Commuting - New policy at work - no bikes in the building.

Apparently, they're trying to formalize a "no bikes allowed inside" policy for this building right now.

Hmm.

I sent out an email to some other folks that bike to work. I think we have at least 12-15 people who store bikes indoors here. I'm gonig to do my best to find some way to protest this, and see if we can get the policy changed. None of us weere ever contacted regarding the policy, and none of us have ever had our bicycles cause a problem.

Hopefully this does some good. I've already talked to two people about it, both think it's ridiculous that we'll have to store our bikes outdoors when there's plenty of space inside.

In Davis, California? How odd!

I bet there's some city code there that requires bike accommodation...might want to look it up.

In Davis, California? How odd!

I bet there's some city code there that requires bike accommodation...might want to look it up.

I actually work in Sacramento.

Maybe now is the time to ask/demand that they install bike lockers for you outside.

I actually work in Sacramento.


Ha! My original post said, "Wow, in Davis, that's odd. Sounds more like Sacramento!"

All the talk here in the DC area (even with my clients who are building new corporate HQ way out in the 'burbs) is how to incorporate bike facilities to encourage and accommodate bike commuting. You'd think that California would be a bit more forward-thinking on this.

Good luck.

Ha! My original post said, "Wow, in Davis, that's odd. Sounds more like Sacramento!"

All the talk here in the DC area (even with my clients who are building new corporate HQ way out in the 'burbs) is how to incorporate bike facilities to encourage and accommodate bike commuting. You'd think that California would be a bit more forward-thinking on this.

Good luck.

Nobody seems to mind that I keep my bike right outside my cube at work. Then again, there are only 3 of us in a company of almost 200 who ride to work with any regularity.

It's easier for companies to make passive aggressive BS policies than to actually help people compromise. Don't let them off that easy.

Surely an office large enough to have 12-15 bike commuters ought to have a place somewhere where the "dirty" "unsightly" bikes can be stored without bothering anyone.

My best suggestion is to scout out a place where bikes could be stored safely out of the way without dripping on carpet or whatever. If it's a room full of junk, offer to clean it up. If it's carpeted, offer to purchase tarps, etc...

I'm waiting for my workplace to institute a similar policy. I figure it is just a matter of time-- a couple of weeks ago some old lady at the front desk asked me, "do you ALWAYS take your bike inside? I said, "yes."

Organize a bicyclist sit-in? Maybe chain the bikes to things that are important, like the handle of the fridge in the lounge?

Kidding.

That is a policy that I feel would hurt the commuters. Isn't providing safe parking something a company is supposed to do for their employees?

Ok... which one of you 12-13 people cut off some lardass in upper management on their way in to work the other day??

On dry days, your bike brings no more dirt into a building than a pair of shoes -- less if you carry it to its parking spot. On wet days, if you bounce the road water off your bike and carry it, the only thing that might get dirty is your commuting clothes. Park it on paper towels if you're anal.

I can see how someone may object to a bike taking up precious room in a cramped workspace, but there are usually nooks and crannies to get around that problem. This all-out ban sounds like an ignorant reaction to a non-existant problem -- I suspect they don't know how many people commute, and why they have been bringing their bikes into the office in the first place.

I wonder if your workplace has the same reaction to wheelchairs -- those unsightly, road-dirt-carrying, bulky eyesores. Leave them outside, please.

(I know, biking is a choice whereas wheelchair use is not, but come on, corporations need to get over their indoor bike phobia. Your cube farm ain't that special.)

I have been parking my bike in my cube since I started commuting. No one has a said a word about. I guess working nights has its advantages.

The organization I work for has the same policy. With dozens of buildings and +10k employees (plus vendors, contractors, etc) I can't blame them. It's a pretty sound policy where the policy covers everyone. It's enforcement seems to depend on the building. At mine, the building manager has point blank told me not to bring it in. Alas, I still do (have a very secure and discreet place for it). So far it seems to be an un-official 'don't ask, don't tell'. Some of our larger downtown facilites are draconian about it. Same as they are for every other vehicle, though.

Thank God for small companies! I'm IT manager at my work... I started parking my bike in the new server room when I started bike commuting. One of the bosses said something about it, and I just told him he better get used to not touching ANYTHING in MY server room.

End of story. :)

Organize for all 12-15 cyclist to put kick stands on, ride in early one day, park one bike in each of the closest 12-15 parking stalls.

When they complain, ask them what it would be like with 15 extra cars every single day. (note - this plan does not work if the get parking fees - maybe that is the reason for the bike ban)

Thank God for small companies! I'm IT manager at my work... I started parking my bike in the new server room when I started bike commuting. One of the bosses said something about it, and I just told him he better get used to not touching ANYTHING in MY server room.

End of story. :)

;)

There's no parking where you can take your bike? They don't have a parking garage or something like that? And is there a problem why you can't just double lock your bike and leave it outside?

Koffee

Show them the attached photo. However, I should note that I and three other employees normally park our bikes in the warehouse section of the building, instead of in "cubeville" or our offices.

I now have a director-level position in a company which has grown to almost 60 employees, but even four years ago, when I was a mere Member of Technical staff among 15 employees, no one ever complained about my bringing one (or even two!) bikes into the building. Since I did multimedia commuting (commuter rail, jogging, carpooling, bicycling), I very frequently stored a bike overnight, or for days on end, in the office.

... And is there a problem why you can't just double lock your bike and leave it outside?

Koffee Even though I work in an upscale business park in a "good" part of town, I would not want to leave my bike outside overnight.

