Hi Ken,
> BP> Came across some news item, where in Copenhagen the city provides
> BP> free bicycles for the use of the public. Apparently there are
> BP> cycle parking stations, where after inserting some coins, one can
> BP> take a bike, ride it to another parking stations or wherever, leave
> BP> the bike and retrieve his coin when he does so....We had a similar
> BP> thing going for shopping trolleys, and I bumped into a similar set up
> BP> at air ports, for luggage trolleys....
KP>I thought the Copenhagen bikes were free.  It is possible to set up such
KP>systems that work rather well.
I believe they are, if you are prepared to deposit the bike at one of
the bike stations, where you are able to retrieve the coin, about $4,
when you deposit the bike. So it's free 
The same system is/was used by some of the supermarkets to get people
to bring the shopping trolley back to the trolley parking station....
You put a $ coin into a lock, release the chain, take the trolley, do your
shopping, take your stuff to the car, and then if you want your $ back,
you returned the trolley to the trolley parking station....hehehe
But there where always plenty of volunteers to take it back for you, to make
a bit of pocket money....
KP>My brother used to work for Lawrence Livermore Laboratories and they had 
free
KP>bikes that workers could use to get around the campus.  The only problem,
KP>according to my brother, is that, because the campus is located on the 
ide
KP>of a hill, all the bikes had a tendancy to end up at the bottom of the 
hill.
If they would have had the locking system used by above, the problem would
most likely not have arisen....
Talking about Copenhagen, I haven't been there for some time; but the last
time I visited that great city, I well remember the large number of cycles
dominating the traffic in the city. It must have been evening peak hour, I
was standing to cross the street, and there where cycles about five wide and
I forgot how deep, waiting for the light to change green for them to take
off. Wonder what's like today...? Any Danes on this echo?
Look out for that Red Back under your saddle.....
Happy riding.........Bill :)
 * OLX 2.1 TD * Email: billp@st.net.au
--- Maximus/2 3.01
---------------