Just got this email, so don't plan to ride Divvy home today:


 



 



 


Good morning.

Due to the weather, we will temporarily close Divvy at 12:00PM on Thursday, January 2, 2014 to protect the safety of our members and staff. No bikes can be rented after the temporary closure has begun, though any bikes in use at the time can be returned to any Divvy station with an available dock.

If you have any question about whether the system is open or closed, please call to speak with a Member Service Representative at 1-855-55-DIVVY (553-4889). You can also find the latest updates on the
Divvy website, Facebook, and Twitter. Members will also be informed of closure and re-opening via email.



In December, we served nearly 45,000 trips, and we're looking forward to serving many more this winter.



Thank you again for your support and understanding.  


 


- The Divvy Team and the Chicago Department of Transportation


 


 


 



 


 


Divvy is Chicago's newest transit system with thousands of bikes available to you 24/7. With hundreds of stations across the city, Divvy is convenient, fast, fun, and affordable.


 


Visit DivvyBikes.com or find us on FacebookTwitterInstagram, or Tumblr


 


 

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This email was sent to x by info@divvybikes.com |  



Divvy | 711 SE Grand | Portland | OR | 97214

 

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This is how adults deal with inconvenience.  It is not entitles to be bummed, but understand the need and accept it, when a service you use shuts down for a valid reason.  That's called being a rational adult.

David Altenburg said:

At the risk of getting labeled capital-E "Entitled", I'm bummed, though I totally understand the decision to close Divvy. I rode Divvy in this morning, and it was actually a lot of fun. The roads weren't too terrible and they were lightly-trafficked, so drivers had plenty of room to give me plenty of room. Had I known I'd be walking through the sure-to-be-unshoveled sidewalks of my neighborhood, I'd have dressed differently, but oh well.

I don't expect to see any hard-and-fast criteria for closing. This is the first winter for Divvy, and I'm sure they are still learning when it is safe and reasonable to keep it open. If Divvy had to set some predetermined criteria, it seems like they'd be obligated to be conservative. 

Their API does not yet have actual usage data, but I'm looking forward to at least seeing the bike counts in stations for this AM. I'm curious how many people actually used it.

They shut down during the snowpocalypse; I missed a day of work because of that but it also made sense they shut down and I got over it without being upset about the injustice of not being able ot use my monthly pas that one time.

You know, like a rational adult.

BruceBikes said:

I can recall plenty of times that CTA or Metra has not run due to weather.

I think it was over Labor Day last summer that Metra suspended service during a violent thunderstorm.

And I remember the Brown Line not running a couple of years ago due to extreme cold and snow.

There have been plenty of other times too.  That's life.

Rich S said:

I can't recall CTA or Metra ever suspending rail service due to weather. 



in

BruceBikes said:

I might be willing to pitch in $.50 or $1.00 to Adam's emergency cab fund if he promises to stop complaining about bike-related infrastructure and services in Chicago.

Who's in?

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Right, are they going to shut down when it's really cold too? What if there is a large political protest downtown? The criteria for when/if Divvy shuts down needs to be better explained. Why should I pay for a yearly service that can shut down at a whim?

I am not terribly inconvenienced by this one shut down. I am more concerned about further shutdowns and when/why they will occur. An ambiguous "bad weather" statement is not enough.

Jennifer on the lake said:

I wonder what they're going to do about Monday.

Relying on a rental service like Divvy for your dedicated transportation is kind of stupid...



Tom Dworzanski said:

It sounds to me like you're viewing Divvy more as a recreational service to be enjoyed on nice days than a dedicated means of transportation on which people can rely to commute to and from work, school, the doctor, or other essential activities. I've grown quite used to being able to rely on Divvy so that's why my opinions are quite strong. But hey, I live by the lake and so I've got the red line, busses, cabs, Lyft, iGo (Enterprise), Zipcar, "bruh, hook it up with a ride," etc and the means to use any of them at will. That's not always true for everyone if you go a few miles west. That's all I'm trying to say.


Carrie Hirsch said:

Agreed. But extreme weather conditions may lead one to think ...yeah, maybe I need a back up plan...because sometimes stuff happens?

Tom Dworzanski said:

No kidding. Over the next few years Divvy will get city-wide coverage including places that don't have good CTA coverage. Those same places tend to have almost no cabs. I'd hate to see people get stranded for no good reason.

Thomas Bruzan said:

but I'd sure hate to get off the train and stare at a locked up bike.

Looks like Dug is "in" on this discussion as well! It's rare for the back and forth to be so lively without him. Welcome back (and forth)!

Actually that is exactly what airlines do; they schedule flights, and sell tickets for them well in advance, for every day of the year at all hours.  Often that results in people not making flights they paid for that are cancelled for weather.

Lisa Curcio 4.1 mi said:

But Southwest Airlines never promised anyone 24/7/365 service for just under $0.21 per day!

