Pardon me but I got a new bike and am still a little cautious with it.

A month ago, while just running in to a local cafe for 20-30mins; I locked it to a pole in a less busy spot and when I returned someone had locked their bike on the other side of the same pole and wedging their pedal on/in my frame just above the crank scratching the paint. Man...go find your own pole?

Today I run into a MEC store for 15 mins. And lock up to the bike rack just outside and I return to find a bike handlebar/brake lever thrown on the "top tube", scratching it up. It was a old MTB locked with a tiny dollar store cable lock. He had lots of room to maneuver and lock, but just had to throw it on top of mine.

I guess it's like getting your car dinged in a busy mall parking lot, **** happens...

Yup. Sometimes there just isn't any other feasible place to park your bike, so people will share lampposts/trees/etc. It would be nice if everyone took at least a minimal amount of care, but many don't.

That being said, a pristine bike is probably an underused bike. Scars are a badge of honest usage. :-)

Start carrying a big hammer and just whack the crap out of the offender's bike.

Use a beater for errands.

All well and fine until it turns out that it was a third person who moved the other bike around on to yours...

Never had a bicycle parking problem, since I don't commute with mine. But when it comes to vehicles, I get royally PISSED when someone doesn't take the few extra seconds to park STRAIGHT AND BETWEEN THE LINES! Sooo......they get a nice purdy scratch or door bang. I take the consideration to be sure I'm parked right, why can't others?!

The only way to avoid it is to get a folding bike that you can take inside & avoid locking it up outside altogether, which is why, in fact, I got a folding bike (actually, two). If you get a beater it will still get scratched, you just won't care as much.

Before my folding bikes I got a bunch of clear laminate strips and put those on the frame of one of my bikes, in positions which were most likely to be scratched, and wouldn't you know it, there are scratches just above, below, or to the sides of the laminate strips. They probably stopped countless other scratches, but if you park your bike in public spots, it's going to be scratched.

Yeah people can be dicks when it comes to other people's bikes. When barked at my last job, I came out one day to find my front deraileur turned sideways and the hanger for the rear also turned out to have gotten bent. Someone just tossing their bikes around on top of mine. I was less than pleased.

I can cope with some degree of angularity or off-center before I lose it, but it is annoying. You probably have a big vehicle so any misalignment makes it difficult to get out. I'm wary of parking next to big vehicles. Also it's easier for me as I'm flexible enough to squeeze out if my door is not open very far.

Yes and no. I do have an 06 T&C van, but the other two vehicles is a ranger and sunfire. My problem is consideration for the ppl around you. There is no reason to park ON the line or the opposite side of the line. How much extra time does it really take to back out a bit and pull in straight? When I'm driving (or riding), I take other ppl into consideration: not blocking enterances/exits when I come to a stop, allowing ppl to pull out, switching lanes when someone is trying to merge and NOT HOGGING THE ****ING LINE when parking. I really hate it when I let a gramps out in front of me. I always regret it, but still do it.......

I think the reason why I get so ****ed off bout the parking is because I used to take REALLY good care of my truck. And even when I parked perfect, some asshat would still ding/scratch it with something. OR when you get to the movies and you have to drive around for 15 min to find a parking spot because some asshat didn't park straight. I also have a short fuse.......

Why does that stop when you park? Just because someone can't park the way you see fit doesn't mean they don't care about their vehicle too.

Ugh, I hate it when people lock their bikes on the most obnoxious way possible, especially when there is absolutely no reason to. The other day, after half hour in the heat, I was dying and just wanted to leave my bike, get insidie the cafe, and get a cold drink. But the bike stand outside... it was one of those weird pole with two loops sticking to the side (so like greek phi: Φ) so instead of taking one side like you're supposed to, the guy/girl somehow, I don't know how, managed to take the entire pole, wrapping his chain and front tire around it, making locking my bike nigh on impossible. No I don't even understand how it was physically possible but somehow s/he managed.

Struggling with a bike lock in a 100 degree heat when you've already spent half hour biking in it uphill and are drenched in sweat is not a nice experience. Only ever time when I had the hidden desire to slash someone's tires (but of course I'd never do that).

I feel for you. I got a nice scratch on my bike from the bike next to me in a rack on the train to Innsbruck. My fault I should have check after the person hung their bike several stops after I hung mine.

If you are going to leave the bike somewhere in public you should pretty much expect some moron will scratch it.

People generally are completely oblivious, and don't respect others' property. In some cases I think it really is a matter of envy. They can't stand that someone else has a nice shiny new anything while they have a second hand beater. I don't commute or runs errands with my bike, so as of yet I have not had to leave it locked up unattended, but like others here become quite angry with people that can't park their cars and have been known to seek retribution against said offenders' vehicles.

There are other options. A guy in a pickup had a car park tight in behind him and another one in front. He was a bit grouchy, and rammed the car in front a few times until he got enough room to get out easily. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

He took that to court and said it wasn't an accident. The judge had to agree and dismissed the charge.

Honest, your Honor

Well if they did, then they would be parking right.