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Next week I have a dentist appointment and I will be riding my bike there for the first time. I'm newly car-lite and I've never noticed in the past whether there is bike rack for parking there or not. Do any of you ever bring your bike inside if you go to an appointment where there is no bike parking available? Do you ever call ahead to ask?
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It depends on the area. Sometimes I'll lock to something else, like a post in concrete, a huge tree, but only in safe low crime areas (really though why go anywhere else?) If I was going to an area that I didn't trust, I'd take it in with me, and not ask anybody. Just find someplace out ht e way to store it.
Bring it inside the dentist office and tell them it's worth as much as "four root canals, two fillings, and a general cleaning" combined. They'll get the joke and will likely offer you an out-of-the-way place to put your bike for the hour you'll be there. Keep a smile on your face and thank the office staff. Most people are eager to help when they know it will be appreciated.
I lock mine up right next to the dentist's:D My dentist rides an old beater Schwinn Collegiate and leaves it locked to the handrail that runs up the handicapped ramp...good enough for him good enough for me:p BTW I get a cyclist's discount too;)
Aaron:)
I never bring my bike inside anywhere - my feeling is that a bike is a vehicle, and belongs outdoors. People are certainly not welcome to drag a bike into my studio! And my own bike is filthy - streets are dirty at the best of times, fall rainstorms or winter can mean a few pounds of dirt on my poor Bessie.
When heading somewhere new, I sometimes do call heading and ask about bike parking. If nothing else, its good bike advocacy.
I used to have a sick cat, and needed supplies from the vet every month (sub-q fluids for a cat in kidney failure). I complained to the office manager every time - didn't get me very far, since I was apparently the only person to every go there by bike, and the medical clinic around the corner had bike parking. She did take me seriously, however, when I told her that if the clinic's rack was ever removed I would go to a vet that provided me with parking.
I don't bring the bike inside except by invitation. At my last dentist visit I just chained to a tree outside the office. Asking helps. Sometimes the bike parking is good but not obvious, like near the attendant's kiosk down in the parking garage.
Sans bike rack use a parking meter or and metal sign post. (Stop sign, parking signs, etc.)
Or better yet handrails (if they won't interfere with stairs). Handrails are always right next to entrances, providing excellent security.
Last Friday, my son was bout to jump in his van to go pick up his paycheck 10 blocks away, to the cell phone store 7 blocks away. I said, "You should ride your bike". He did, and when I went to pay my cell phone bill, I leaned my bike up outside against the front window. This is a low crime area, anyway. But when I walked in the store, there was my son's bike parked inside. I jived him saying, "Oh, so you just bring yours right on in". He said something about not allowing it to be stolen...
It would be so easy to steal a bike left inside a store or clinic. By the time the owner realized it was gone, the thief would be 5 miles away. By the time the police responded (if they ever did) he would be 20 miles away.
Like others, I suggest a handrail, TALL sign post, lamp post, etc. I almost never have trouble finding something to lock to.
But, as I found out a couple weeks ago, even a properly locked bike in a good area can be taken in 10 seconds. Cars, motorcycles, bikes, skateboards, all can be taken too.
It would be so easy to steal a bike left inside a store or clinic. By the time the owner realized it was gone, the thief would be 5 miles away. By the time the police responded (if they ever did) he would be 20 miles away.
Soft lock it (ulock or cable through one of the wheels and the frame) if you are that nervous when it is inside. Also this is why you talk to the staff about it.
Me though I'd just lock up to a tree or sign post outside. If I was nervous I might take the wheels off and lock them with it or bring one of them inside with me.
I never bring my bike inside anywhere - my feeling is that a bike is a vehicle, and belongs outdoors. People are certainly not welcome to drag a bike into my studio! And my own bike is filthy - streets are dirty at the best of times, fall rainstorms or winter can mean a few pounds of dirt on my poor Bessie.
When heading somewhere new, I sometimes do call heading and ask about bike parking. If nothing else, its good bike advocacy.
I used to have a sick cat, and needed supplies from the vet every month (sub-q fluids for a cat in kidney failure). I complained to the office manager every time - didn't get me very far, since I was apparently the only person to every go there by bike, and the medical clinic around the corner had bike parking. She did take me seriously, however, when I told her that if the clinic's rack was ever removed I would go to a vet that provided me with parking.
This is pretty unrelated, but my old vet once charged me $100 for a bag of sub-q fluids for my cat. $100 for a bag of what, aside from minerals, is WATER. :rolleyes: I now get them for about $5. What an exploitative jerk.
This is pretty unrelated, but my old vet once charged me $100 for a bag of sub-q fluids for my cat. $100 for a bag of what, aside from minerals, is WATER. :rolleyes: I now get them for about $5. What an exploitative jerk.
I hear you. We're very happy with our animal hospital, but the few times we had to deal with someone else we had a few complaints - from over-billing to a nasty "money first, medicine later" attitude.