Kevin C said:

Storm leaves planes stranded for hours on Midway Tarmac.

Sometimes weather in Chicago adversely affects transportation options. For every 24 hour period Divvy is locked down, each Divvy annual pass holder is "losing" just under $0.21. Were it not for the disclosure in the initial contract which they all entered into, I'd smell a class action lawsuit. 

It's a slow day at the shop and this one is really annoying to me.

Seriously, it snowed a ton, it's hard to get stations cleared and bikes rebalanced safely for the Divvy staff; I think it is completely reasonable for them to shot down for a day or so over that. 

I love Divvy and I think it is a HUGE gateway to getting more people on their OWN bike. This storm and shutdown issue is an excellent case for why Divvy is a great 'sometimes commute' or recreational option but the only way to be sure you can ride somewhere is to get *GASP!* A BIKE OF YOUR VERY OWN!  If you are relying on any kind of outside service to get you around (cabs, buses, trains, rentals, etc...) to get you around you need to be prepared for circumstances beyond their, and your, control.

Seriously, to all of you whining about this: Do you get this outraged if you can't get a Zippcar?  Or the CTA runs late?  Or Metra has a service issue?  Or a flight gets cancelled?

The only sure way to get around is to walk; roads can be closed to cars and it can get to bad to ride a bike.

Bikefreeek said:

Looks like Dug is "in" on this discussion as well! It's rare for the back and forth to be so lively without him. Welcome back (and forth)!

The personal attacks on this thread are getting ridiculous…

Dug, Yes, 24/7/365 but not for less than the $0.21 per day cost of an annual pass.  I understand your consternation about the complete disconnect in the assessment of the *horror* of this two-day shut-down compared to what one suspects would be a reaction to the failure of planes to fly and trains to run, but I guess I needed an emoticon there so the irony was clear.

BTW, while I disagree with Adam's position with regard to this whole thing, I agree that there is no reason for personal attacks.  He is hardly the only one espousing the position.

Finally, I do not see how anyone could think Dug's statement:  

I love Divvy and I think it is a HUGE gateway to getting more people on their OWN bike. This storm and shutdown issue is an excellent case for why Divvy is a great 'sometimes commute' or recreational option but the only way to be sure you can ride somewhere is to get *GASP!* A BIKE OF YOUR VERY OWN! 

could be taken as based upon motivation to increase sales at the shop at which he works.

notoriousDUG said:

Actually that is exactly what airlines do; they schedule flights, and sell tickets for them well in advance, for every day of the year at all hours.  Often that results in people not making flights they paid for that are cancelled for weather.

Lisa Curcio 4.1 mi said:

But Southwest Airlines never promised anyone 24/7/365 service for just under $0.21 per day!

Kevin C said:

Storm leaves planes stranded for hours on Midway Tarmac.

Sometimes weather in Chicago adversely affects transportation options. For every 24 hour period Divvy is locked down, each Divvy annual pass holder is "losing" just under $0.21. Were it not for the disclosure in the initial contract which they all entered into, I'd smell a class action lawsuit. 

I wonder if the people referring to this article about Southwest planes being stranded, as an example of "sometimes things just happen and you shouldn't whine about it," have actually read it:

The long waits between the runway and terminal are a possible violation of federal rules, and a U.S. Department of Transportation official said the government will investigate.

But I'm sure you'd argue that those passengers should shut up, forget the fares they've paid, and gratefully take whatever dregs of service, if any, Southwest deigns to provide, at whatever time it may deign to do so, rather than acting "entitled" by expecting the airline to abide by the democratically-established regulations it has agreed to operate under and to suffer consequences if it does not.

People are arguing against a straw man--the argument that Divvy should never shut down. No one in this thread has made that argument. Many people have made the argument that Divvy owes its users more (any) notice (as mentioned earlier, the email that Divvy sent out actually came well after the shutdown had begun), more information about what conditions will lead to a shutdown, and some indication as to how long a shutdown will last, or under what conditions it will be lifted.

It always amuses me how many people view their willingness to be jerked around by companies without complaint as somehow testifying to their toughness.

Actually I want to see more bikes sold at ALL bike shops and, truth be told, the shop I work at has a meager selection of really good commuter stuff because we are more of a sport shop.  I would actually aim a commuter at Boulevard, Comrade, Green Machine, Roscoe Village or Ciclo Urbano instead.

Lisa Curcio 4.1 mi said:


Finally, I do not see how anyone could think Dug's statement:  

I love Divvy and I think it is a HUGE gateway to getting more people on their OWN bike. This storm and shutdown issue is an excellent case for why Divvy is a great 'sometimes commute' or recreational option but the only way to be sure you can ride somewhere is to get *GASP!* A BIKE OF YOUR VERY OWN! 

could be taken as based upon motivation to increase sales at the shop at which he works.

How big of a wiener you are is getting pretty ridiculous...

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

The personal attacks on this thread are getting ridiculous…

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