Commuting - Bike rack etiquette

So my work has racks in each garage, but they also have those wheel bender racks near the gym. They are in this fenced of area where you need a badge to get in so thats where I lock my bike. I usually lock it to the side of a rack so I can do it properly. I leave my lock there. I have been commuting since last spring (when I started to work there). Rain or shine I ride my road bike.
So I get to work today to discover someone moved my lock to a side and locked their green bianchi there. :mad: There were other spaces available, yet they felt like locking there. Even thought it was quite clear someone is using it on regular bases. What do you guys and gals think. Was it ok for him to do it? Technically it is first come first serve type of deal, but there were empty spots on a rack and to the side in other places, and it was clear that someone was already using that spot.
I saw him after work when I went to unlock my bike (I put it in to the rack near my usual space with lock going through rear triangle and wheel and cable running through front wheel and rack). I took the lock off and waited for him move his bike so I can put a lock in it's usual place on a side of a rack. Hopefully that will remove all the doubt that it is being used. Should I have said something?

uhh....sorry but you said it, first come first serve...

It's painful but true. That's the best space? Get there earlier. I go through the same thing at my office. Rain or shine, all winter long, there I am. First nice day, and there's, like, six ginormous mountain bikes propped all over the place, my lock sandwiched in the middle. I used to get pissed, but now, oh, well.

It's painful but true. That's the best space? Get there earlier. I go through the same thing at my office. Rain or shine, all winter long, there I am. First nice day, and there's, like, six ginormous mountain bikes propped all over the place, my lock sandwiched in the middle. I used to get pissed, but now, oh, well.
It's not really the best place, there are other places on other racks where you can lock it exact same way.

Learn to share.

Az

At our work, people often leave locks on the racks to save carrying them around. This doesn't make it exclusively your rack, although people will often use a different one if it's available.

Where I work we have a bike room, complete with assigned and numbered spaces and key card entry with an automatic door that you never even have to touch. Mid-winter, when the bike room is pretty empty (it has room for 50 bikes and there were probably only 10 there- mostly long term storage) someone came in on a Friday night and locked their bike to my assigned and numbered spot (I also leave a lock there). It snowed all weekend but I came in, via bike, that weekend and the bike was still there. It stayed there for several days more until the snow melted- I was P.O'd since I ride everyday regardless of weather. Keep in mind these are assigned spots so now I was forced to lock my bike in someone else's spot.

In your case the spots are first come first serve but human beings are, if nothing else, territorial animals and I understand the almost primal response when someone has taken your spot but first come/first serve means just that. And there are lots of bike racks with u-locks locked to them but there is no way anyone could know whether that lock is regularly used or has been left there for years.

Since there are other spots available I'd say there is no logical reason, other than habit and your own territorial imperative, to not simply choose another spot and lock it there.

Have you pee'd on that side of the bike rack to mark your territory? If not, its first come first served IMO.

...but there were empty spots on a rack and to the side in other places, and it was clear that someone was already using that spot...

So... your bike was there? A third party's bike was there? If there was no bike there, then the spot was not being used. A bike lock is not a bike. You were right not to say anything. Hope your lock is still there.

It's not really the best place, there are other places on other racks where you can lock it exact same way.

Ummm... you are the OP, right? So, what is the problem based on your statement above?

Just curious :rolleyes:

Even thought it was quite clear someone is using it on regular bases.

eh. People leave their locks on the racks here all the time, doesn't mean they use it on any regular basis. I lock my bike wherever I feel it's safest. The early bird, right?

I can't stand people leaving locks on racks. It's not your ****ing rack and not your space. You're not using it. It's first come, first served. I pass this old u-lock every day. Years have gone by. No one is using it. It bothers the hell out of me.

Take your lock home and keep your bike off of mine!

Shrug it off . . . and get a life!

Leaving your lock there isn't a reserved sign. Germans should learn this about sunloungers and towels, too.

...

Ummm... you are the OP, right? So, what is the problem based on your statement above?

Just curious :rolleyes:
They could have locked their bike in another empty spot with no locks? I probably did over react, but still kind of annoying. It's like you park a car away from other cars with plenty of empty spaces around. To avoid potential for scratches from people opening their doors. Then someone parks right near your car.

