A strange story out of Waterloo has Susan Fish getting her bike slapped with an extra lock by building management for locking her bike outside coffee shop while she goes in to get a coffee. The full story can be found at the Waterloo Chronicle website and also at Take The Lane.
I've seen the odd warning about bikes not being welcome to lock to a pedestrain railing here in Toronto, and this makes sense as the railing are for the comfort and safety of the pedestrians who need it. But I've not ever heard of something this extreme in Toronto.
Does this kind of thing still happen in Toronto? Where, and by whom?
One of the spokes of Toronto's Bike Plan is bike parking and the city has published guidelines that should eventually become a city wide by-law for developers for new buildings, and for building owners who are renovating buildings in the city. I think mandating bicycle parking is a good idea, and these are good guidelines to be starting with.
Comments
Matt Rennick (not verified)
Liberty Village
Tue, 02/03/2009 - 12:58A couple of months ago I came out of the Gym (Goodlife Fitness - Liberty Village) to see a ticket on mine & my buddy's bikes. They were locked to a lamp post, well out of the way of anything or anyone. The ticket was actually a warning - it said "this is no place for bike" - I have no idea what they'd do if we did it again... I'll start locking there when I go to them gym to find out. ;)
http://makergo.com/shutup/images/10_16_2008/ticket.jpg
Also - a couple of years ago in Yorkville (where else?) a friend locked her bike to the parking pole in front of some building and had some piece of human trash in a fur coat come out and tell her that she was going to call the police if she didn't move her bike. Hilarious.
Ryan H (not verified)
What business?
Tue, 02/03/2009 - 16:28It looks like that "ticket" has a business name on it, was it goodlife? If so I'll be sure to lock a junker over there and see if the same thing happens, if only to raise awareness about it.
I work in the area and quite a few people here go to that gym, i'm sure they'd be less than happy to hear about that.
Lisa in Toronto (not verified)
good way to get rid of customers
Tue, 02/03/2009 - 22:11How did the Waterloo coffee shop think this would attract business - to hassle its customers?
I had thought Waterloo would be more bike-friendly, as a university town.
weird
Lisa
kiwano
Real-life superheroes.
Wed, 02/04/2009 - 23:06Once I saw the comparison to wheel boots in the UK, it occurred to me that maybe Waterloo could use its own incarnation of Angle-Grinder Man. I wonder if any of the Waterloo-folk I know would be up for the role (or would know someone who is).