Man gets 3-year jail term for throwing bike off overpass

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A man from Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong Province was sentenced to three years in jail on Friday for throwing a shared bicycle from an overpass.

The man, surnamed Yuan, was accused of endangering public safety.

The bike he threw off the overpass got entangled in power cables and did not land on pedestrians walking below.

Yuan in court. /Southern Metropolis Daily Photo

20-year-old Yuan said in court that the incident, which happened on May 20, was the result of exasperation after he bumped his head on the bicycle after standing up from a squat.

“I was infuriated at that time so I just grabbed a nearby shared bike and threw it down without thinking too much,” he said, adding he did not think about the consequences of the impulsive action.

The bike fell on a cable after being thrown down by Yuan. /Guancha.cn Photo

Though no one was injured in the incident, the bike landing on electricity cables led to a temporary power outage.

While China's bike-sharing industry has gained momentum over the past few years, reports of abuses have also grown, with piles of damaged bikes found in almost all major cities.

CFP Photo

Though some cities, including Wuhan in central Hubei Province and Jinan in eastern Shandong Province, have introduced campaigns to rein in those who damage and steal the vehicles, national regulations are lacking to crack down on the tide of people maliciously damaging rental bikes.

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