ChrisM2097

There are 5 or 6 people, including myself, where I work that commute via bike pretty regularly.

This is pretty inconsiderate:



My bike, of course, is on the left - parked correctly, in the only space that was left available.

I sent an "All-Staff" e-mail with the attached photo...but then again, yesterday - same bike, same spot.

Machka 

Where I currently work, and have worked in the past, it is considered inconsiderate to send "all staff" emails about matters that only apply to 5 or 6 of the staff.

If the bicycle on the right worries you, why not talk to the person who owns the bicycle directly? From what I can see, there are only 2 bicycles parked at the rack, and there's room for at least 1 more.

ChrisO

I can see where that would be annoying; It's just the principle of if all. Almost as annoying as someone accidentally getting a cheap lock/chain and locking the offending bike to the rack...

But on the other hand, two wrongs don't make a right.

ChrisM2097

5 or 6 of us regularly ride. There are several others that occasionally ride. I don't know who's bike it is...thus the All-Staff e-mail. Just because there was enough room on that day doesn't mean there will be enough room on another day. Inconsiderate is inconsiderate.

Are you also the type of person that considers it acceptable to park your car sideways across 3 parking spots?

dynodonn 

What's inconsiderate is the place/business that installed that "wheel bender" bike rack in the first place. I definitely would not be put out by not being able to lock my bike to it, a lot of nice trees in the background would do just fine, if no other options were available.

ChrisM2097

The bike rack is currently my only option. I used to park in the parking garage - got kicked out. I used to park in my cubicle - got kicked out. This rack was installed and designated as the only place employees could park their bike. No chance I'm going to leave it elsewhere unlocked. I've already had a bike stolen from work (that was locked). I know the way people are around here - putting a cable lock around a tree (or anything else, other than the bike rack) will simply be cause for complaint.

wahoonc

My bike won't fit in a rack like that. From the sounds of it your company did a half assed job spec-ing that rack as well as the other person locking up too. You are apparently surrounded by incompetence...or people that just don't give a ****.

Aaron

dynodonn 

Judging by your comments, and the outdated elementary school bike rack, sounds like your place of employment is not commuter cyclist friendly. Updating your resume' might be an option you might consider, if you wish to continue commuting to work on a bicycle.

ChrisM2097

I think you nailed it. The reason they chose that rack was for one reason - cost. Low purchase price, and low labor cost to install. They (Sr. Mgmt) purchased it solely because I was parking my bike in my cubicle, and didn't want dirt on the carpet (as if shoes don't track in dirt).

bobn

It seems that this is about the same as that person with the extra special, car and egotistical attitude that parks his better than anybody elses car diagonally across two parking spaces.
The only people that can change things are the people that own the rack.
You may want to explain very nicely that you love the idea of the rack and really appreciate it, but this behavior defeats it's intent.

IthaDan 

Is it locked around the tt/seatstay junction? Rotate it around every day until the owner changes their ways.

Machka 

In this "all staff" email you sent with the photo ... did you just send the photo, or did you say something in the email too? If I got an email with just that photo in it, and no message, I'd delete it immediately.

And what size was the photo? If it was several mb, it's a wonder you didn't have your IT department knocking on your door.


How is your bicycle locked to the rack?

How would you advise the other person to lock his/her bicycle to the rack with the lock he/she has?

ChrisM2097

Many of the questions you're asking are completely irrelevant, but I'll answer them, anyways.

E-mail was a couple hundred KB. Total space taken on the exchange server was probably around 60MB...no big deal.

Message stated that the bike rack is designed for storing multiple bicycles, and I asked others to be courteous when parking their bike there. I even used the word "Please". I also suggested the "correct" way to park a bike in this type of bike rack - Rear wheel between the vertical posts.

I'm a DBA in the I.T. department. My manager & co-workers had no problem with me sending it. In fact, they found it humorous.

My bike is locked using a small U-lock through the rear triangle / rear wheel (Sheldon Brown Lock Strategy), with a cable w/ looped ends wrapped around the rack, and secured to the U-Lock.

I would recommend that they put the rear wheel in the rack the way it's supposed to be, and run their cable lock through the rear triangle / rear wheel, and around a portion of the rack. The cable lock is plenty long enough. As you can see in the photo, it's actually double-wrapped.

The person has since been identified. Someone from HR / Risk Management has already notified them. My All-Staff e-mail didn't even make it to the person, because I didn't include our remote office - I only sent it to the folks in the main office building, which is where the rack is installed.

Machka 

Problem solved then.

ChrisM2097

But it's still saddening to know that some cyclists think it's perfectly acceptable to be so inconsiderate. Common courtesy isn't so common anymore.

Fargo Wolf

Just like the downtown branch of the library. All it takes is one inconsiderate/ignorant cyclist....

zonatandem

Leave a polite note on the miscreant's bike.
Communication is key . . .

bobdell

[QUOTE=ChrisM2097;14291651]But it's still saddening to know that some cyclists think it's perfectly acceptable to be so inconsiderate. Common courtesy isn't so common anymore.[/QUOTE]

And this is restricted to the world of cyclists?

yosarian9

[QUOTE=bobdell;14291727]Did he say that or are you assuming?

Homebrew01

That was my thought.

xenologer

Not difficult at all:

the bike on the Right is locked Correctly, his lock secures the frame and rear wheel -2 most valuable main parts.

the bike on the Left is Improperly locked, he is only locking the rear wheel, a theif could easily discconect it and take the frame, leaving only a wheel locked to the rack.

EDIT
forget the above, both bikes seem to be using cable locks; thus both are insecure, and both could be parked as the one on the left is.
However, if U-Locks were being used, then the initial assesment would be correct, and as on the right would be the safest way to lock to this type of rack.

Reality is, that this type of bike rack only fits 2 bikes; one on each pole at each end - locking U-lock from pole to frame seattube; middle positions do not reach frame when using u-locks. Blame the rack design.

Machka 

And that's exactly how I would lock mine to a rack like that.

ChrisM2097

My earlier post states that I'm locking it "Sheldon Brown" style. U-lock through rear wheel and frame. Cable secures it to rack. Any thief would also have to lift the bike over a 6' fence.

gecho

Almost everywhere here have the kind of bike racks that make it difficult to do a good job locking up. I've seen some racks positioned so close to a wall you couldn't even use the ends of the racks to lock up properly.

The university is one of the few places that has steel wave type racks sunk into concrete allowing you to get a u-lock around the frame, rear wheel and rack in every parking position.