Car parks

Hi all,

It is unusual for car parks to be bike-unfriendly? The gym that I use
(Total Fitness in Altrincham) entitles me to free parking in the
multi-storey that the gym sits on top of, and this is fine at the
moment as I'm driving into work in the car and visiting the gym in my
lunch hour. However, once I get CBT out of the way on Sunday, I'm
hoping to commute on a bike and yesterday I noticed a "no motorcycles"
sign at the car park entrance. Speaking to the guys on the barrier, I
found out that this applies to all the storeys and the best they can do
is let me park a bike adjacent to the barriers where they will "keep an
eye on it".

I don't understand why they would ban bikes... it's not as if the car
park is - ever - anywhere near full. I didn't expect any dedicated bike
spaces or posts to wrap a chain around, but I'm amazed that they simply
don't let bikes in at all. I've written to the gym management, asking
them to put pressure on the car park people to allow bikes, but I've
heard nothing from them yet. I guess I could switch gyms, but I'd
rather not as this one is so close to where I work...

Cheers,
Tarby

 

I parked in a multi storey with my bike years ago and the guy there said the
same thing. Park it over on that bit of pavement and we'll keep an eye on
it. I parked there with another bike and a Lambretta. This was admittedly
before Lambie prices went into orbit. None of the three bikes ever came to
any harm and the guys always had a look when I started it up to ride off. I
assume to make sure it was me.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, wessie

One of my colleagues was knocked off her scooter recently when a car
park barrier came down before she'd cleared it. Apparently she's been
contacted by a solicitor acting for someone else who was seriously
injured in a similar incident, so that may have some bearing on it too.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer As featured in
Performance Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

There's one like this in Richmond. It looks a little bit tight in
terms of headroom on some of the ramps for someone sitting on a
tall-ish bike. They might well just be being twats though.

 

Some security bloke in a multi-storey told me it was because of the
possibility of the unattended bike falling (or being pushed) off its
stand and leaking petrol. He was ok when it was plain I was only picking
up/ dropping off and would only be there for a minute, but parking up
and wandering off wasn't allowed unless it was at the entrance area next
to the security hut.

 

<BTDTGTTS>

Nearly decapitated myself once due to not concentrating. Fortunately for me
the attendant had better reflexes than me, and the barrier only got about
halfway down before whizzing up again.