nd2010

I don't like seeing people park their motorcycles at a bike rack, rather than in the parking lot where all the cars park. The motorcycles take up the space that several regular bicycles could use. The motorcycles don't belong there. But on the other hand, a motorcycle does get much better gas mileage than a car, and I'd rather see people riding a motorcycle than driving a car.

Nitram612

At my last job I was fortunate to have a bike locker (big plastic pod with locking door). One day someone parked their motorcycle directly in front of the door, preventing me from opening it. What the **** is wrong with people?

spivonious

That's when you open the door and "accidentally" tip over their bike.

Notso_fastLane

Actually, the person parking there probably didn't know what the locker was. I had never seen one before (and I've never seen one in person). You can move a motorcycle, although only in a limited manner, since the bars are probably locked in the max turned position. They won't take kindly to it, but if you leave a note, the motorcyclist would probably 1) understand and 2) not park there again.

Tipping it over is a potentially very expensive proposition for a minor inconvenience.

Commodus

Yup this bums me out too. It's not as if I can just go park my bike in the parking lot, after all.

lostarchitect 

Never move someone's motorcycle. Ever. Even if they are parked badly. Leave a note if you want, but don't mess with the bike.

The reason why motorcyclists sometimes park at bike racks is because they need to chain up to something just like bicycles do. I don't agree with taking up bike spaces, but I understand why they do it.

lostarchitect 

If you did this to me, I would find you and accidentally put a huge dent in your car.

spivonious

sigh.

Must maintain the tough guy biker image I guess.

I did put a winky face. As a victim of a parking lot hit-and-run, I would never purposely damage someone's vehicle. I would move the bike though and maybe leave a note to park in the parking lot next time.

Sometimes I chain my car to the bike rack too. You never know when someone might try to steal it.

ItsJustMe

I've never seen a bike locker. I might not know what one was. I only know of their existence because I've read about them here.

CsHoSi

I often see motorcycles parked in the wide, striped areas surrounding handicap spaces. I believe those handicap spaces are sectioned off for a reason, to allow for wheelchair access to a van.

I ride a street-legal dirt bike and it's light enough I like to chain it up. I just park in a regular space though, adjacent to a light pole or maybe a shopping cart rack. Sure, thieves may have angle grinders, but it helps prevent opportunity for two people just to lift it up into the back of a pickup or van.

I do worry about someone zooming into the space only to see my motorcycle too late. So, I usually park in the back and walk. It puzzles me though when I park all alone and come out to find someone decided right next to me was a good space. Even with the truck. At least they got a short walk in.

Chris516

I have been scratching my head about this? How in the world can someone with a motorcycle, lock it up to bike tack? There isn't enough room for the motorcyclist, to fit their wheel through bike rack.

Chitown_Mike

I see that all the time in Chicago, usually it is a scooter of some sorts, and they even will ride them on the sidewalk to get to a bike rack.

Chicago recently started putting bicycle parking in the streets and will take up 2-3 car parking spots for bicycles when they weather is conducive to a lot of riders.

cderalow

It has nothing to do with a 'tough guy' image and everything to do with the violation and vandalism of another person's property.

If i parked my car in a way the slightly inconvenienced you in your vehicle, would you deliberately crash into my car? or try to move it?
maybe if you were a total inconsiderate prick you might, in which case you'd deserve the aforementioned dent in your car anyway.

in all likeliness regarding the OP's issue, it's probably down to locking and/or protection. I know I've had people crash into motorcycles parked legally in full width spots and even in smaller split motorcycle spots, thus I would normally park closer to a building entrance on the sidewalk, or near a bike rack.

adamhenry

I've had my motorcycle knocked over when parked in a car parking spot. I used to ride up on the sidewalk and park it by the door to avoid it being hit by idiots.

longbeachgary

That's great. Hopefully the rider won't see you and accidentally teach you a lesson.

There is only one place where I park my motorcycle in bicycle parking and that's at the mall where I've never seen a bicycle park. I'd rather leave a regular parking space for a car than take up a whole one myself.

Commodus

I've been a motorcyclist all my life, and if some fuggin dumbass parked their motorcycle in a way that blocks my bike it's getting moved.

Don't like it? Don't park like a dumbass, it's really not hard. In all my years of riding, I've somehow managed to never park like this.

lostarchitect 

Motorcyclists typically back the bike up to a pole or other object, and run a chain through the rear wheel, around the pole, and then lock it up with a small U-lock. It's better if you can get the chain through the frame, but that's not an option with a lot of bikes, and the bike's not going anywhere if the thief can't get the back wheel. The poles on a bike rack can be used to run the chain through, you don't need to get a wheel actually into the rack.

FWIW, I've never actually been able to get my bicycle's wheel into one of those racks, either. I just put it alongside the rack and U-lock it to whatever I can.

unterhausen

if a car is in my reserved spot, I can get it towed. If it's blocking my bike locker, can I get it towed? Not sure what I would do in that situation, I've watched the vids on youtube about how hard it is to right a fallen motorcycle and don't think I would want to touch one.

spivonious

A car is much more difficult to move, but I'd have the company page the license plate to have it moved if it was blocking a door that I needed to get into.

I've never tried moving a motorcycle, but I assume I could just squeeze the clutch and roll the bike away from the door. A note explains why the bike was moved, and if the rider has a problem with it, tough.

B. Carfree

I would rather have the streets filled with motorcycles than with cars. I don't give it a thought when I encounter motorcycles parked in a bike rack. I'm pleased they left the Hummer at home.

At an employee-owned big-box hardware store in my town, the only secure, covered (we get a bit of rain) place to park a motorcycle is at the one bike rack and there is often at least one motorcycle there. The employees who check folks out of the lumber yard keep an eye on the rack, so even if the rack was filled (it never has been), I would comfortably lock up to the nearby fence. If the rack starts filling up, I'll just ask the store management to add another. This shouldn't be a zero-sum game.

Juggler2

Well, I'm learning some new things today! I'd never heard of a bike locker till I read this thread, and I'd never heard of or seen a split parking spot intended for motorcycles. Both new to me, and at first blush, both seem like good ideas.

kjmillig

Not sure what I'd do in that situation. Depending on the size of the motorcycle, I might try to move it and try to leave a note. I used to ride a motorcycle a lot and always managed to find a place to park where my bike was not in anyone's way and was very unlikely to get hit by a car. I never even considered locking it to a bicycle rack.
Currently living in Taiwan and people park cars, trucks, scooters wherever they feel like. I move scooters on a daily basis, and have put a few dents in car doors when they decided to park right behind a row of scooters while they go shopping or go eat.

ItsJustMe

I don't know where this "don't ever touch a motorcycle" thing comes from. I don't own one now but I owned a motorcycle for several years, and I'd have no problem with someone moving it if I inadvertently left it in the way of something.

DieselDan

Now you are being a bike snob.

I-Like-To-Bike

Wonder if your concern about what belongs where applies to bicycles locked to any object on the street/sidewalk that is not a bike rack?