I ride my bike to the local Walmart 2-3 times a week, and always park it inside, behind the grocery carts. There's always a Walmart employee giving out the carts to the customers as they come in, and they've always been glad to watch my bike, which I attach to one of the carts with a U-lock. I did have one Wal-mart employee tell me I couldn't do it, but I told her I own 100 shares of Wal-mart, and was therefore an owner, and as an owner, I could do as I pleased. She gave me a blank stare, and walked away. I don't think she had ever heard that line before. I also take my bike into the local shopping mall, and walk it to the stores I want to visit, parking the bike directly outside, in front of the store. Then I can watch the bike while I'm in the store. I have never had anyone tell me not to do it.

My local Wal-Mart has a bike rack by where the guys push the carts into the building. Also I must commend Publix grocery; There are 4 Publix in my immediate area and all of them have bike racks by the front door.

FYI: Stop by the Wal-Mart bike section and you may very likely find some Topeak stuff marketed under Wal-Mart's Next brand.

I once rode all the way to the sports department.I would have made it all the way back out,But had to stop and pay for a roll of fishing line.

Our WalMart does have a bike rack - located far away from the front door and traffic where everything could be easily stolen. I have never had to take my bike into WM, and don't know what their reaction might be - but I would suspect in this heavily biked town that it would be fine.

My local grocery also has a bike rack located way far away - I and my wife just ride our bikes inside the "air gap" type of front door and place our bikes against the wall inside - never had any questions asked.

Great line!

i take my bike in most stores too, never had any objections but you can see sometimes that they want to say some thing but they are to stunded if they dont like it i can always shop elsewhere

I take my bikes into stores all the time (when there is no conveinent/safe outdoor parking). I never ask, I just do it. Sometimes I get funny or curious looks, but I have never been challenged. Its amusing to me how people to not try to stop you from doing anything/going anywhere as long as you act like you belong or its not abnormal.

If I were challenged or told I could not park it inside, I would either (1) tell them I'd simply take my business elsewhere; or (2) ask them if they will agree to be liable for any loss or damages to my bike while it waits outside.

dave

Simply taking the bike inside is an interesting notion. I hadn't thought of it. I often complain that businesses in my neck of the woods don't generally have bike racks. Maybe a few of us walking our bikes up and down the aisles would give them the idea to install good racks.

Maybe we could call it "Critical Shopping"

I tried the "take my business elsewhere" argument at a convenience store once when the clerk told me I couldn't bring my bike inside, but I was dealing with an employee so it didn't work. She just laughed and said, "Fine, go somewhere else."

Then maybe try to apply more pressure.

Where I live we have a local bike club of about 150 people. One day, one of my friends that is an avid commuter tried to go through the drive in teller at the local credit union. He was told that he could not do that on a bike and they refused to serve him. Well, it just happened that this guy was also the public relations officer in the bike club. He wrote a serious, but friendly letter to the credit union expaining that he was a customer like anyone else, and that he had just as much right to 'drive' his bike through the drive thru as anyone else. He asked the credit union to clairify why they would not allow bikes and suggested that in the absense of any good reason, they make their employees aware that bikes WERE allowed.

His letter was very well written and businesslike. It made no overt threats, but certainly getting such a letter from a club representing hundreds of people can be threatening in its own way. A week later, he and the club received a polite and apologetic response from the credit union and he has not had a problem since.

You might take the same tactic with the store.

Dave

If the store doesn't have a rack, I use that as an excuse....If they have a rack, I tell them this bike is to expenisive to lock up, and it doesn't leave my sight.....usually I don't get much hassle.

My local Kroger (S. Hairston Rd. Stone Mountain, Georgia, Atlanta area) has a sign in the parking lot: "No bicycles or skateboards."

A security guard told me I had to park my bike off the property (and you know how big the property is, with the parking lot covering it.) Never mind the rule is for kids, not 43 year-old customers.

KROGER, ATLANTA

I couldn't ride in my local Walmart if I tried. The people with shopping carts stroll around there like they own the place. They have no regard for people, other carts, kids, let alone a bicycle. Kind of funny. Today, I rode by. The road to Walmart was backed up about 1/4 mile. Then, the traffic mysteriously vanishes after you pass Walmart. Walmart is the fourth axis of evil.

