In Paris, Rack And Ruin

A bicycle-rental scheme launched in Paris last summer has been, uh, a runaway success. Renters didn’t return 2,000 of the 15,000 silver bikes to the self-service stands dotting the city. An additional 1,200 came back so banged up that they, too, have to be replaced, says French advertising group JCDecaux, which runs the service under a city contract. French privacy laws ban merchants from keeping credit-card and other customer data after a rental period or other transaction ends, so offenders aren’t easily nabbed. JCDecaux is seeking an exemption to the law. A spokeswoman says it factors such losses into its deal with the city, which “pays” the company in free outdoor ad space. –Carol Matlack