CaBi Launches Bike Angel Program

[Judd]

Capital Bikeshare has launched a Bike Angel program that allows users to collect points by helping to rebalance bikes. You have to opt in on the app or website. The map on the app will then indicates points available for either taking a bike from a station or delivering a bike to a station. Motivate has operated a similar program in NYC for Citi Bikes.

Full details are here:
https://www.capitalbikeshare.com/bikeangels

[josh]

Really enjoyed this article about one of New York City’s most devoted Angels.

[ltierstein]

If I used CaBi more, I’d become a Bike Angel in a second. I’ve been spending some time in NYC, so I bought a Citibike annual membership and signed up as a Bike Angel. The app is really good — not only does it tell you how many bikes and docks are available at each station, but how many Bike Angel points you would earn by taking a bike or bringing a bike back to each station. Because I was traveling in very busy areas (the West Village and Penn Station in particular), I earned a day pass for a friend in only a few days. Granted, I sometimes had to walk a few extra blocks to find an available bike or dock, but it wasn’t a big deal.

[Judd]

You could always sign up as a CaBi Angel for the accidental points. I moved a couple of bikes on Quincy yesterday. It’s a bit harder to score points in Arlington since there’s not quite as much station density as in DC.

[rcannon100]

So for fun….. ask a tax attorney whether this constitutes a taxable benefit?

[peterw_diy]

Heads up, looks like there’s either a programming glitch or an, umm, opportunity to clarify the point system. I walked out of my way to move one from a full station (+3) to an empty one (also +3) but only earned 4 points. I’ve submitted a customer service ticket and will let you know what they say.

[Steve O]

Perhaps Dismal should weigh in, since I’m not an economist. Getting points accidentally seems like a worthwhile proposition, but spending any actual effort?

If I understand this correctly, earning 20 points extends your membership by a week. A week is worth $1.63, right ($85/52 weeks)? It takes at least 4 of these moves to earn 20 points, correct?

[Judd]

@Steve O 180506 wrote:

Perhaps Dismal should weigh in, since I’m not an economist. Getting points accidentally seems like a worthwhile proposition, but spending any actual effort?

If I understand this correctly, earning 20 points extends your membership by a week. A week is worth $1.63, right ($85/52 weeks)? It takes at least 4 of these moves to earn 20 points, correct?

Nobody is doing it for financial reasons.

[drevil]

@Judd 180115 wrote:

Capital Bikeshare has launched a Bike Angel program that allows users to collect points by helping to rebalance bikes. You have to opt in on the app or website. The map on the app will then indicates points available for either taking a bike from a station or delivering a bike to a station. Motivate has operated a similar program in NYC for Citi Bikes.

Full details are here:
https://www.capitalbikeshare.com/bikeangels

This sounds like a great tandem race opportunity. Make up some rules and let’s go!

Crystal City Wednesday Night Spins by ricky d, on Flickr

[Judd]

@drevil 180511 wrote:

This sounds like a great tandem race opportunity. Make up some rules and let’s go!

Crystal City Wednesday Night Spins by ricky d, on Flickr

This sounds like it would be quite fun. I still need to change out the stems on the tandem so that Komorebi’s nose isn’t poking me in the back, but then it’s on.

[peterw_diy]

@Steve O 180506 wrote:

If I understand this correctly, earning 20 points extends your membership by a week. A week is worth $1.63, right ($85/52 weeks)? It takes at least 4 of these moves to earn 20 points, correct?

Correct. I’m shooting for 10-19 this month, for the transferable free 24 hour pass, to give to friends. I started my Angel journey accidentally when I noticed that I could get a point for docking just a few blocks farther away than I intended. Then I noticed I could get another point if I walked four blocks and biked back. In the end it was a nice way to see more of the city both because my route lengthened and because much was on foot. The effective hourly rate is pretty bad though, even for a 4-6 point move.

No answer yet from CaBi HQ, and my 3+3 is still scored as 4 points. ☹️

[Judd]

@peterw_diy 180534 wrote:

In the end it was a nice way to see more of the city both because my route lengthened and because much was on foot.

I’ve found this to be an unexpected benefit. I’ve visited little nooks of DC that I haven’t seen before and I enjoy walking and seeing new things.

[peterw_diy]

@peterw_diy 180534 wrote:

No answer yet from CaBi HQ, and my 3+3 is still scored as 4 points. ☹️

It’s been six days and I finally got a reply. Boilerplate text and the same point scoring illustration as on the CaBi website (2+1=3 etc.). No acknowledgement of my claim that both pickup and drop off were offered as +3. Nothing to suggest they looked at my screen capture showing that. Worthless and utterly disappointing.

[peterw_diy]

@peterw_diy 180591 wrote:

It’s been six days and I finally got a reply. Boilerplate text and the same point scoring illustration as on the CaBi website (2+1=3 etc.).

Last Thursday I followed up with CaBi’s designated email support. No answer yet. I posed a hypothetical to CaBi Twitter and they replied that, yes, 3+3 should earn 6 points.

To continue the whining, no, when they write that “24-Hour passes and membership extensions will be emailed as soon as they’re earned.”, they don’t mean when you earn that 10th point. Or even when the month closes – it’s the 5th of the month and I’ve received no email about my reward.

I love CaBi’s graphics and marketing, but their customer service is really rather poor IME.

[peterw_diy]

@peterw_diy 180591 wrote:

It’s been six days and I finally got a reply. Boilerplate text and the same point scoring illustration as on the CaBi website (2+1=3 etc.).

Last Thursday I followed up with CaBi’s designated email support. No answer yet. I posed a hypothetical to CaBi Twitter and they replied (after 6 days, pretty glacial for Twitter) that, yes, 3+3 should earn 6 points.

To continue my griping, when they write that “24-Hour passes and membership extensions will be emailed as soon as they’re earned.”, apparently they don’t mean when you earn that 10th point, nor even when the month closes – it’s the 5th of the month and I’ve received no email about my reward.

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