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Hacks for Bicycle and Other Alt Vehicle Service Delivery

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Using bikes, carts, or other alternative vehicles for outreach offers flexibility, low costs, and a smaller environmental footprint. While the core principles remain the same as other forms of mobile harm reduction, there are a few extra considerations to keep things rolling smoothly.

  • Make sure the bags and/or trailers are packed leaving enough time for transiting to your locations.
  • Make sure to carry basic bike tools, like a multitool and patch kit, in case there is a problem—nothing is more frustrating than desperately needing them and not having them.
  • Invest in good raingear and sturdy tarps—outreach stops for nothing!
  • Create and maintain internal area maps of participant location.

Featured Hacks

These featured hacks highlight creative, practical solutions from harm reduction leaders on the ground. From DIY tools to clever workarounds, each one reflects the ingenuity, care, and real-world experience that keeps this movement alive. 

Hacks for Empathetic Active Listening

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Once you have grounded yourself during an escalated situation, next engage in active listening with the person who is agitated. This can seem counterintuitive or difficult when you are dealing with somebody who is, for example, screaming at you, and it may feel like you’re rewarding them for being completely irrational. But it is key to getting them more centered and grounded so they’re less agitated and less likely to become a danger to themselves or others.
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Consent Culture

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The concept of “consent culture” emerged from the sex positive movement of the 1980s and 90s. It was a response to the concept of “rape culture”, a term that had been coined to describe the experience that many people—especially women, queer and trans people—have of sexual violence and harassment.
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