Montreal's Bixi vs France's Velib'

The Bixi bicycle rental program is now public.

We've seen the bikes, and we've seen the prices that we will be charged.

Guess what? We're getting ripped off. Bigtime!

Guess who runs the Bixi program? Stationnement (Parking) Montreal.

Stationnement Montreal? The source of our incredibly expensive downtown parking rates? The parking-meters-everywhere-racket organizers? The nice folks who ended free parking on Sundays?

With those vultures running the show, we not surprised that the system's prices are a major league ripoff.

Read a comparision here from Le Devoir newspaper. You will be un-pleasantly surprised.

Once again, let us say we really think a public bike-rental program is a GOOD idea. And the bikes look good. But the rates... bend over and assume the position.

Sure, the first 30 minutes are cheap, but ride for a couple of hours and you'll wish you had bought a bike instead.