| Re: How to deal with a rack hog?
"Mike Kruger" <MikeKr@mouse-potato.com> wrote in message
news:538c5e07d4b1391ee52bf18190ee9a15@news.teranew s.com...
> "Gooserider" <gooserider@mouse-potato.com> wrote in message
> news:g4JCc.34$OR4.23415@twister.tampabay.rr.com...
> > I ride to my local supermarket every day, or just about. The management
is
> > nice enough to provide a bike rack, one with about 10 slots.
> Unfortunately,
> > one of the store's employees insists on locking his bike parallel to the
> > rack. This means he takes up one whole side, and it's difficult for
bikes
> on
> > the other side to be locked, as the front wheel can't be fully seated(if
> you
> > understand what I mean) into the rack. I pointed it out to a manager
> > yesterday, and he said he'd handle it. Today, the bike was parked and
> locked
> > the same way, so I left a note on his seat explaining the errors of his
> > ways. I'm sure this is some kid with no car, and he's paranoid about his
> > bike getting stolen, but I'd like to lock mine properly too. I'm tempted
> to
> > buy a cheap lock from WalMart and lock him up but good. :-)
> >
> If it's the type of rack I'm thinking of, many of them are so poorly
> designed you can't seat your front wheel properly under any circumstances.
> In addition, a passer-by can easily knock the bike over and trip into it
> while the front wheel is still stuck, ruining the front wheel. (I
witnessed
> this happening to somebody else's bike, luckily for me but unluckily for
> them). Plus, bicycle racks are often so underutilized that taking up a
> bunch of slots doesn't matter.
>
> The combined effect of these problems encourages the poor bike parking
> behavior you observe.
>
> See whether your note works. Or, see if you can lock your bike to the end
of
> the rack (which is where I usually try to lock mine, if it's the type of
> rack I think you are describing). It's probably a kid being thoughtless,
> rather than an *ssh*l* in training, and the cheap lock from WalMart seems,
> to me, an overreaction.
Yeah, I know. The lock would be a bit harsh, just venting a bit. I've used
the rack when he wasn't there, and my 700c wheels fit just fine, and the
bike is stable. He may have a problem with his MTB wheels, but it doesn't
excuse his behavior. Today there were two other bikes suffering from his
parking job. I hadn't thought of locking to the end of the rack, but it
doesn't seem very stable, either. No cart corral in the parking lot, either.
There is a handrail I could utilize, I guess. I was just trying to be nice
and use the rack, since it's provided. Hopefully my note will work.
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