They could have locked their bike in another empty spot with no locks? I probably did over react... Ummm... yeah. You 'probably' over-reacted. And I meant that you could have locked your bike in one of the spots you said they could have locked their bike in. If you and I were standing there and I'd just locked my bike in 'your' spot and you pointed to another empty spot and said "you could have locked your bike up there", I'd politely point out that it looks like a great spot for your bike as I walk off (because any discussion about territory over a bike rack is ... hmmm ... I've already wasted too many words on it... :D

I see this as equal to someone using the urinal next to you even though there are several others going unused. There are no laws about it (pending the next Man Law commercial) and you can't really saying anything to the guy, you just deal with it.
And this (probably) doesn't involve some form of undress.

Learn to share.

Az

+1

OMG this one is priceless. Are you seriously peeved? There is this awesome spot at our office to park. The space to the left is reserved for our suite. The space to the right is reserved for the next suite. The space in the middle is open to anyone.

That darn guy in the next suite always takes the open space before his reserved space. THAT BASTARD!!! :eek:

-D

Learn to share.
*DING*DING*DING*DING*DING*

I would have ignored your idle lock also. One of my biggest pet peeves in life is people reserving spaces in public places for their private use.

Usually its a chair. I have no moral issue with picking up somebodies coat and tossing it on the floor if I have observed them absent from the prized seat for half an hour. I can understand leaving your coat there to go to the bathroom or to make a call. But come on. If you go to lunch or some extended leave, don't reserve your seat for the rest of the day. The rest of us should stand all day and look at your coat relaxing?

Edit: Even people with more social grace than me might not pick up on the "this space reserved" aspect of your lock. Most of us would just assume you are a weight wienie and don't want to haul your lock home every day.

You should thank him or her for being a fellow bike commuter, one more person helping make your office and parking area friendlier for bikes.

It's not really the best place, there are other places on other racks where you can lock it exact same way.

Then you've got nothing to complain about.

I have no moral issue with picking up somebodies coat and tossing it on the floor if I have observed them absent from the prized seat for half an hour. I can understand leaving your coat there to go to the bathroom or to make a call. But come on. If you go to lunch or some extended leave, don't reserve your seat for the rest of the day. The rest of us should stand all day and look at your coat relaxing?

This is the way I view locks. I leave my lock on the rack at work overnight, IF I'm going to be riding the very next day. Leaving it there over the weekend, or while I'm on a week's vacation is too much, IMO. And by no means do I expect it to reserve "my" place.

If a lock is left on a rack, I look at it as someone being too lazy to carry it with them or not wanting to scrape up their paint with a big old chain. I also lock up to the side of a "wave" rack at work as opposed to locking within one of the 3 "spaces" on it. If I saw a lock sitting on the outer edge, I'd just ignore it and lock up where I always do. If I were going to a new rack I've never used before, I'd probably use the other side, but if it was a prime spot, I wouldn't let a lock stop me from taking the spot.

I was at the mall once, and I saw a car backing out. 3 aisles over in the parking lot, a guy jumps out of the passenger seat, and runs over to stand in the parking spot to hold it for his wife. I was right there. He thought he could keep me from pulling in while his wife fought traffic to get to the spot.

Guess who almost got run over? You snooze you lose. Parking is first come, first served.

I can't stand people leaving locks on racks. It's not your ****ing rack and not your space. You're not using it. It's first come, first served. I pass this old u-lock every day. Years have gone by. No one is using it. It bothers the hell out of me.

Take your lock home and keep your bike off of mine!

I'll leave my lock on the rack thank you very much. I ride in everyday, rain, snow or shine. I park my bike the exact same spot everyday (I'm there early, so someone taking that spot is not an issue). So what's the problem?



But as has been stated, first come first serve. Even if someone parked their bike where my lock is it doesn't matter because I use a cable + u lock combo that can reach an xtra couple feet, so I don't have to move the lock if I can't park my bike right next to it.

I leave my lock on the rack at work. Of course, I'm the only commuter so I have no problems getting the prime space. To defend the lock-leavers: I do it because I would sometimes forget to bring the lock -- and then what? Now it's just always there.

I leave my lock on the rack at work. Of course, I'm the only commuter so I have no problems getting the prime space. To defend the lock-leavers: I do it because I would sometimes forget to bring the lock -- and then what? Now it's just always there.

