Sarah Jane Comrie, the woman known as “Citi Bike Karen” could be in the wrong based on new evidence that has emerged. A video of Comrie and a 17-year-old known only as “Michael” surfaced on the internet. The video showed them having a verbal dispute over a Citi Bike. Comrie thought she had rightful “ownership” of the bike, but Michael thought the same thing. The video has become polarizing with people accusing her of being a “racist” and others accusing him of being a “thug” who stole her bike.
These bikes are available all over New York City to rent at docking stations. Once a person is done with their bike, they simply return them to the next available station. One key fact to mention is that once a bike is rented to someone and stays out of the dock for more than 45 minutes, the price for the time someone has it goes up. This creates an environment where people will often “re-dock” the bikes before the 45-minute mark. These bikes are often re-rented after being on the dock for a short period of time to reset the clock.
Michael had originally rented the bike in question near where he lives in The Bronx. He rode with a few of his friends from the Bronx to Harlem, from Harlem to Manhattan, and from Manhattan back to the Bronx. In the middle of the young men’s trip, they stopped near Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Michael docked his bike at the station here. His intent was to simply rest for a minute and take the bike off the rack and continue the trip. He says he never left the bike unattended and he was with his friends near the station.
Sarah Jane Comrie gets off of work at Bellevue where she is a physician’s assistant. She wanted to rent Michael’s specific bike, probably because it was a newer model than the other bikes directly next to him. He refused, saying he was about to take it off the rack and go back to the Bronx. She then sat on it and tried to rent it while Michael was still holding the handlebars. Chaos ensues.
SOURCES:
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