Touring - bike racks at airports?

Recently I needed to lock up my bike at an international airport while I was on my trip. I couldn't find a bike rack anywhere and then was told by the police officers that if I locked it up anywhere near the terminal that they would "confiscate and destroy" my bike. So . . .

I was wondering if anybody has run into this problem before or could cite examples of airports that for sure do/do not have bike racks available. I know that train and bus stations usually do, but airports?

Thanks!

Police mindset at EVERY airport means they view EVERY stationary object as a potential explosive hazard.....even the ones that manage to evade security scrutiny..I.E. sev weeks ago at Newark
Lev the bike at home take a cab

DCA (Washington-National) has a bike rack inside the short-term parking garage. There's also a bike trail which cuts right through the airport property.

Lev the bike at home take a cab
Ohh helpful advice, thanks. For some reason I thought this was the bike forums, not the car talk forums :rolleyes:


DCA (Washington-National) has a bike rack inside the short-term parking garage.
Thanks. I'm trying to compile a list to submit to the CEO of the airport to convince her that there are other airports have bike racks. She said in her email "I suspect it has rarely come up in the past due to the fact that most traveling passengers would have to ride several miles to reach the terminal from most locations in the metropolitan area." So I'll also have to convince her that several miles is, amazingly enough, doable on a bike :D

DCA (Washington-National) has a bike rack inside the short-term parking garage. There's also a bike trail which cuts right through the airport property.

Not only that, but from just about anywhere in the area you could ride your bike to the Metro, lock it in a locker, then ride train to National Airport and fly away.

DCA (Washington-National) has a bike rack inside the short-term parking garage. There's also a bike trail which cuts right through the airport property.

Interesting. I needed special permission to operate my bicycle on National Airport roads ten years ago when I used to ride down there twice a day to pick up parcels. I bet it is still against the rules to ride on most of their roads. Glad to hear bikes can park there.

Recently I needed to lock up my bike at an international airport while I was on my trip. I couldn't find a bike rack anywhere and then was told by the police officers that if I locked it up anywhere near the terminal that they would "confiscate and destroy" my bike. So . . .

I was wondering if anybody has run into this problem before or could cite examples of airports that for sure do/do not have bike racks available. I know that train and bus stations usually do, but airports?

Thanks!

I biked to Lester Pearson International (Toronto) airport on January 1st of this year. It is very bike unfriendly. I also found that the security at Gatwick in England was so tight that I wasn't able to leave my bike for long enough to go to the washroom. It seems to be zero tolerance; if you are not with it, it is potentially a bomb.

Too bad we can't all be friends.

I couldn't find a bike rack anywhere and then was told by the police officers that if I locked it up anywhere near the terminal that they would "confiscate and destroy" my bike.

Their answer was rude and unhelpful. Find other officers and ask them where you can park your bike, even if it's not close to the terminal. I work at the airport here and when I asked security where I could park it, they gave me indication to the bike racks.