trekker pete

i have a small locker. good for storing clean dry stuff. not so much for wet/smelly stuff.

i will just have to put some stuff away and deal with the fact that it might possibly be a tiny bit funky for the ride home.

mister

I agree with a few of the people who posted that you should discuss it with your boss. Being in the position of being a "boss" for a big box retail store, I have a few employees that like to bike commute. I've had to talk to a few of them about where they can park their bikes inside but more from a safety stand point since they like to plug up fire escape routes.

I'd recommend working with your boss to find a compromise. Just let him know you are worried that the bike might get stolen if left outside, and see if you guys can work something out.

chipcom 

But my point, whether the boss is competent or not, is that even if he was obviously incompetent by not giving clear, unambiguous direction to the OP concerning what action he wanted taken to correct the problem, the OP should have asked for such direction. It's kind of hard to blindly obey what you can't understand...and very tempting to apply your own version of a solution in that case, as the OP attempted to do.

chipcom 

I like how you think...even if you are from that state up north.

wunderkind

Collaborate. Not Conflict.
Careful and deliberate use of choice words can be to your benefit and gain allies. Trying to be an immovable object based on perceived rights and pride leads to misery.
I suggest that you try and work with your boss on best approach. Sooth his ego a bit. Turn him into your ally... and maybe an advocate.

2manybikes

I have a cheap, wooden, folding, clothes drying rack in my cellar. I use it for bike stuff only, and it's decades old. It will hold a lot of stuff. It might fit in a good spot. Good idea to let things cool off for a while. If you want a photo of the rack just ask.

josephjhaney

Sadly this same Napoleanic complex is what gets them shot in the face at times as well.

I'll never get why a "boss" ends up going down this road, rather than a nice sit down where the rules a presented, then the boss, and the employee try to find a workable solution to the problem together.

I know, that's too difficult, we'll just keep yelling at people and firing them. That works much better.

(Ps not advocating shooting your boss in the face, just an example. Sadly, a simple conversation with you would most likely have done the trick months ago)

Joe

KD5NRH

Why bother getting one that runs at all? Lots of towing companies have something like that that they would be glad to deliver.

KonAaron Snake 

Chip - I'm with you there....there was too much ambiguity. My point is that when the point is ambiguous, err on the side of caution.

In my experience bosses that are competent, intelligent, properly trained, and who have some degree of education tend to be respectful and reasonable. In white collar and corporate settings, bosses tend to be competent and reasonable. Bosses that don't have much education, aren't good at what they do or who aren't very bright usually lead to conflict because they lack the confidence of their position. I think retail and blue collar jobs often tend to have bosses in that category. There was a study done that demonstrated how stupid people didn't know enough to know they were stupid...they think they know far more than they actually do. I think that interesting tidbit explains a lot about bad bosses.

I'm currently a paralegal and work for attorneys. Almost without exception they are bright, understanding, easy to communicate with and reasonable. The only problems I've ever had at work were things I was in error about.

My experiences in bartending, retail and table waiting when younger were quite the opposite....you were usually working for an idiot, often an alcoholic/drug addict, who was fundamentally insecure and who often thought yelling was conversation.

Regardless of how good your boss is or isn't, they're the boss. At the end of the day, you're probably going to lose in a conflict and even if you win an argument, you just pissed off someone who influences your life.

Sirrus Rider

+1 To really up the ante and play on the whole hippy green-power thing get an old Volkswagen bus/panel van

rumrunn6

ask for a locker

aley

Your boss, and your boss' boss, aren't there to make your life easy or pleasant - they're there to run a company. If they see your current bike parking location (with or without laundry hung on it) as standing in the way of the company's goals, then it's their prerogative to get you to park elsewhere. Your options, at that point, are pretty much limited to either convincing them that letting you park your bike inside is in keeping with the company's goals (or at least is not in opposition to these goals), or to find somewhere else to work.

Judging from what you've written above, I'd suggest that latter is probably in order. The point at which the big boss' assistant is a "fat *****," the safety manager's job is to "hang up all sorts of silly PC garbage," and management's rationale that your bike looks bad "is complete BS," is probably the point at which your own wants diverge enough from your current company's needs that it's time to change to something more in keeping with your personal values.

