, with the only tech being an old-school Nokia to call local eateries or contact friends and family if needed. This helps people relax, with no outside noise or distractions—so they can feel human again,' Hector explained. After burning out while working at a fast-paced tech start-up, Hector sought a 'hard reset' in a silent retreat in the Himalayas. He left relaxed, and with a new goal: to help others unwind amidst what he calls the 'screen epidemic.' 'A three-day digital detox has a magnitude of mental and physical benefits. Spending 72 hours offline and in nature dramatically reduces stress levels, improves sleep quality, boosts creativity and original thought, and brings you back to the present moment. Recent studies show that three days offline can start to curb phone addiction and even rewire your brain,' Hector said. 'Without Google or ChatGPT, you don't have an instant answer for everything. You can't just Google a question—you discuss it or think deeply about it. You also see everything through your own eyes, not through a lens. We strip all of this back and remind you what it feels like to feel and be present.' At the end of my mini-analogue trip, I completely agree. It was the calmest, most engaging adventure I've had in a long time—and I'm already planning another. The old adage is that travel broadens the mind, but I'd argue that too much satnav, Google Translate, and Instagram recommendations, and we risk shrinking it.
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Rent-a-bike thieves are nature unto themselves
I often get the Merlin app out on my dog walks in our local park — you'd be amazed at the variety of birds in south London, from the occasional woodpecker to an army of rose-ringed parakeets. But there's a relatively new urban hoot-hooting sound in town: the rhythmic call of the stolen Lime rented bikes make a repetitive cry once an artful dodger — it's usually a child — begins to ride without paying. I saw one being taken for a spin the other morning, two shrieking schoolgirls somehow on one bike, the passenger getting a backie on the wheel arch. Lime bike pilfering is the petty crime no one seems to care about in London. They're just background singers in our soundscape. I fear more for the safety than the unlawful behaviour of these kids, since none of them seem to wear helmets. But then I saw a schoolgirl steal someone else's rented bike. The poor bloke, on his way to work, had paused his ride, dismounted and turned his back for a second to retrieve a ring he'd dropped. He tried, awkwardly and heroically, but failed to catch the bike poacher as she sped off, the getaway vehicle weaving in and out of rush-hour traffic. • England ride Lime bikes to Oval with West Indies stuck in traffic In Australia, helmets are a legal requirement and Lime bikes have them attached in the front baskets, which makes a change from the discarded takeaways left in the UK ones. Could the caring, sharing, eco-conscious, globally successful e-bike hire company not attach helmets to the British bikes? I seem to be having a middle-aged pop girl summer. So far I've seen Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Beyoncé. I'll see rapper Doechii in August. I've been going to gigs fairly consistently since the age of about 14 but I don't remember anyone dressing up as the person they are about to see on stage. This is not a grumpy old woman complaint. It was glorious to see the young 'uns in yuck-green tops and big frilly knickers for Charli and ironic pinks for Chappell. The joyful commitment to cowboy boots and stetsons for Beyoncé's performance in sweltering London was impressive, to the point of being quite moving. I honestly love my job but there's a special satisfaction in putting on my automatic out-of-office response when I go on holiday. I get a lot of cold-call, copy-and-paste emails from PR companies and can't find time to reply to all of them. Since the answer to the vast majority is 'no thank you', it would be unproductive in any case. It does feel hugely impolite to ignore them so I have experimented with efficiently curt, negative responses, only to be met with the dreaded follow-up 'While I have you…'. So the OOO setting satisfies politeness: everyone's at least getting a response — around 530 people during a recent eight-day break. Their non-bespoke request is getting a non-custom-made reply. It's an egalitarian relationship between inboxes where no human time has been wasted. There are still some codes of conduct. You can't switch your holiday setting on mid-conversation. Though I have a sneaking respect for those capable of this OOO smackdown. I got one the other day that just said: 'Hello there, Sorry I missed your message. I'm wild swimming in Wales.' A new height for rubbing your nose in it. Searching the internet for a good price on a new shower, the algorithm threw showers for dogs at me, for the algorithm knows that I am a dog owner with solid hygiene standards. But it turns out that these are not niche products. Even John Lewis sells one, 'for a more relaxed experience' for your dog. It's an 'anatomically shaped' (me neither) showerhead with settings for paws and body made by Hansgrohe. Yours for only £157. How on earth have we lived so long without it? Lesley Thomas is Weekend editor Janice Turner is away
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I grew up in Belgium and this is my most controversial opinion about British people - and the terrible behaviour that would get you in serious trouble back home
Let's talk about Lime bikes – yes, those green bikes that are cluttering up the pavements in cities like London, Nottingham and Manchester. Even Dame is fed up. Just last weekend, the 92-year-old actress took to Instagram to call out the 'loutish' behaviour of Lime bike users by sharing a photo of herself standing in front of dozens of seemingly abandoned e-bikes blocking the footpath. Then there are the not-so-silly safety concerns. London hospitals have seen a surge in people being admitted to A&E with what orthopedic surgeons are calling 'Lime bike leg', or broken legs caused by the hire e-bike, which weighs over 30kg, landing on the rider during a fall. And it's not just riders who are sustaining injuries – nearly everyone I know has had a run-in with a Lime bike.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
I've found Robert Jenrick's next crusade… helping Joan Collins clear away discarded Lime bikes
