Boston is the Mecca of trash picking when the students move in and out. I have less of an incentive since I've left University, but I swear I could furnish a whole apartment, cleaning supplies included, from what I've seen on the streets. It's hilarious.
On the article, you wouldn't believe the amount of crap bikes I've seen sitting on the racks at Student Union. I mean, occasionally I'll see the nice old MTB...but the rest are box store casualties, etc. Sometimes it's just better to throw them out. In my experience, the MIT students I've met aren't real knowledgeable about practical mechanics; their solutions tend to be absurd and operate on infinite budgets.