Keep in mind that any company hires you because of what you can do for them, not because of what they can do for you. It's generally not your boss' job, nor anybody else's job, to "see the benefit in bike commuting."

swen0171 

Let me guess, are you the boss where you work? The OP posted this thread to vent some frustrations, not to hear from all the bosses out there saying "shut up and do what the boss-man said." You may be right, and maybe he should do what you say to keep his job, but I would guess hearing from all the other bosses out there telling him to OBEY is not helping. How about some posts that talk about how being a good boss will make for better workers, that a healthy worker who bikes to work costs less in benefits, that happy workers are better workers...?

There are managers who are good at their job and those that are not good at their jobs, but the assumption voiced by most of the posters here assumes that bosses are always right.

And to "colleen c" who said: "Yeah but she/he does see the benefit of keeping his/her job. I'm sure your boss has a boss who's boss all expect some level of proffesional house cleaning from each other down to the bottom of the food chain level.

I really do sympathize with you but once you're on company property, it their rules and call as long it does not violate the state rule"

Again, let's all side with the boss here instead of the guy who was looking for community. I can't believe how quickly you look to the hardships of those in power over you. Bosses are obviously NEVER wielding power over their workers because they had a bad day, they are jerks, they don't know how to manage people...

OP: I'm with you. There is NO reason you boss shouldn't work with you to find a place for you to store your bike inside safely and offer you a place to hang and dry your clothes. Do they offer parking to other employees? Is it safe to park a car there? You may want to drop it to save your job, but you are allowed to be pissed off about your fat**sed uptight boss making your life MORE difficult and not less.

squirtdad

may be too late, but maybe a different approach:

Are there other bicycle commuters at the company? You could try to make this an opportunity and see if you can get a designated place (hopefully secure) to park the bike and maybe a formal statement of support...many companies are anxious to show how they are supporting green initiatives. You could also research state and city programs that might offer support and help

KonAaron Snake 

In fact I'm a worker bee for the most part. I'm answering based on how to keep your job and get along at work. I'm answering based on my experiences watching people who had conflicts leave, thinking another job would be easy to get, and who ended up without a job for months, if not years.

I have had supervisory roles when younger in the restaurant and retail business and found that I didn't enjoy it.

I am going to have a couple of people reporting to me soon, and I'm not looking forward to it. If there's one thing I've found in life, and specifically in the corporate world, it's that everything is a trade off. In a lot of ways it's better to be lower on the food chain with less responsibility. The higher you are, the more people you end up having to deal with and report to.

Managing others is its own headache. The money is nice, but there is a sacrifice that comes with it as well. It's why I didn't do law school. My fiancee runs her own business and I see how hard she works and she's ALWAYS on call...we can't go out for dinner without her having to talk to someone about something. She might not have to answer to a direct supervisor, but she ends up answering to more people than I have to...and she's under more pressure. Indians don't have it so bad...being a chief isn;t all it's cracked up to be.

swen0171 

Wow, really? Did you just say that people who work at corporate jobs or "white collar" (whatever that means) are smart and kind and honest, but that people who work in trades or with their hands are stupid? I think of a paralegal as trade. Is it white collar in your definition? Could it be possible that you are stupid enough to not know you are stupid? You speak pretty strongly against your own interests.

The posters who admitted to being in a "boss" position sounded much more realistic. It's hard to manage people, and MOST are not good at it.

KonAaron Snake 

Feel free to think whatever you'd like about my intellect, or lackthereof. As far as a paralegal role, it's in a white collar environment, it's certainly not a profession and I agree that it's more of a trade. I have no experience working with plumbers, electricians, etc. I was speaking specifically about retail/restaurant experiences...and in my experiences, the majority of those people were not graduating first in their class.

As my grandfather told me at a young age, either work with your head or work with your back. Most people with options don't want to dig ditches. If you want to be offended by that, be offended. It's still true.

I don't recall writing that one group was more kind or honest than the other.

KonAaron Snake 

You're really looking to be offended and angry and I won't play into it. It's an offensive term, but it's also an expression. I used it as the expression.

snowman40

I'm tempted to....I just need the ugly van.

tjspiel

I'm definitely one of the bosses but I didn't get the impression that everyone who recommended complying was. I think the consensus (right or wrong) was that he's your boss, he might suck, but he calls the shots.

