Litter, according to Merriam–Webster, is: “an untidy accumulation of objects.” In its verb form, Wikipedia describes littering thusly: “To litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, […] on the ground and leave them there indefinitely […].”

The word “litter” makes no implicit value statement, it is simply a recognition of stuff being where it shouldn’t be. You know that scene in most natural disaster or end-of-the-world blockbusters wherein everyone abandons their vehicles to stare at the destruction or run for dear life? Cars are a wonderful and very useful invention, but that’s littering.

Have you ever come across a peculiar-looking branded bicycle in the middle of the sidewalk? Well that bike, just like those cars that could no longer help the drivers outrun the volcanic lava, was useful to someone but is now an inconvenience and an eyesore for the thousands who will come across it. It is litter, at least until some other bike share user claims it and subsequently abandons it somewhere else.

The idea of bike sharing is great: bikes (ecological, maneuverable, fast) plus sharing (I think we can all agree that sharing is great). But what these programs really offer their users is ease: hop on, ride wherever you want, and when you’re finished—hop off. Great for the user, great for the company, but what about the rest of us?

Just as ride hailing platforms like Uber and Lyft have worsened traffic and even emergency parking availability in major metropolises, bike sharing apps are littering public spaces and assuring the rest of us that users will get these bikes back on the road soon enough. Maybe, but—as with ride hailing companies—availability and ease are integral to their business model. So for these companies, more bikes in more places is integral, and then they’ll worry about pairing these stray bikes with paying customers.

Roadways, parks, and sidewalks are for public use, and biking seems like quality public use, right? While these programs are far from expensive, they still promote an exclusionary service. For one, these are applications, only available to smartphone owners; and payment is carried out via credit card. You may be thinking that these are two mainstays of modern life, but that poor soul sleeping on the bench in that same public park would disagree.

Perhaps this diet version of littering will become commonplace, an inescapable annoyance like light and sound pollution before it. Maybe the “analog” version of renting a bike in a local bike shop wasn’t so bad after all. Or maybe there’s a better alternative with a more inclusive business model and a more neighborhood-friendly approach.

Whether by way of smartphone apps or pop-up bike huts, the bike sharing phenomenon is likely here to stay. Now comes the hard work of making it beneficial for all who use public areas.