Originally Posted by rykoala
I've walked my bike into the bank here, into thrift stores, and into the supermarket (safeway) and never been looked at weird by either an employee or customer. Everyone seems to "get" that I rode my bike here and its not leaving my sight. Maybe Reno/Sparks is just that cycling friendly? I'll have to try the wal-mart sometime, sounds like fun. Now if I was doing my shopping (my wife does that actually) I'd definitely keep the bike and the trailer together and with me, and do my shopping that way. I'd actually put the products IN the trailer and unload/reload the trailer at checkout. They don't like it? Find a different store.....
I walked my bike (a CX rig, used for racing as well, pretty covered up in goop in fall/winter) into stores, shopping malls, banks, etc. To date, no one has ever asked me not to. I make sure that I am not inconviencing anyone (bike blocking the path, etc) & say Hello or Bonjour to those who smile at me.
A few places do have racks outside, but also "teenagers" just loafing around the same racks too. I have gotten good comments about cycling & health. Only once, at a fancy shopping mall, a sales girl & her friend, the security guy, made an unfriendly comment, in French thinking that I could not understand what they were saying, I turned my head & stared right at them & that was the end of it.