Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Was that exhausting to read? Well, imagine if that noise was the soundtrack to your summer.
To the ire of many city dwellers this year, it is. The piercing and persistent sound, something akin to a half-bothered fire alarm you accidentally set off, has been everywhere. Its origin? Lime e-bikes, specifically the stolen variety.
The bikes, which have become ubiquitous in London and other cities, cost 27p a minute to ride, plus a £1 unlock fee in the capital. Those hoping to get around without paying a penny have resorted to naughtier (and noisier) ways of doing so.
There are video tutorials available online on how to break into Lime e-bikes. When someone manages to bypass their lock and ride around for free, it emits a continuous beep, beep, beep sound.
Beep, beep, beep: the sound of a stolen Lime bike – audio
The noise is supposed to be a deterrent – a sonic advertisement to all who pass by that the rider is a cheat – but considering how prevalent it has become, it seems as though boosting a bike has become not only an acceptable course of action but even a lifestyle choice.
On a balmy Friday afternoon in lush and leafy Clissold Park in east London, I played the beep, beep, beep sound to sun seekers, who recognised it instantly. During the course of our conversation, offending e-bikes sped around people, including children, along the park’s paths.
Ellie Roberts said she heard the sound daily, describing it as the “birdsong of Hackney”.
“It doesn’t keep me up but it bothers me,” said Roberts, 47, who works in advertising. “It’s an indication of low-level crime on an ongoing basis.”
Friends Sinead McKenna (left) and Ellie Roberts in Clissold Park. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
Her friend, Sinead McKenna, 49, is more fond of the persistent sound. “I quite like it, it’s the sound of the summer,” said the solicitor.
Schoolkids are often seen whizzing around on the beeping bikes, despite under-18s being banned from using the service. “I genuinely like [the sound] because I think if I was a kid, that’s what I’d do,” said McKenna, laughing. “It’s the fact that Lime is making a lot of money and they have a responsibility. I don’t blame the kids for it.”
There was little sympathy for Lime in evidence. “Why is it that they can make money off public space?” said Sebastian Eyre, 34, who runs a pizza company. “I don’t actually mind [the sound] because it’s usually kids. Lime have done their evil, so let the kids get a free ride.”
Eyre, who lives in Sydenham, said he heard the dreaded beep, beep, beep “a couple times a day”. He reckons in his pocket of south-east London people are riding stolen bikes “nine time out of ten”, based on how often he hears the sound.
A small stroll outside the park, on a road where cafes and bakeries that are the calling card of gentrification lie, Lime bikes were also seen whizzing up and down.
Sammy Gecsoyler recording sounds on Church Street in Stoke Newington. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
Clad in Lycra and a bike helmet seldom seen on those zipping around on Lime e-bikes, John Villeneau said there had been a “massive increase” in the number of them available in the area.
“If you just go to any of the pubs, there used to be a group of 10 bikes outside. Now, there’s like 50. There’s just hundreds of bikes outside on a Friday night because everyone Limes it up and Limes it back,” said the 59-year-old non-practising solicitor.
John Villeneau: ‘Everyone Limes it up and Limes it back’ on a Friday night. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
He said he hears the beep, beep, beep sound a lot but doesn’t mind it. “If you’re forced to take a Lime bike and not pay for it and you have to put up with that noise yourself, who cares? I don’t care,” he said.
He has given the e-bikes a go himself, but he’s not a big fan. “I’m not keen. They’re expensive and I can’t be bothered. The last couple of times I’ve ridden them into town, you have to go to a designated place and all that crap.”
Jane, 68, a former teacher, who did not want to provide her last name, visited Clissold Park for the first time in over a year since moving out of the area.
Jane says: ‘When you get on those bikes, everyone turns selfish.’ Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
She said she had heard the beep, beep, beep sound twice since entering the park. The current stereotype seems to be that it is only young boys who drive the e-bikes recklessly, but Jane thinks this is incorrect.
“I don’t think it’s just young people, I don’t think it’s just young boys or young men. I think it’s everybody,” she said. “When you get on those bikes, everybody turns very selfish.”
A Lime spokesperson said: “We know that the vast majority of people use our bikes responsibly, and we take instances of them being stolen, damaged or misused very seriously. Previously, our hardware team has successfully delivered several targeted improvements to stop bikes being used fraudulently.
“We are developing further measures to counter the latest attempts to damage and fraudulently use vehicles. We are also working with TfL and local authorities to hold offenders to account and we urge the public to report any incidents they see, including time and location, so we can take appropriate action.”