The OP specifically asked if it was a good idea to go over the bosses head. Even if I weren't a boss, I'd have concerns for the OP if he tried to do that, - especially if the boss sucks. Better to work with the boss if possible.

KonAaron Snake 

You can keep fishing, but it's not going to work. Whatever issues you have with your place in life, and how others might view it, are your business. You're looking for a sparring match because what I said triggered something in you. Again, those are your issues to work through. I'm not being paid for therapy.

By the way...most people might not be good bosses, but most also aren't very good employees.

It is an offensive term, but I think most people are reasonable and intelligent enough to understand how it was being used.

swen0171 

I was not critiquing your intellect, only trying to make a rhetorical point about your comment (i.e. if one can be too stupid to know one is stupid then, according to this logic, assuming you are NOT one of those people is a pretty good indication that you are). Your assumption that intelligence in some way equals morality or ethics as pertains to making money is laughable and it is obviously contradicted by all the really smart people who get rich by hurting others. I'm sure the guys at BP who used their super science smarts to cut a couple of corners (remember that explosion in Texas?) and extract an extra percentage point of profit out of their operations were thinking first about their workers and the environment. Or how about all those really smart Ph.Ds who worked up all those derivatives on Wall Street. They made millions, and as a result millions of people have lost their jobs and homes. It is clear that education has very little to do with ethics.

All I wanted to say is that I support the tone of the OPs post and I wanted to allow a fellow bike commuter a place to vent. If you want to start a thread about how awesome bosses are go ahead, I won't comment there.

swen0171 

I think your post was good advice. I just also wanted to be supportive to the OP. He's mad and looking for community. I support his anger and his right to come to this forum and vent a bit.

swen0171 

I've deleted my posts. I think it would be cool if we avoided terms or sayings we know can cause offense. I think that would be reasonable and intelligent.

whitecat

BS. Insecure, incapable bosses need that - to be reassured of their greatness all the time. These same types that seek reassurance everywhere and anywhere are the ones that are most ****ed up in the head. I work with a lot of people, and I'm their superior, and there is not ever a need for me to be arrogant, or to expect blind obedience. In fact, I hate blind obedience, because from my experience, those that portray the image of perfect obedient workers and that try to suck up to me in every way possible, are without fail, the same ones that talk the worst things behind my back, and the same ones that work the smallest amount possible, that I have caught in lies many times over, and essentially those are the profile of people that are not welcome at any company if the company needs to be profitable.

What is most welcome and encouraged is open conversation, valuing each other as coworkers, or as a boss and a subordinate, it's mostly the same. I expect my men to think for themselves, to know how to solve a problem when one arises, I want them to do the job as it needs to be done, so I'm always open to talk to. If they can't talk to me, they will also be afraid to come when a problem arises, and they will try to cover it up so that I think it's ok, but later it will eventually cause a problem for them, for me, and for the company. So it is better that they can come, even if they did **** it up, we will find a solution, we are all human and mistakes sometimes just happen. And there is the core of the problem - communication needs to be open and clear in order for everything to work like it's supposed to. Whenever they want, they can come to my office and talk if they have a problem. So that is how it should be. Not blind obedience and forcing the workers - that leads to nothing but problems. It also leads to having the most inappropriate, most incapable people that suck up the most to management, put on a position they did not deserve, nor they know how to handle it properly. So that's the real problem here, ultra obedient ones are always the ones you ought to keep an eye on, since practice have shown they are almost always the ones with the least concern for anyone else, company included, but for themselves. If a company can't keep an open and honest communication between it's employees, it's bound to fail sooner or later. Things simply can't work that way and it will eventually crumble, it's just a matter of time. Not that I would find such a company worthy of my time, I've had enough experience with those, every one of them got the boot from my side. Remember, only ones that succumb to mediocre jobs that they aren't satisfied with, are the ones that are not willing to search and try until they find what they are looking for. It just takes a little time and patience, but everyone eventually gets a job correspondingly to their sincere effort and motivation. No more, no less.