It's great being an office manager in an agency that has an aversion to lots of written policies! The policy I set at my site is that there is always room for another bike. We even make room in the clinic space for the drug treatment clients to bring their bikes in. Downtown Portland is a fine place to get your bike stolen, and these guys often don't have any other way to get around easily. (OT: the guys that ride bikes relapse less than the ones that don't)

I ride my bike to meetings at other sites and no one has ever said a word about me bringing it in. I guess it makes sense when you consider the therapists are always trying to get their clients to exercise to help with their mental health condition or drug problem. They're hardly going to put up roadblocks for someone who is exercising! Besides, most of them have learned that it is a bad idea to irritate the support staff or their supervisor. We keep them going.

I work for a govt agency, which are notorious for making these kinds of policies. When ours hit I created a commuter club, and as a group we found a corner in the underground parking garage and petioned successfully for mgmt to fence it in as a bike storage area.

Now we are working on convincing them that the demand for space is high enough that we need to install vertical storage hooks on the wall.

Bottom line - the more people you can get sending e-mails to mgmt, the more visible you can get, the more likely you can get accomodations.

Ok... which one of you 12-13 people cut off some lardass in upper management on their way in to work the other day??
I'm sure this was only half-joking. Before going on a rampage, find out why the new policy was implemented. Someone may have been rude in the parking lot or dripped grease on a carpet somewhere. If you know the problem, you can look for other ways to address it.

Aaah, Bike Month must be over. On Bike to Work Day a couple of years back, building mgmnt offered to cut my chain because I was locked up on the building property (and I am onsite at a gov't agency). I worked out a way to park in the garage in our main HQ across the way.

There are four or five of us that park our bikes in this garage.

I keep my bike in my cube. There's plenty of room. I park it on rubber car floor mats in case anything drips. That also collects the snow and salt after a winter commute. If the tires are really bad, I'll carry it when inside the building. I'm careful not to bang into walls or furniture when moving the bike.

That being said, if they tried to ban bikes inside here, my response would be that unless they wanted to guarantee, in writing, immediate replacement due to theft or vandalism (and bring up some 4-figure dollar value for a new road bike), my bike would remain parked in my cube, period. Then again, I've been here for almost 9 years, so I could probably get away with being uppity about it.

pretend ya didn't hear 'em. just completely ignore it. don't even respond if someone says anything. act like it didn't happen.

That being said, if they tried to ban bikes inside here, my response would be that unless they wanted to guarantee, in writing, immediate replacement due to theft or vandalism (and bring up some 4-figure dollar value for a new road bike), my bike would remain parked in my cube, period. Then again, I've been here for almost 9 years, so I could probably get away with being uppity about it.

That sounds like you're requesting special treatment. I doubt they guarantee, in writing, to replace or repair any car that's stolen or vandalized while parked outside.

heh. 12 to 15 people is a high percentage. I'm pretty sure that between you guys and the co-workers that know you well you could probably raise hell. It would be kind of interesting to see why they did that.

Thank God for small companies! I'm IT manager at my work... I started parking my bike in the new server room when I started bike commuting. One of the bosses said something about it, and I just told him he better get used to not touching ANYTHING in MY server room.

End of story. :)

You could store the bike on a trainer and tell the boss it's the emergency power generator for his Blackberry's server.

That sounds like you're requesting special treatment. I doubt they guarantee, in writing, to replace or repair any car that's stolen or vandalized while parked outside.
Personally I would demand free beer and pizza to be served by upper management to all bicylists whenever they got hungry or thirsty; and be just as likely to get my special treatment request honored as the requestor for guaranteed bike theft reimbursement.

I wonder if someone has been storing their bike(s) there.

Some condo's have policies that you can't have bikes inside. That makes the avid cyclist lock his bike outside his condo--if they have two bikes, they need to store the bike at work. Not good.

Also, if there are elevators in the building and cyclist are bringing their bikes up the elevator, that could also be cause. A crowded elevator with a bike isn't good.

Besides those reasons--the other circumstance that could cause a problem is if bike storage blocks emergency exits. That is against code.

Other than that, such a policy is bogus. Ask why--if the issue is one I raised here it can be fixed or addressed.

itsjustme,
I agree with you, they are asking for special treatment. No company with a brain would put such a guarantee in writing. Also, there is no guarantee that the company has to provide parking for the bikes at all. Some places in the big city don't provide parking for the cars, it is up to employees to find their own parking and pay for it themselves.

My company doesn't really have a policy. As I'm the only one I park in the Motor Control room behind my office. Noone has ever said anything.

pretend ya didn't hear 'em. just completely ignore it. don't even respond if someone says anything. act like it didn't happen.

Yup works everytime. Respond to passive aggressive bs with your own passive aggressiveness. If building management really wants the bike out they will have to go through your manager. So just ignore everyone. Or even more useful, smile and nod as they talk to you.

My boss at my old job came by one day and told me my bike was a fire hazzard and I had to move it. But that was the end of it. The bike stayed where it was and no one said anything else. I figured the fire marshal was coming by that day, and the boss just wanted to have it on the record that he didn't want the bike there.

No bikes in here either, and they just removed the bike lockers...but they have an "UNANCHORED" bike rack in the front....despite me having to walk around the entire building to get entrance.

I just lock it to a structural pylon in the back. There has been one attempt to cut it, using hydraulic cutters, but all it did was shatter the jaws on it.. wouldn't have worked anyways since there is only room for one cut, when two is needed to get the lock off...I pick locks based on resistance to this crap. Since then, they just gave up and let me lock it there. The way it is locked, there really is no easy way to take a grinder to it either...so they are pretty much unable to remove it without cutting that pylon down....and you can't do that, since it's a structural member :D

...remember, don't get mad...play dirty ;)