The click-clack of anticapitalism: How London’s youth took over the Lime bike

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Updated Nov 29, 2023 at 03:35 PM

Reading time: 3 minutes

51699

If you live in London, there’s a 99 per cent chance that you’ve heard the incessant clicking sound that’s been haunting the streets of the capital for the last year or so. You know the sound I’m referring to—that metal-flicking noise that creeps up on you as a teenager rides past you on a Lime bike, aka the notorious Uber of electric bikes.

As a city girlie, I’m a frequent user. Just envision me deep in the clutches of my daily commute, striving to awaken my inner environmental hero as I embark on a quest to claim a Lime bike. I open the app, carefully scouting for the nearest one, find it, and with a swipe of my Apple Pay, voilà! I’m on my way to work, feeling like I’ve just cracked the code to a greener existence.

But as I make my way to what I believe is my Lime bike, I come face to face with someone attempting to start it without paying for it, using what’s since become known as the “Lime bike push method.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@notvoid_k/video/7259459731540970779

If you’re still not sure what I’m talking about, let me explain. That distinctive (and repetitive) click-clacking tune is the sound of a bunch of kids making their way through the city, having stolen a parade of bikes. It might be a stroke of genius, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying.

Founded in 2017 in San Francisco, California, Lime is a global producer of electric bikes, scooters, and mopeds. London welcomed the company in 2018, and, for the most part, its neon e-vehicles usually glide by with a ghostly hum, promoting an eco-friendly way to move around the city. However, reports of bike tampering for free rides have surged, accompanied by a furious clicking, which some have cutely labelled “the click-clack of anticapitalism.”

You’d think the noise would deter them, but the culprits are unfazed. I’ve seen numerous TikTok videos sharing the “Lime bike push method,” for a free ride, accumulating massive amounts of views. The method in question involves pursuing a sprint with the bike, breaking the wheel lock, initiating the clicking, and allowing hackers to ride it without power. The bikes are dockless, leading to complaints about reckless dumping and some public safety concerns.

Now, it appears that the incessant clicking of Lime bikes has morphed into the quintessential London soundtrack, especially around schools. It’s almost poetic—the stolen bikes are seen as the sound of youthful rebellion echoing through the urban jungle.

A few days ago, while coming back from work, a ten-year-old, barely able to reach the wheels of his newly stolen possession, was waiting outside my local off-licence as his pint-sized accomplices went in to buy snacks.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, the stolen Lime bikes, after their rebellious joyrides, often find themselves discarded in the streets, often without pedals and abandoned like relics. It’s a cautionary tale for Lime enthusiasts: even when you pre-book a bike on your phone’s app, it might get snatched away, turning your day from great to shite in less than ten minutes.

Dockless Obstructions, a campaign against irresponsible dockless vehicle parking, revealed that school kids “blatantly hack Lime bikes after school for a free ride home,” abandoning unsuccessful attempts across pavements. Successful hacks end with the bikes dumped without care.

Meanwhile, Luca George, an artist from Camberwell, spins the wheels of a miniature Lime bike, creating the miniature sculpture ‘Hacked Limebike Ventriloquism, 2023. It’s a work of art that finds humour and joy in the sound of teens riding Lime bikes for free. Others on social media share in the anarchy, revelling in the clicking noise.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Luca George (@lucage0rge)

Lime’s 700-strong fleet costs £1 to start and 23p per minute, making a 30-minute ride £7.90. The hack bypasses Lime’s 18+ user agreement by providing a free ride.

Several councils have reluctantly dragged themselves into action after an onslaught of complaints from the public. Back in April, the ever-dutiful Westminster councillor, Paul Dimoldenberg (who also happens to be Amelia aka Chicken Shop Date girl’s dad) made a statement describing his concern: “We’re also very concerned about the apparent ease with which these bikes can be hacked and essentially used for free. There are videos across social media which demonstrate how to hack Lime bikes, and we hope that all dockless bike companies will do more to tackle this.”

In response, a Lime spokesperson issued a statement sharing its plans to clamp down on the hacking: “We are aware of a limited issue relating to the criminal damage and vandalism of our e-bikes. We are implementing a series of measures to prevent this behaviour, with further hardware solutions set to be rolled out throughout August and September.”

The spokesperson also stated: “We are also in contact with social media platforms, which bear the responsibility of removing criminal content like this if shared by its users.”

So, whether you find the click-clack annoying or oddly endearing, brace yourself because we may have no choice but to put up with it for a whole while longer.

Keep On Reading

By Sam Wareing

Female and non-binary Uber drivers are now allowed to reject male passengers in Australia

By Malavika Pradeep

Teenagers are ‘robotripping’ in the pursuit of cheap highs, again

By Malavika Pradeep

Chinese teenagers can now use Douyin, China’s TikTok, for only 40 minutes a day

By Charlie Sawyer

Influencer Leo Skepi warns of a wave of crime similar to The Purge following LA wildfires

By Charlie Sawyer

Netflix’s new viral movie, The Life List, is prompting Gen Zers to break up with their boyfriends

By Charlie Sawyer

First look at $1 billion UK mini city where controversial HBO Harry Potter series will be filmed

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

From teen mum to Gen Z favourite, Angela Rayner is the icon politics needs

By Annabel Smith

Is TikTok’s protect your peace trend empowering Gen Z women or causing social isolation?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Who is Onijah Robinson, the 33-year-old woman who’s refusing to leave Pakistan after failed teen romance?

By Amna Akram

Hira Anwar’s tragic story: How a teen’s fight for identity sparked a call to action to end honour killings

By Abby Amoakuh

First ever porn app launches on iOS devices to coincide with iPhone’s 18th birthday

By Abby Amoakuh

Amandla Stenberg faces colourism backlash for role in Children of Blood and Bone

By Abby Amoakuh

From dinner parties to grocery flexing: Inside Gen Z’s new language of luxury

By Charlie Sawyer

This Oscar-winning actor is the top pick to play Voldemort in HBO Max Harry Potter reboot

By Charlie Sawyer

How a viral Etsy review sparked a feminist movement on TikTok by inspiring women to embrace the bush

By Charlie Sawyer

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham hire a lawyer to battle misinformation amid growing family rift

By Charlie Sawyer

Father of former Harry Potter star gives serious warning to the new child stars in HBO Max reboot

By Abby Amoakuh

Fans claim viral video of Drake fighting off drone in Sydney penthouse actually an ad for gambling site Stake

By Charlie Sawyer

Can Drake actually sue Kendrick Lamar for his Super Bowl performance diss?

By Charlie Sawyer

Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper accuses former soccer coach of sexual harassment in new docuseries