However, they do have a bike rack. I am greatful for that.

I was just told that for safety reasons, it is "against WalMart policy" to allow commuter bikes inside the store. I was allowed to leave it near the service counter, but was told that they "would not be responsible for it". So you can bring your dog into Petco, but...

The local Wal-Marts around here won't let you bring a messenger bag, backpack, daypack, panniers, seatbag, or handlebar bag into the store with you. I tried to walk in once with my daypack on my back and was told to leave it by the carts. When I got back to pick it up the employee was nowhere to be found and my daypack was laying there unattended. Wal-Mart is sexist, you can carry a 10 gallon purse into the store, you can carry a diaper bag into the store, but you can't (as a man) carry any bag into the store. And you can't leave your stuff anywhere secure.

If I'm going to go to Wal-Mart then I drive the car. I like walmart, but I don't and won't bicycle there.

As to the drive-thru banking, I heard once the argument was that it was an insurance liability issue, same as if you walked up to the drive-in lane. That argument sort of dies when you ride up on a motorcycle.

I loathe Wal-Mart. Disregarding the economic damage they do to local businesses and the negative effect they have on manufacturing in the US......

They sell cheap crap and their customer service is horrid.

Treebound has a great point. That's one issue that might be worth a threatening letter from an attorney. Sexism isn't correct, regardless of the gender of the victim. I'm not saying "SUE 'EM", but a letter from an attorney letting them know that they are opening themselves up for a possible lawsuit from someone less reasonable than you might not be a bad idea.

And I never did understand the "safety" argument when banning bicycles. Have they actually seen how their customers drive their cars and pilot the shopping carts? I'd think that one guy wheeling his bike in to secure it to something solid would be the least of their safety worries.

Seriously - if at all possible, I avoid Wal-Mart like the plague.

I work at Kroger here in Cookville, TN. They don't have a no bikes on the property rule but they have a no bikes in the store rule. They force me to lock it up to a bench outside the main entrance 'cause if it was in the store while I was working and something happened to it, they could be liable. But if it's outside, they can't be held to anything. I hate that place.... so wish I could quit but finding a job in this town is close to impossible.

Way to go on the six year old thread!

Also, to all those with the inflated sense of entitlement, don't be an idiot, buy a lock for your bike. You wouldn't bring your motorcycle or dog inside a Walmart or other business, so what makes you a big shot when an employee, who's most likely doing as they're told, asks you to leave it outside?

i don't ever want to ride my bike to wal-mart...i don't shop there

So one of the tens of thousands of walmarts out there was friendly 6 years go.. good to know
They should put a warning when replying to old threads "are you sure replying to this old thread from a different age would be better then making a new one?"

My wife said when she gets a trike she wants to ride around walmart.
Who would stop her? They'd think it was a weird wheel chair and not know what to say at all. We'll see just how bike friendly they are.

When ever I ride to an Albertson's Supermarket here in Orange County CA. I take my bike right in with me and wheel it around while I do my shopping. I always get greated, and receive service with a smile. Way to go Albertsons.

The way i see it, wheeling my bike around the supermarket is no different than wheeling a cart around.

Sorry, but I certainly don't think creating a new thread is better than replying to an existing one, regardless of the age. It's just OT whining anyway.

I think some people's sense of entitlement is way out of control to expect you bike to go everywhere with you.

Of course, I couldn't care less about a Wal-Mart. I didn't buy from them six years ago, nor today.

Pretty sure that's not the case. Try walking out with $500 worth of merchandise and see what happens. You: Well you see, your honor, I DO own the company, therefore I was only stealing from myself.
Judge: First, you don't own the company and second, you stole from about 200,000 other investors and you're going to prison. Also, you can't have your bike in my courtroom, please lock it up on the rack outside next time.

When people post new threads they are told to use the search function. When people dig up some old thread from the grave they are told to start a new thread instead.

I don't shop at Wal-Mart.