Hey, Robert Jenrick! After your Superman act as you tried to prevent London's Tube travellers from dodging fares, your super-powers are needed again! And this time, you've got a super-sexy sidekick! The shadow justice secretary has become something of a suburban superhero since he was filmed chasing fare-dodgers on the Underground, he could be the man to help Dame Joan Collins in her campaign against other transport terrors. This week, the ninetysomething Dynasty actress posted a photo of herself on Instagram, surrounded by a mass of Lime bikes in Kensington. She captioned the image of her obstructed path: '#shocked about the #loutish behavior [sic] of @lime #bicycle users #pavementsareforpedestrians #limebike.' And she has a point (liberal use of hashtags aside). These bikes have become a menace – or rather, their riders have. Being able to hire an e-bike to get around our cities is a brilliant innovation, but the way they are dumped on the streets makes them a total hazard. Because these cycles don't have to be parked in a dock, they can be left anywhere; Lime recommends parking spots and reminds users: 'Your vehicle must be upright and with the kickstand down, not blocking pedestrian pathways, building entrances or driveways'. Chance would be a fine thing! So many bike parking spaces, designated or not, are so jammed with vehicles that it becomes difficult for pedestrians to pass – and the ones that are strewn across the pavements are an even worse hazard. I live in a London suburb, and almost every day there's a rental e-bike parked in the middle of a pavement, particularly near the bus station, where there are usually two or three of them lying on the floor, causing a massive issue for anyone with a disability and a huge inconvenience for those who don't. If you try to pick them up and move them, they're really heavy – and I should know, because that's what I do if I see one that's a hazard. Many of these cycles have also been hacked, using a trick that involves breaking the lock (which I won't detail here). When the bike is then ridden, it makes a horrible click-clack noise, and because the bike is now broken, it's just casually discarded. Lime says they are working on a solution to this, but they clearly have a bit of work to do on this given how commonplace the sound is in central London. Last year, Brent Council threatened to ban Lime bikes from their streets due to so many being badly parked; the parties came to an agreement after Lime conceded to remove them within two hours of being reported. But you can trip up over a lot of pavement bikes in two hours. In new research last year, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) reported that 70 per cent of blind or partially sighted people surveyed noticed an increase in pavement obstructions due to e-scooters, and almost half of them said that dockless bikes and e-scooters stop them from getting out and about. Earlier this week, I was visiting Guy's Hospital in London, and a Lime bike had been left on the pavement between the main building and the cancer centre. Thoughtfully, the rider had parked it on its kickstand, but that oh-so-considerate touch wouldn't make much difference to anyone trying to negotiate it in a wheelchair, or who was wobbly on their feet. That moment really summed up for me how thoughtless and selfish so many of the cyclists who use Lime bikes and any other e-bikes in London are. So come on, Mr Jenrick. I fancy seeing you and Dame Joan riding a paid-for pair of Lime bikes, chasing down the selfish idiots who are making life difficult for so many people. This is a job for Jenrickman!
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Joan Collins: Lime bike louts leave me shocked
Dame Joan Collins has said she is shocked by the 'loutish' behaviour of Lime bike users. The actress, 92, shared a photo on Instagram showing her standing next to seemingly abandoned Lime bikes clustered together on a London pavement. She captioned the snap: '#shocked about the #loutish behavior of @lime #bicycle users #pavementsareforpedestrians #limebike'. Clad in a white summer hat and sleeveless dress, Dame Joan pictured herself gesturing at the bikes – two of which had been vandalised with graffiti. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joan Collins (@joancollinsdbe) Lime owns the majority of the capital's estimated 40,000 rental bikes. The company's signature green-and-white machines weigh upwards of 30kg each. The bikes are automatically locked until registered users unlock them through the Lime app, paying about £4 for 30 minutes of use. Illicitly unlocking the bikes to obtain free use has become popular among Londoners, with videos containing instructions on how to bypass the lock easily found on social media. A Lime spokesman said: 'We never want our e-bikes to obstruct anyone's journey. Our bikes are popular with Londoners, and in high-demand areas this can occasionally lead to overcrowding. We're addressing this by working with TfL [Transport for London] and local councils to fund and deliver more than 2,500 dedicated parking bays across the city – making it easier to ride and park responsibly. 'We also have an on-street team of 400+ in the capital who tidy and redistribute bikes throughout the day to help keep busy areas clear.' Last year, the company was accused of failing to take dangerous and broken electric bikes off London's streets after a local news site asked a bicycle mechanic to inspect a 50-strong sample of Lime's machines. Lime insisted at the time that 99.99 per cent of rides ended 'without a reported incident', adding that 'safety is our highest priority'. Elsewhere, Dame Joan will shortly be gracing the nation's screens once again in her latest role as Wallis Simpson. A new TV biopic about the late Duchess of Windsor was announced in May. In The Bitter End, Dame Joan plays the wife of Edward VIII in her final years. Faced with a choice between his divorced American fiancée and the crown, Edward VIII abdicated less than a year after succeeding to the royal throne. While he passed away in exile in 1972, his wife lived on until 1986. The Bitter End explores the relationship between the American one-time socialite and her French lawyer Suzanne Blum. Blum became famously controlling over Wallis in the years after the Duke of Windsor's death, with their relationship being described as 'one of the most sinister… ever formed between lawyer and client' by Hugo Vickers, the royal biographer.