I leave my second lock at work. I carry one medium-weight cable lock with me everywhere and leave one heavy duty U-lock at work. No sense in carrying two everywhere, but I definitely want to have double protection during work hours.

I too leave my lock on the rack at work. I leave it hanging at the top of a wave rack, on one of the middle waves, when I'm not there (not too lazy to bike to work, but too lazy to bend over and pick up my lock near the ground when I get into work). Through the winter there is only one other bike ever locked to this rack and he usually uses the outside. "My spot" is on the inside and I use it most every day.

Come real spring, I fully expect someone who hasn't ridden their bike to work in 6 months to pull up, see my lock, and think "who's the jerk who leaves their lock on the rack?" I'll probably be peeved that "someone took my spot." However, after I just park my bike 3 feet away from where it's gone all winter, my second thought will be happiness that someone else is riding.

I've got no problem with people leaving locks on racks. They don't get in the way. Just don't think it somehow saves a spot. That's just silly.

If a lock is left on a rack, I look at it as someone being too lazy to carry it with them or not wanting to scrape up their paint with a big old chain. I also lock up to the side of a "wave" rack at work as opposed to locking within one of the 3 "spaces" on it. If I saw a lock sitting on the outer edge, I'd just ignore it and lock up where I always do. If I were going to a new rack I've never used before, I'd probably use the other side, but if it was a prime spot, I wouldn't let a lock stop me from taking the spot.

I was at the mall once, and I saw a car backing out. 3 aisles over in the parking lot, a guy jumps out of the passenger seat, and runs over to stand in the parking spot to hold it for his wife. I was right there. He thought he could keep me from pulling in while his wife fought traffic to get to the spot.

Guess who almost got run over? You snooze you lose. Parking is first come, first served.
You almost run someone over because of the parking space? :eek:

Ive seen bike locks on racks before and had NO IDEA that thats why people did it!! I thought they were just abandoned locks, or bikes locked incorrectly that were stolen.


But yeah, you can't 'save a spot' on the bike rack man, if its open, its open, and the ends of those wheel benders are highly prized for a reason. Im not gonna let some random lock sitting there detour me to a worse spot. How do I know that guy is even going to need to park there when I'm there? Its completely unreasonable to expect people to save your space for you.

I make it a point never to touch anyone else's bike or lock, just as I expect them not to touch mine. I don't want to have to worry that someone moved my bike and knocked something out of adjustment or bent a wheel (not likely but potentially very frustrating). While technically a public rack is "first come, first served", proper commuter etiquette gives the right of first refusal to the regulars at the rack (IMO).

I am surprised at lack of common courtesy in some of the replies. Lets make few things clear. One he knows the it is being used. He saw me unlock my bike, and put the lock on a rack. It is not the only spot available. There is one right next to it, with no locks that no one uses. Yes technically it is first come first serve, but there is also something called common courtesy. Why take someone else spot, when there is an empty spot right next to it? If I come in to a new place and see that there are locks on a rack I'll take a spot that doesn't have any. There are other spots just as good available, so why mess with someone else stuff?

...
so why mess with someone else stuff?

What did he do to your lock? You didn't mention any messing with your lock in the earlier posts.

What did he do to your lock? You didn't mention any messing with your lock in the earlier posts.
I guess I used the term generally. He move it so he could lock his bike there, but still point remains. Why bother doing all of that when there is exact same empty spot right near it. I guess thats the root of it. I just don't understand why take the spot that is clearly being used by someone long before "you" (I use this term generally and not to anyone in particular who reads this) showed up. When there is a perfectly good spot right next to it.

I guess it is a little strange to move someone's lock when there is another spot just as good. I don't think I'd bother. Maybe he wanted to make the point that it isn't just your spot.

I dont get your attitude at all..... There was a completely open spot at a bikerack so he parked his bike there. I would never even think to associate an empty lock there with someone's desire to park their bike at that exact spot at the exact time I wanted to park there.


Even if I thought about it enough (which I may now) to realize that it was a lock actually in active use, AND that the person was actually there at the same time to lock their bike there, I still wouldnt have realized that they meant that singular exact spot on the bike rack. And then at that I would think it was a little rude (or maybe just a little weird) to appropriate a spot like that, and get peeved when it wasnt respected.

Perhaps there is some reason you dont know about why he prefers that exact spot to the other "just as good" spots, or perhaps it just never occured to him to associate an empty bike lock with a reservation (like I said, I have never heard/encountered that before).

