my58vw

Alright...

I work for a security department and we have bikes/ do bike patrol. I once was a bike officer and rode my cdale when I had it. Eight months ago I stoped doing it and maintaining the bikes at work. This week my boss stuck me on ONE bike patrol shift (in 8 months) and since I did not have my MTB anymore I have to brave the crappy 500 POS's here. Well here is the condition I found the bike it...

No brakes, one pad missing one really bad, front was so loose it was barily touchig the rim. B destroyed, grinding noises at the 3 and 9 oclock posistions. Loose crankarms, slightly bent deraileur hanger, wheel slightly out of true, non working taillight, front wheel and handlebars slight off from each, one tire flat, one at about 10 PSI, other and the list goes on. I came in and last time they let me use a vehicle (fun ) . Well this time the captain jerk self told me I have no choice but ride the bike.

I told him I would not ride the bike because it was not safe. He said I had no choice. Since I drove the vehicle last time I said I did not have my "bike uniform" (we have 3 different uniforms) and I would have to go 20 minutes home and back to get it). After he called me a few choice words I was so pissed off I nearly walked out. I drove home and retrieved a BB that would work (out of my own pocket), a tube, tool set, etc. After driving all the way back the boss said I could not clock in until I got on the bike and rode it.

Turns out the BB did not work, and I cleaned out the BB shell, but the bad one back in, tightened down the crank, fixed the flat and was on my way. Well I am on my brake, the bike is riding like s%%T and I am not happy.


This is just one incident that has me thinking about quiting. They care only about not using 2 gallons of gas then MY safety. They also treat me like crap. The bike that I am trying to ride is a 22 inch that DOES NOT FIT, my legs are screaming because I can not full extention, etc.

The question is facing this situation what would you do?

supcom

1. Find a new job.

2. Buy a beater bike and keep it at work so you'll have something safe to ride.

3. Bike to work so you'll have a good bike if needed.

4. Request to get a shift once a month fixing up the company bikes.

5. Keep a set of your own critical parts in your car so you can make an assigned bike safe to ride. Put the bike back the way you found it at the end of the day.

6. (My favorite) Broadside your boss' car with a bike that has no brakes. Even better, broadside his boss' car. Have a new job lined up first!

iamlucky13

Patrol bikes don't have 22" wheels. You might as well be on foot for all the bad guys you can catch on that thing. Not only are they not worried about your safety, they don't even seem concerned about providing their customer with the service they're hired for.

# 4 above sounds like a good choice. I'll add on another option

7. Find someone higher up than the "captain-jerk" to talk to about the possibility of investing some of the gas/maintenance budget on decent hardtail bikes for the officers

8. (bonus option) Spin so hard chasing down OJ Simpson (he did it) that you break the crank and chainrings off. Hit "captain-jerk" in the balls with said crank and chainring assembly to prevent further contamination of the gene pool.

Cyclaholic

1. get your boss to put his unreasonable demands on paper or email, anything that gives you documentation of his position.

2. Put your objections on paper or email for the same reasons.

3. If he still insists that you ride it, take photos of the bike exactly as it is before you ride it, get the day's newspaper in the shots so as to document the day the pictures were taken.

4. Sue them for the 'injuries' you sustain.

5. Get a job where they at least acnowledge your status as a member of the human race

my58vw

Well what I expected happened. I was shifting from middle to big ring and the crankset flexed or something and it locked the rear wheel up... you can imagine what happened. Luckly I was going about 15 MPH at the time and I ended up in the grass. The bike did not fare too bad though . I had to take the chain off and kick the pedal a few times to unlock the BB but I rode it back in.

Night is over, chain does not look too good and I do not have a 9 speed chain tool or links.

Bikewer

If you're interested in fighting this, you need to document everything. Got a digital camera? If not, borrow one and take pics of all the broken stuff on the bike they want you to ride.
Write up a formal complaint to the owner/manager/corporate entity that is in charge of this outfit, expressing your concerns over being made to ride an unsafe bike.
Make a formal complaint to the local OSHA office. Again, being ordered to indulge in hazardous behaviour is grounds for a lawsuit.
Contact your local newspaper or TV news. Even small local news agencies are interested in this sort of story, and there's nothing like an investigative reporter showing up at the company to get people's attention.
Usually, security agencies are licenced by state or county agencies, who also issue licences to the guards. Check with the local police to see who certifies the training and licencing for this firm.
Just a few ideas....

my58vw

HR is incharge of local matters because they are a division of the university. BSIS is in charge of all security guard licencing at least in the state of California. I do know there are some things going on that for sure violate state law... and that could be a big issue there. As for OSHA we will deal with HR first and go from there... of they will not do anything then we go higher.

KingTermite 

I'd be out in a NY second.....basically ANYPLACE that doesn't respect me can't have my attention enough to work for them. You aren't respected, go where you will be. Plain and simple.

I used to be nervous about situations like that when I was much younger....but I guess that's where wisdom comes with age (even though I'm still fairly young....@34). I look back and think of all the "unnecessary" stress I endured when I was younger because I'd put up with crap like that. Don't do it....learn now.

motomickey

You have any POLICE freinds? Have them pick you up and return you to the office with the broken bike.....and then have them "talk" to the capt about unsafe vehicles.....

madman91

cant you just get a beater bike or a nice scooter? much safer than what your riding

foehn

You crashed due to driving/riding a vehicle during your job thatyou were ordered to ride/drive?

Are you sure your weren't injured? I'd be asking to be checked out under workmans compensation. On the job injury, and I'd make sure everything on my person was really, really checked out. I mean you might be too injured to work, especially riding that bike; and about that bike--ever heard of repetitive stress injuries?

Bikewer has some good Ideas too. . .

Bolo Grubb

I would have quit already

edp773

{I drove home and retrieved a BB that would work (out of my own pocket), a tube, tool set, etc. After driving all the way back the boss said I could not clock in until I got on the bike and rode it.}

I believe making you work off the clock is illegal in all states. At least all the states I have worked in.
If the company wants you to ride a bike, they need to supply a safe bike to ride.
If the company wants you to maintain the bikes, they need to pay you for your time and supply you with a budget for parts.

iamlucky13

THAT is a really good-sounding idea. Threaten the company with a ticket, maybe. It reminds me of Collateral when Tom Cruise poses as an attorney over the radio to chew out a cabbie's boss. Of course it could backfire and the captain-jerk could wait until the cop gets out of sight to lecture you about how you create a liability for the company by using unsafe equipment on your shift, so having a previous documentation of your complaint and the captain's response would be important.