You've probably seen them. Green, orange and yellow bikes dotting sidewalks across the District.
But some riders are leaving dockless bike -- anywhere.
Pictures all over social media are documenting these strange parking spots. There are photos of dockless bikes in the grass, sitting in trees and even lying in the murky waters of Rock Creek Park.
D.C. resident Scott Frazier sent News4's Adam Tuss a picture of a dockless bike in the middle of a street, with a note that said, "Explain how this isn’t littering?"
The continued lack of parking etiquette is leading to a growing number of complaints.
"I could see how someone would be, you know, tiffed about seeing a bike sitting somewhere," said bicyclist Abe Hiatt.
The bikes are supposed to be parked in proper places, where they aren’t obstructing sidewalks or vehicular traffic. Some companies are even making short films to explain how to park the bikes.
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Nelle Pierson with Jump Bikes said the company is starting to grapple with some of the bike parking issues. One thing that makes Jump Bike different is they require riders to lock their bikes to either a bike rack or a city sign. In other words, a legal bike parking space.
"Of our thousands of thousands of trips, we’ve had less than a half a percent of complaints of trips," Pierson said.
She says other cities are starting to adopt a similar model.
The Washington Area Bicyclists Association says all road users should park their vehicles responsibly. Drivers and bicyclists should not block access to sidewalk ramps and not park in crosswalks.
Cycling advocates also believe more bike racks and bike infrastructure could go a long way toward tidying up the mess.