Seriously. UmneyDurak is taking the stance that most of us are in the wrong for thinking that a bike lock sitting on an empty rack doesn't mean *****. Sorry bud, but if your bike wasn't locked up to the rack at the time, then you've got nothing to be b!tching about...Grow up!

I met a friend at his office recently for an after-work ride. Every spot on the rack outside his building had one or more locks there already - some spots had three or four, despite the fact that there were only a couple of bikes actually there. If I looked at a bike lock as a reservation, there would have been no "unreserved" spaces. What then - count the locks and pick the spot with the fewest locks hanging from it? Lock my bike somewhere else? Not ride there at all? I guess I was lucky that I didn't need to lock my bike there - I don't know how I could have done it without breaching ettiquete! :)

If you want a spot to be reserved just for you, get permission from whoever owns the rack and put up a sign saying that it's your reserved parking spot. Don't expect your lock to convey the same message - most of us who have locked our bikes up in places where lots of people ride are so used to seeing locks left on the racks that we just automatically ignore them. If someone takes "your" spot, lock your bike somewhere else. If thee isn't another good spot, deal with it and get there earlier next time.

Perhaps there is some reason you dont know about why he prefers that exact spot to the other "just as good" spots, or perhaps it just never occured to him to associate an empty bike lock with a reservation (like I said, I have never heard/encountered that before).
Probably.

Seriously. UmneyDurak is taking the stance that most of us are in the wrong for thinking that a bike lock sitting on an empty rack doesn't mean *****. Sorry bud, but if your bike wasn't locked up to the rack at the time, then you've got nothing to be b!tching about...Grow up!
I never took a stance that most people were wrong. I guess my sense of common courtesy is different from yours.

Ehhh... The OP isn't gonna get much sympathy from me.
I think it's rather selfish to leave your lock on a public bike rack anyway.

I often have the same problem the OP does. I will want to vent about something, but instead of phrasing it as a vent, I'll phrase it as a question. Then when the vast majority disagrees with me, I'll get upset at them for answering my question. It sucks when that happens, because you want to be vindicated, not advised to find another solution.

Oh, wait, there's a problem with bicycle locking as well... eh, I think that's been covered.

-- James

Ehhh... The OP isn't gonna get much sympathy from me.
I think it's rather selfish to leave your lock on a public bike rack anyway.
Thats ok. No one asked for you sympathy in the first place. :)
Why is it selfish to leave your lock on a public (as in public to employees of the particular company) rack that is not even 50% utilized during the "peak" commuting months.

Thats ok. No one asked for you sympathy in the first place. :)
Why is it selfish to leave your lock on a public (as in public to employees of the particular company) rack that is not even 50% utilized during the "peak" commuting months.

Well... I guess I'm "lucky" to be in a place that has quite a few cyclists (all types, from homeless to roadies and everything in between) so it's often that I come up to a bike rack with limited space left.

Besides, whenever I lock up next to an orphan lock, I always wonder if the owner is going to happen by while I'm away from the bike. Afterall, if they left their lock there, they must frequent that rack often.

Well... I guess I'm "lucky" to be in a place that has quite a few cyclists (all types, from homeless to roadies and everything in between) so it's often that I come up to a bike rack with limited space left.

Besides, whenever I lock up next to an orphan lock, I always wonder if the owner is going to happen by while I'm away from the bike. Afterall, if they left their lock there, they must frequent that rack often.
I see, that is a good point. Thanks. As with most things attitude to a particular issue does vary from location to location and most common situations that people encounter. Most posts were very enlightening, and demonstrated other points of view on a subject.

Regardless. The OP is making a mountain out of a molehill...

-D

Regardless. The OP is making a mountain out of a molehill...

-D
Yeah but it's a very big molehill.

I would have ignored your idle lock also. One of my biggest pet peeves in life is people reserving spaces in public places for their private use. +1.


Edit: Even people with more social grace than me might not pick up on the "this space reserved" aspect of your lock. Most of us would just assume you are a weight wienie and don't want to haul your lock home every day. +1.


Why take someone else spot, when there is an empty spot right next to it? Because it's not someone else's. It is first come fist serve. Not technically first come first serve, just plain and simple first come first serve. Deal with it.