Somebody Stole My Parking Space
 

I guess this is the price to pay to see more people commuting. It's not like there aren't enough bike racks around here. There are tonnes all over the place. I like mine because it's close to the door I use, and right next to a guard shack.

I've been commuting by bike for over a decade, to this job for 8 years (yikes!) and using "my" parking space for 2-3 years. And all of a sudden, some *%$@! pulls his POS Ross out of his garage and steals my space! It's not like he hadn't seen me using it - I'd noticed the Ross for a couple of weeks now - partly because I always check out new arrivals and mostly because it's huge (58 or 60 cm).

And then yesterday he moves to the end of the rack and steals my spot! And does he even lock through the wheels and frame? NO, he takes his master lock and loops it over the top tube!!! He doesn't even need the choice spot!?!

I guess I'm going to have to start coming to work earlier.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Slash his tires. That'll teach him.

Have you seen Step Brothers yet?
You should do like Will Ferrel and rub your testicles on his bike. That'll teach him.

I am lucky enough to have "off street" parking in a locked cross alley between my building a parking garage in downtown Chicago. In addition to the locked door, there are three bike racks. Some ******bag parked an old Raleigh in the middle of the front rack about a month ago. That was the first time I ever saw it. It's still there. Argh.

That is why I never leave home without one of these. I teach these parking spot thieves a lesson they will NEVER forget.

A bike has been parked/locked on the rack in my bldg, unmoved for two years.

Ha. I have my preferred spot, too. It's the spot closest to the window of my office, so I can check on the bike from time to time. There's one other bike commuter in my office who also took a shine to it, so now I look on that spot as the prize for whoever gets there first. She doesn't know that she's in a race, but that doesn't matter. Although right now we both lose because a construction zone has sprung up around that bike rack, and no one can park there.

I park my bike in my cube at work. If someone else's bike is parked there, I've got bigger problems to worry about than just the loss of parking. :eek:

+1 :thumb:

I'm like the 3rd person to get to work, so I can have my choice of spaces. If I leave for lunch, the deal is off, and I'm lucky to get anything. First come, first serve....

It's crazy how we get attached to something as mundane as a parking spot. Kind of like the three bears.

"Someone used "my" spot, and THERE HE IS". It annoyes me to no end when I get to work and my spot is occupied. Dirty batsrad.

I wonder if this will escalate to the point you two are camping overnight to get that spot. 8>) Could happen.

Get the building owners to put in bike lockers, keyed to employees that request. Then everyone would be happy, and you are guaranteed nobody is going to snarf your space.

Be happy he stole your parking spot and not your bike.

I guess I'm lucky we have a warehouse in the building where I can put the bike. If that were a problem, I could fit it in my office no problem, but it would look pretty odd.

Maybe you should put up a sign in front of the bike rack space like Bill Lumbergh from Office Space.

Consider it a good trend that others are cycling, not driving. Over the last 6 months, the racks at our building began to consistently be full. We asked the building manager to put in more racks and he doubled the capacity and marked off the area around them so cars would park close to them. (http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=70)

The number of bikes continues to grow. I think this a trend for good.

I'd ask the building manager to put in more racks. It can actually work.

I just found a new parking spot around back after my bike got all jacked up in the sweet parking spot in the front. Only two other bikes on the rack. Same bikes every day.

I work for a small bio-instrument startup.
In our company of 17 people, there are 4 of us that ride our bikes at least some of the time.
Not long after we moved in, our VP Engineering took it upon himself to install a hanging bike rack in the warehouse.
No competition for parking space here.

smile,
Jeff - still fat

i know this feeling. i even leave my giant krypo lock to 'mark my spot'. i was pissed when someone parked a completely rusted POS cruiser bike and left it for a week there.

Armorall his saddle , tires, and brakes.

Maybe he doesn't like French bikes (assumption from your Peugeot avatar and I also have one). Sounds to me like its time to hit the local MUP and settle this like Freds. :roflmao2:


I park in the lobby with a access controlled door and I know EVERY person that comes through the door and have the admin passwords to the card reader and know all their bosses. I wish I had somebody stealing my spot. then I wouldn't be the only one that has lost 30lb in the last 4 months. Bunch of fat asses I work with..

Actually I sold one of my bikes to a a work cohort and still trying to get him commuting at least thee days a week.

Thanks for the kind thoughts - all.

I work in a college/hospital with 7,500 some-odd employees. I kind of like the locker idea, they might go for that. I'd just have to suffocate in red tape to get it done.

I used to bring the bike in with me, but I always felt like although the management was willing to accommodate that, they weren't happy about it. When the new racks went in in front next to the guard shack, I felt like I lost the last reason I had not to park outside.

The thing that gets me is that I'm there from 7:30 to 5:30 give or take, and the guy is always there when I get there, and when I leave - and I've never laid eyes on him!

Best part - as I was leaving, I noticed the crappy cable lock wasn't actually locked! WTF?!

Oh, and I commute on a Cannondale. Peugeot is my "fun" bike. On the rare occasions that it comes to work, it comes inside.

Another aside: how funny is it that the bike forums spell check flags "Cannondale?"

Too funny. My DD is a M400 Cannondale I made a commuter but my "old road bike" I goof around on is a 84 P8 I bought used in 87.

My company lets us park in the indoor executive parking garage with our bikes. Very conservative retail company and they not only have plans for how to work with bike commuters, but *very* nice plans with *indoor* parking with security guards watching it. Teh Spiffeh, as the kids say.

I've told my "homeless people killed my bike over a parking space war" story here before - won't bore you all again, but suffice it to say I wouldn't do anything that would invite similar revenge on your bike when you've left it out there. It does suck, but probably the only thing to do is get there earlier.

I will say they may have done you a favor - imo parking in the same place on a regular basis is a tempting invitation to thieves.