Northeast - Blacklisted from Office Building with Bike!!

So here's a rather complex situation. I'm an industrial designer whose office just moved into 11 E26th St in NYC. I've been an avid biker for the last couple seasons with my dad's vintage Bottecchia. (which I love, and would like to here some feedback, suggestions, etc.)
This new building apparently has some major issues with bikes. They don't allow bikes through the front door, since they're worried about the glass doors being damaged, elevators being scratched etc etc. So we have to ride to the back entrance and take the freight elevator up. (no problem right?) The freight elevator however, only operates from 8:30 to 5:30. I don't know any designers who actually work from 9-5. So, after 5:30, we try to carry our bikes down the back stairwell, only to find that that's not kosher either. The building management secretly installed an alarm on the back stairs a few days after one of my co-workers got caught. So now it was my turn to test the waters. One night I tried to take my bike out the front and maybe chat with the front guard about what the possible exits we could take. He wasn't having it, and took my name down. Couple days later, I ride in to work, go straight for the freight elevator only to be turned around. "I can't take you up sir. You tried to take the bike out the front, now I was told not to let you in with the bike." Whaaaat!? Apparently, the front guard had reported me the other day, and the management had blacklisted me! Now I can't bring the bike into the building at all! No warning, nothing.
I was left with no choice. Luckily I had my chain on me, and locked the bike up on the street. Naturally, I was worried all day that my bright green Bottecchia would be damaged or stolen. Thankfully, it was still intact by the end of the day.
This whole fiasco happened a few days ago. I am furious, and curious if anybody out there has experienced anything of this sort? Is the building management even allowed to do this? Is this lawful? Suggestions as to how to get my name off their "blacklist" and change their views on letting bikes into the building? Do I have to suck it up and lock my bike outside??

Damn the man!

Regards,
-Aaron Tsui-

PS - I'm new to this site. How do you go about posting photos? Would love to share pics of my Bottecchia and see what you guys and gals have to say. Peace.

look at queens i lived in northeast queens for 32 years not one ticket on or off the sideways depending on the hours or how busy me if i have to ride from here to there and why i do this one word

"gypsy cabs"

i don't trust them and they don't care about cyclist at all is all about me me me in there minds and i tell the worst spot are............ 61st/Roosevelt and 74st/Roosevelt but is also all part of queens......look the bottom lines is this they don't have any license or insurance and they weasel threw the laws and have no businesses behind the wheels and when they do hit someone they will keep on driving........."why" look at my reason and it just plain suck !

and i know this look like a major rant but this is from my experience

Someone alluded to the idea of paid bike parking. I wonder why someone hasn't yet run with the idea of taking space within an auto parking garage to provide parking for bicycles at a fee. Or HAS someone already done this? (I expect to receive a whole bunch of links in response to this!)

I'll bet the minute building owners realize cyclists are willing to pay a few dollars a day to park a bike, they will find space within their buildings to do the same for tenants -- at a fee, of course.

As much as I empathize with the situation, I would not make a big deal about it unless you are literally a star at the top of your field and have a great relationship not just with your employer, but with whoever owns the company. Otherwise one false step can literally destroy your career in todays economy.

Personally, I would be careful to make sure that nothing that I said could be misinterpreted. Even if you do feel its wrong, and it is, try not to act entitled to things.

There are better ways to change the situation. Are there any other bicyclists in the building, or some way you can ask if there is? (a local cafe with a bulletin board, maybe?)


I would say go with cyclezealot's, or ulugeyik's idea and request a taxi fare since your office does not approve of your transportation, or write a claim letter and request compensation for bike loss or damage.

Is your building anywhere have the big barn doors on the wall on upper floors and HOISTS that swing out from the building?



Wow. That is absolutely ridiculous. I think your company's management needs to push the building to allow you access to your bike storage 24/7, even if it means you have to take the freight elevator. Why else did you spend the money to install bike racks?!?!?

Some Europan cities have bike parking garages, which I think in some cases are even free to use. They are set up sort of like laundromats where you bring your bike in and they hang it on a big thing that looks like an automated clothes rack. They give you a ticket for it. The thing is a big conveyor belt and hundreds of bikes are stored efficiently. When you return you give them your ticket and they punch the number n to their keypad and the machine whirrs and your bike is delivered to the front desk in seconds, they remove it and pass it to you.

There are similar devices for cars too. Some of them are HUGE.

ZOMBIE THREAD

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/Zombiesurvivalguide.jpg/180px-Zombiesurvivalguide.jpg

Look at the dates, people. This thread was buried about 2 years ago.

Not only is this a 2 year old thread but in the meantime the City Council passed a bill requiring commercial garages to accept bikes. Some of the chains offer secure parking for as little as $20 a month.