BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I think your co worker is an adams apple. I dont have any issue with leaving a ulock on the end of the rack, but reserving a spot is dickish.

yeah, that's pretty crappy, but... maybe let it slide and instead try to rally the troops - leave a note on all the bikes asking them to go complain to the building management that you need additional rack space.

Additional racks = Awesome idea salty. Thats exactly what we need.

Yeah, reserving spaces seems pretty uncool to me, and leaving a note about it seems truly obnoxious. Then again, maybe it's the cycling equivalent of the parking chair and I'm just not enough of a yinzer to understand.

Maybe even better than more racks: something like the bike lockers at Pitt so that people who are that territorial can just pay to have their own truly reserved spaces.

Depends on the workplace & rack space availability. We can reserve spaces without offense at mine. Definitely sounds like you guys need more rack space though.

It started with one guy saving his spot, then within a month or two several people started saving their spot. I suppose I should be happy that so many people are commuting.

Leaving a lock with the rack is just laziness. Really? A small lock? You can't carry that?

The portico at City-County has two small racks, one of which is the ancient thin-slotted one. In order not to hog space, I have started locking the bike face-out. First, I think locking the back of the bike is more secure, but second, I think it leaves more space for others to crowd in next to me.

I mean, I guess I understand leaving the lock if you use the same rack every day and there's plenty of space, although I don't do it. Not that carrying one is that big of a deal, particularly with panniers or whatever, but I'm sure I'd really notice the weight of my U-lock if I carried my stuff on my back or didn't have that much else to carry. (This is part of why I like my bike locker at Pitt for times when I really want to carry a minimal amount of stuff.) But if I did leave a lock, I'd assume that it would only be interpreted as a suggestion for people not to use that spot, and I can't imagine being surprised or upset if someone got there before me and decided they wanted it.

I can see feeling the weight of a ulock if you carry it on your person since it shifts around. But I carry mine on the frame and have yet to notice the extra effort that a 3lb ulock has added to the combined 180+ lbs that comprise me, my bike, and my baggage.

Regardless, I think we can agree that locking the lock to the rack is fine if you don't want to carry it there every day but shouldn't serve as a space saver.

I've definitely locked my bike to a spot on a rack where there was already a lock. I just assumed some weight weenie with more dollars than sense left a lock there so they wouldn't have to carry it. It never occurred to me that this was a way to reserve a spot.

I like the idea of asking for more racks. In the meantime, try having a calm conversation with the coworker that left the note, telling them that the racks are first-come first-served. If they won't listen to reason, maybe some bolt cutters tangling with their spokes would get the point across (though you would probably have to start locking your bike at a different building)?

Like marko said: adam's apple. I would say too bad, and leave a note saying "you snooze you lose". People who drive and park in garages at their places of employment don't leave chairs in their spots. Not the same as clearing out snow in front of a house after a blizzard and saving a spot.

Dude sounds like a tool. I would leave a lock there too, or lock a parking chair to it.

Lock his lock with a smaller lock.

Wow, that takes me back to elementary school. Hundreds of kids with bikes, dozens of racks, and there were pecking orders by grade, and of course cool kids had their rack, there were good racks and bad racks, and then each kid had a preference for where to lock their bike.

Reserving a rack space is just as childish today.

@JaySherman5000: maybe some bolt cutters tangling with their spokes would get the point across

Maybe if I beat the everliving fuck out of you for encouraging fucking with the mechanics of someone else's ride if it would get the point across? What are you thinking?

no one could ever lock their bikes at whole foods if this practice was observed there.

I am going to find a diplomatic solution to this situation with my co-workers. Asking for more racks is a good idea also my job has 3 parking garages all with racks I may switch garages just to keep the peace.

Interesting...as a newer bike commuter, I never realized that those locks were "saving" spots. I too have locked at a spot with a lock hanging there....oops, I thought someone just left their lock there for another time. I do not agree with saving spaces. If spaces are an issue, maybe talk with a co-worker who arrives/leaves around the same time and lock your bike together with his/hers? Not ideal, but might work. Saving a spot and leaving a note is uncool.

no way would I have thought that was saving a space either. if someone doesn't want to carry their lock and leaves it there, good for them, but I don't know when or if they're coming back so why would I assume I can't park there. now that you know it's a coworker, I would probably try to keep the peace too. Definitely request more racks! I hope you get them.

@mr m: im going to guess that your coworker is the only one who thinks that leaving a lock there means theyve 'reserved a spot'. you shouldnt have to go out of your way to use a different rack just because someone else is being unreasonable, but your motivation to keep the peace is admirable.

Thinking a lock on a rack means a reserved spot, tool-ish.

There are NO saved spots on a bike rack period. This isn't done. I would tell the coworker, nope, not happening. Racks are racks and whoever gets there first gets the spot that is open. If there are no spots, look for a fence or sign or whatever to lock your bike up to. Can't believe some idiot would leave you a note. What a loser.

I keep a big old kyrptonite ulock on the bike rack at work. It makes it easier when I space out and forget a lock at home (they won't let me in the building with my bike), and it allows me to lock both my frame and wheel to the rack. I kind of just let it hang around on the rack and don't really expect anyone to pay much attention to it or reserve a space for me. I know I really don't care if there is a lock hanging out somewhere, I'm going to park where I fit, which is usually attached to the very end of the bike rack since my canti brakes tend to hit the vertical rails on the bike racks if I try and shove it in the middle.

+1 for whoever, if anybody, said talk to the guy/these people "reserving" spots

"Hey look, I see you want to park your bike here, so do I. I have been riding my bike here for a long time and I ride in the winter too. We both need spots. Let's talk to the building manager."

You could ask the reserve guy (either in person, or by a note), how can you reserve a spot.

