{"id":419479,"date":"2026-10-05T19:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T19:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/419479\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T19:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T19:22:14","slug":"opinion-usf-bikeman-brings-real-awareness-to-campus-in-an-unconventional-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/419479\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION: \u201cUSF bikeman\u201d brings real awareness to campus in an unconventional way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>USF bikeman has taken unlocked bicycles and scooters and put them in trees as a striking reminder to lock your transportation. ORACLE PHOTO \/ ELLIE FROST<\/p>\n

I was simply passing by USF\u2019s Castor Beach<\/a> on my way to my dorm when a turquoise bicycle hanging from a tree branch made me stop in my tracks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I thought it would be a one-time occurrence, but this suddenly became a common sighting across campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Look, seeing bikes and scooters hanging from trees like giant Christmas ornaments is hilarious at first. But imagine actually being the person who owns them.<\/p>\n

You walk out of a two-hour lecture, you\u2019re tired, you\u2019re late and suddenly your only ride home is dangling six feet in the air. If you\u2019re on the shorter side or just having a bad day, it is definitely not just a funny prank.<\/p>\n

My first honest suspicion was that it was Spiderman. Like many USF students, I questioned who the real person behind the bikes was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Until eventually I came across the @usfbikeman<\/a> account on Instagram, whose first post was uploaded on Sept. 11 and showcased several videos of bikes and scooters placed in trees which were numbered and labeled as \u201cvictims.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The account quickly gained a lot of attraction, drawing thousands of followers eager to see what was coming next.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The name behind this scheme is Owen Thompson, a freshman business analytics major, more popularly known online as the \u201cUSF bikeman.\u201d<\/p>\n

The USF Police Department can send us all the safety emails they want and even do events showing how to register<\/a> and protect your belongings, but it took a guy putting unlocked scooters in trees for anyone on campus to actually talk about theft.<\/p>\n

His methods were definitely not ideal, but he kind of proved a point. Traditional warnings just get ignored, and apparently, it takes a viral stunt for people to finally go buy a basic bike lock.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Stolen e-scooter arrest puts spotlight on campus theft<\/a><\/p>\n

Thompson describes his motivation sparking when he got his $500 scooter stolen not even a week into the start of this semester.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI locked it up to the bike rack outside of Castor, and it got stolen that same day. \u2029And I didn\u2019t even have time to register it or get an airtag on it or anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later on, he spotted an unlocked bike while on the phone. \u201cI was like wait, should I mess with this person? Should I put it at a different bike lock or a rack area? Or should I just flip it up or something?\u201d said Thompson.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After deciding to put it up onto a tree, he saw a USF student post about it on Yik Yak<\/a>, a social media app that allows college students to communicate and post anonymously. Which immediately led him to the thought, \u201cWait, I should make an Instagram for this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

At that moment he decided to start his account.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to start trying to spread awareness for theft, because mine got stolen. So I want to try to make people aware of it,\u201d Thompson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

USFPD found this cause to be worth bringing attention to and even offered to be part of these videos in support of the message of theft prevention<\/a>, Thompson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve talked to campus police and they agree with my movement. They like what I\u2019m doing. They\u2019ve even offered to be in a video,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED: Here\u2019s how USF Police can help recover your stolen bike, scooter<\/a><\/p>\n

Victoria Eason, a freshman health sciences major, shares her takeaways from these acts as one of the many students who uses a scooter to get to class.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI found it funny, and then I wondered how he or she managed to do all this in a span of time and not be caught in the act,\u201d said Eason. \u201cIt really shows that you need to lock your bike up. I always lock my scooter up. I don\u2019t play about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

USFPD involvement has taken place. The physical act of putting bicycles and scooters in trees has been formally asked to stop as it is seen as inappropriate.<\/p>\n

After receiving a letter and speaking to the USF disciplinary officers, Thompson is now cleared as long as he doesn\u2019t do it again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said that it\u2019s not that crazy of a thing. It\u2019s not like I\u2019m out here hurting people or stealing stuff. So I\u2019m not in a ton of trouble. I\u2019m on disciplinary probation,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That same week the letter got delivered, Thompson stopped posting videos to avoid further trouble. Now, he has begun posting videos again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His latest video<\/a> is of himself putting his own bicycle in the tree and stating \u201cThe latest victim is me.\u201d<\/p>\n

What added to this disciplinary action was actually something completely unrelated to the bikes. The window in the USF Pinnacle Hall<\/a> was shattered and broken after Thompson accidentally punched through it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the main thing that I was getting in trouble for is that way, without the bikes. They said that if I do anything else, then I\u2019m going to get kicked out, but for now I\u2019m chill. It\u2019s only $1,200 for the door,\u201d said Thompson.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although at first it seemed like a hilarious sight to see people\u2019s transportation up in the air, I soon thought about the inconvenience of having to take your bike down from a tree after placing it in the rack it normally resides in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Especially for those who might not even reach the height of the trees.<\/p>\n

However, even though the days of putting bikes in trees are over, Thompson plans on continuing to grow his social media platform to bring awareness to this issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With over 4,500 followers and majority being USF students, he said he is considering offering free bike repairs and tuning to those who need it in the future. As college students who live in a shared space with thousands of other students, ensuring your property is secure should become a standard priority.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That is where the giveaways come into play. Thompson announced on his @usfbikeman account that he would be giving away free locks<\/a> after reaching a certain number of followers. A simple item that some USF students haven\u2019t been using.<\/p>\n

We as students also have the ability to register<\/a> our scooters and bikes in USFPD. By having an official university sticker on your transport, USF police can ensure they can identify your vehicle.<\/p>\n

In this way if theft does occur, your property can be successfully recovered.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Amidst the craze of the past few weeks, Thompson points out one thing in specific that he has found to be the most astounding. The attention that this situation has brought him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could literally happen to anyone. I didn\u2019t know that it would be me. And obviously I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m some celebrity and I\u2019m going to make a career out of this in any way. I know this will die out in a couple weeks, but I\u2019ve had my five minutes of fame, and I wasn\u2019t expecting it to ever happen,\u201d said Thompson.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Putting a creative twist to this awareness campaign has left me thinking of the deeper message behind what at first seemed like a silly stunt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the final words by Thompson: \u201cThe USF bikeman is a villain, not a monster.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, this whole situation says a lot about our student body. We shouldn\u2019t need an Instagram account putting our rides in trees just to remember to lock our own belongings up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So students, remember to lock your bikes, scooters, skates, and everything in between. By doing so, you\u2019ll avoid theft and even the possibility of getting your mode of transport put up in a tree.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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