This is pretty unrelated, but my old vet once charged me $100 for a bag of sub-q fluids for my cat. $100 for a bag of what, aside from minerals, is WATER. :rolleyes: I now get them for about $5. What an exploitative jerk.
I've been exploited by dentists, too. One of them put a filling in my daughter's baby tooth once. She started losing her baby teeth a few weeks later.
Lock your bike to the handicapped parking sign post. Now you don't even have to walk as far as the guy on crutches!
bike(s) never come inside, no reason to.........street sign, railing, parking meter, or whatever else is handy makes a good place to lock up
This is pretty unrelated, but my old vet once charged me $100 for a bag of sub-q fluids for my cat. $100 for a bag of what, aside from minerals, is WATER. :rolleyes: I now get them for about $5. What an exploitative jerk.
Our vet gave us a prescription to order ours online. (Valley Vet I think My girlfriend does the ordering on that one) We just needed to bring in a bag the first time to verify that it was the same stuff as a precaution.
As an on-topic follow-up... I circled a local mall twice today looking for a bike parking spot. Gave up and locked up to a sign... there had to be parking for over 100 bikes around the mall and office tower, all full. When I got to the office I emailed the management, suggesting that since they are renovating and expanding it would be a great time to add more racks, cycling is increasingly popular, etc. etc.
They wrote back to me a few hours later thanking me for my comments, and letting me know that the racks are already on order, and should be installed in a few weeks when the expansion is complete. Cool to know they care about cycling customers.
I don't get why everybody is so gung-ho on bike racks. They can be convenient, but the only time they're really needed is in a place that's literally crowded with bikes. Unfortunately, there's only a few places in my area that are crowded with bikes. Any place else, it's easy to find something to lock to--sign, railing, sewer grate, whatever.
Also bikes get scratched up terribly at a crowded bike rack. I even had somebody accidentally lock their bike to mine! I had to go in the building and find them so I could leave.
When my bike was stolen, it was locked to a street sign. The cop who came said I probably should have locked to a bike rack instead. "But, officer the lock was CUT clean through. They could have done that just as easily if it was tied to a bike rack."
But, as I found out a couple weeks ago, even a properly locked bike in a good area can be taken in 10 seconds.
Do tell.
I don't get why everybody is so gung-ho on bike racks. .. Any place else, it's easy to find something to lock to--sign, railing, sewer grate, whatever.
I don't like contributing to urban eye-sores, or cluttering side-walks etc. I will lock up to a parking meter (legal here) if nothing else is available, but that's a last resort. Many other signs are not safe to lock to anyway, and you may have you bike removed. The building my studio is in for example will cut off any bike locked to the handrails or building signage, will have cars who park over the curb towed, etc.
Besides, this is a mall. I spend money there. I want convenient, safe, well-lit and preferably covered parking.
I park my bike in the lobby between my dentist's office and his partner's office. I never asked, they have never complained, i"ve ridden my bike there the last 4 or 5 times I've gone (3 years or so).
There are a lot more places that are cool about bringing bikes in than you might think.
If there is nothing to lock a bike to, yes I will bring a bike inside. Usually there is something, it may not be a bike rack, but a sturdy railing, tall sign post etc. If bike parking is uncertain I'll bring a cable lock as well as a u-lock if I need to lock to something strange (like a tree). Yes a cable lock is less secure but really in the suburbs (where is the only place you're going to literally find nothing to lock to) bike theft is uncommon. The lock is keeping the honest people honest.
If you are going to a dentist office I'd probably be polite and ask, is it okay if I bring my bike in? I couldn't find anytning to lock to outside. Other places I'll bring the bike in and not ask (like say a sandwich shop) if they object, then I'll take my business somewhere else.
Unfortunately, there's only a few places in my area that are crowded with bikes."
In my neighborhood, when someone puts in good bike parking it is like a magnet for bikes. I asked the city for an inverted U in front of my building. The car dependent people howled that it made the building look low class and reduce property values. This morning that one U had a motorized scooter and at least 3 bikes attached to it. Its obvious that residents would rather have bike parking than a building that looks "high class". At my local subway station, before metro put in covered bike parking there were few bikes there, now the covered bike parking is full with overflow at all the nearby signs and meters. You'd think metro would get a clue and install sheltered bike parking at all stations and expand it where its already over full. You'd think that shop owners would get a clue and increase traffic at their doors by having the city put in bike parking- at no cost.
Do any of you ever bring your bike inside if you go to an appointment where there is no bike parking available?
If there's space available, I don't hesitate to bring the bike in with me. Esp. if there are common areas inside to put the thing. In the winter when the bike is nasty, though, I usually leave it outside. One trick is to keep it where you can see it, or do a very complete lockdown with a good U lock plus a tough cable and removing the seat, etc.
I live in the burbs and am only worried about people stealing it because its easier than walking. Soft locking it and putting it in front of a window satisfies me. I will start taking off the front wheel though, that seems like a good idea. I'd never bring a bicycle inside a store (unless in a high theft area) because, yes, it is a vehicle and it is big and dirty.
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