Or call up the building security/parking and ask if you can reserve a spot. If they say first come first serve, then put up a sign that says that.

I'm not back to work till Monday, but I will try to get more bike racks by sending out an email request. As far as the reserved spots I will not use them if there are empty racks to use.However If I need the spot I will use it. I will be polite and diplomatic.

Demand > Supply = Opportunity

Bike Pittsburgh sells racks.

For some reason I am picturing Mr. Reserved Spot as Fred Armisen.

I have not actually met Mr. Reserved, but now I can only picture him as Fred Armisen.

^+1!

Wow. Fred Armisen works in your building? That's so cool.

@quizbot: "Maybe if I beat the everliving fuck out of you for encouraging fucking with the mechanics of someone else's ride if it would get the point across? What are you thinking?"

You have a keen sense of humor, don't you? Maybe someone should stab you in the face with a soldering iron.

Anyone who gets territorial over a space on a bike rack obviously has some issues. I was trying to lighten the mood with some humor. Deal with it.

BTW, don't you have some videos to post somewhere?

*shreeeet* i'm on a bike!

"Police find man locked by ear hoop to bike rack with u-lock"

@edmonds heh, that reminds me of some great sport we titled "The Game" in college, where we would lock each other to radiators, pipes, etc with a ulock by the neck and throw the key across the room.

@JaySherman5000: sorry dude. I don't know how I missed the humor there. Looking back, I still don't see it. Maybe I'm not reading it in the right tone of voice in my head? Regardless, if you were trying to be funny, apologies for the over-reaction. I was just flabbergasted by what I read.... jacking with someone's spokes could cause a serious crash if the spoke failed at the wrong time, and I don't think it's a laughing matter.

Here is a video.

-5 @ quizbot on threat of violence

So somebody suggests doing something we don't like and we retort with a threat of violence? You'd seriously attack somebody over a few spokes?

I'm not going to beat anyone up, just as I'm sure Jay isn't going to cut anyone's spokes. I was just trying to get a point across. You didn't see the sarcasm there? -5 deserved, and I probably owe Jay a beer or something.

quizbot eats glass for dinner. He's not messing around.

@quizbot: I guess in my head, resorting to spoke cutting would be absurd (and therefore a rational peron would never do it), and absurdity is a path to laughter.

I also tend to forget that tone isn't obvious on the internet.

I think I'm mad at quizbot because I got RickRoll'D. Thats the 6th time thats happened to me.

@JaySherman5000 And unlatched quick releases is also should be an absurd. Nevertheless we had a thread where people complained that someone unlatched them on front wheels.

http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/check-your-quick-releases-every-time

Edited to add a link...

The whole idea doesn't seem to make much sense.

If you're against "reserving" spots, then if somebody has their bike already in a spot, "reserved" or not, what is the difference?

That bike was apparently there first either way

@ Pierce the bike isn't there they use their U-Lock to reserve the spot so they will always have a spot when they get to work. Aka putting a chair in a parking space.

I guess I'm confused because at Whole Foods there are like more U-Locks attached to racks than there are racks. So what's preventing somebody from just putting their bike in a spot with a U-Lock already there?

Also, I'd love to hear the justification these U-Lock guys have for why THEY should get a spot above other cyclists

@pierce: nothing is preventing someone from parking their bike where someone left a lock. the reason everyone is confused as to why this person thought his lock meant a spot was reserved is because no one else thinks like that! the fella in question was strange for even thinking someone would get his message, let alone care about it.

Yeah, I never thought about someone leaving a U-Lock on a rack was trying to save a spot. Just figured they didn't want to haul the lock and just left it there all the time. They can just move the lock to another rack if that spot is taken. There are no saving spots at any rack. No way, no how.

I just can't imagine leaving my U lock on a rack. I have places other than my office that I need to ride to, and I'm way too cheap to buy a second lock.

HV- Mr M said in the first post that when he put his bike in the slot where the lock was, the lock owner left a note saying not to use their reserved spot.

I say just lock over it.

@helen s: i understand that, and that fella is a loonie, making up his own rules and expecting everyone else to play by them.

Don't mind me, I'm just stoked that this is an actual problem in the Pittsburgh bicycling community.

To give you an idea the garage I use at work holds about 15 bikes the other garage maybe 20, I don't know how many the 3rd garage holds. All 3 have been full this summer. Last year only half of each rack was full. In a way it's a good problem.

This is the same as someone getting upset that you parked in "their spot" which is on the street in front of their house. On street parking is first come first serve as is bike rack parking.

The cops did suggest I didn't park in front of my neighbors house after he threatened to "blow my car up" because they would have trouble proving he did it even though I was in the right to park there.

I keep a big old kyrptonite ulock on the bike rack at work. It makes it easier when I space out and forget a lock at home (they won't let me in the building with my bike), and it allows me to lock both my frame and wheel to the rack. I kind of just let it hang around on the rack and don't really expect anyone to pay much attention to it or reserve a space for me.

I did precisely this last year, for these same reasons (and also to save on weight in my bag), once I realized I was leaving my bike out exposed for 8+ hours per day. I never considered it to be reserving a given space and was only a little annoyed (and certainly not upset) when somebody did lock up in "my" preferred space. I was lucky enough that in Oakland where I was, it was easy enough to find another space nearby on the handful of times my "normal" rack was full.

I agree with Scott that this is a great problem to have.

Also, I think we have a serious endorsement from one Sheldon Brown on this practice:

If you don't have secure parking at your workplace, you should indeed have a serious lock, such as a Kryptonite. The thing is, you should not carry it home every night. The weight of a typical U-lock represents the difference between a $400 bike and a $700 bike.

Just leave the lock at work, locked to whatever you normally lock your bike to. Carry a light cable lock with you for quick errands or emergencies.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html