I've got a brass neck today

Not Responding said:

After having read about the practice here and elsewhere, I finally did
it; took my bike with me into a shop.

It was only a Tesco Express and I was only after an emergency bottle
of wine but, as I approached I realised there was *no* bike parking.
Not even a convenient lamppost. I had the Good Bike (Tifosi) with me
so I thought "what the hell" and rode up to the door which, being
automatic, opened ahead of me - SO I CARRIED ON IN.

OK, I hopped off withing 3 feet of the door but this is still radical
behaviour for me. I'm sure I've never been the same since that bang on
the head. I walked around the shop went to the checkout and paid and
no one said a word. But I'm not sure I've got the nerve to do it
again.

Another way of looking at it - what's largest and more likely to block
aisles - a bike or a fully laden shopping cart?

"Not Responding" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After having read about the practice here and elsewhere, I finally did
it; took my bike with me into a shop.

I did very much the same at a Marriott Hotel recently. I was there for a
one day conference. There was no cycle parking so I walked in with my bike.

Much to my surprise NO-ONE said anything.

I simply wheeled the bike through to the conference room and 'parked' it at
the back of the room.

On leaving at the end of the day I wheeled it out through the bar and lobby.
No comment from anyone.

Did I look THAT bolshie??

T

"Tony W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I did very much the same at a Marriott Hotel recently. I was there for a
one day conference. There was no cycle parking so I walked in with my
bike.

Much to my surprise NO-ONE said anything.

I simply wheeled the bike through to the conference room and 'parked' it
at
the back of the room.

On leaving at the end of the day I wheeled it out through the bar and
lobby.
No comment from anyone.

Did I look THAT bolshie??

T

Actually I've found hotels to be wonderfully accommodating for bike parking.
I've just told them in advance that I'm bring a bike which requires secure
parking and I've been able to either park it in my room or it's been kept in
a locked garage/store room for me.

Cheers, helen s

Tony W said:

I did very much the same at a Marriott Hotel recently. I was there for a
one day conference. There was no cycle parking so I walked in with my bike.

Much to my surprise NO-ONE said anything.

Do that all the time and in some much posher hotels. You just have to
do it with confidence. I have been approached on one or two occassions
by the Bell Captain to ask "Can I take that for you sir"

Rocco Forte hotels are very good but then Rocco Forte is a cyclist who's
done two Etapes du Tour and competes in triathalons

Tony

"Helen C Simmons" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Actually I've found hotels to be wonderfully accommodating for bike

parking.

Quoted message said:

I've just told them in advance that I'm bring a bike which requires secure
parking and I've been able to either park it in my room or it's been kept

in

Quoted message said:

a locked garage/store room for me.

If staying overnight I would either leave the bike outside or wheel it into
the lobby and say I'm taking it to my room -- unless they can offer a better
alternative.

Good hotels have no great problem with this. Some cheaper chains get
discombobulated.

The surprise at the Marriot was the complete lack of any comment as I simply
wheeled the bike past several staff.

T

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Do that all the time and in some much posher hotels. You just have to
do it with confidence.

The old 'I do this all the time trick. That migt have been what got me
through. Perhaps I did look that bolshie.

Quoted message said:

I have been approached on one or two occassions
by the Bell Captain to ask "Can I take that for you sir"

Was it left outside your door, cleaned and polished in the morning?

T

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 16:58:10 +0000, Not Responding <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

After having read about the practice here and elsewhere, I finally did
it; took my bike with me into a shop.

It was only a Tesco Express and I was only after an emergency bottle of
wine but, as I approached I realised there was *no* bike parking. Not
even a convenient lamppost. I had the Good Bike (Tifosi) with me so I
thought "what the hell" and rode up to the door which, being automatic,
opened ahead of me - SO I CARRIED ON IN.

OK, I hopped off withing 3 feet of the door but this is still radical
behaviour for me. I'm sure I've never been the same since that bang on
the head. I walked around the shop went to the checkout and paid and no
one said a word. But I'm not sure I've got the nerve to do it again.

What we need is "drive" thru supermarkets.

That way you can glide effortlessly in through the automatic doors,
smoothly past the wine aisle picking up your bottle of red and then on
towards the purpose designed checkout. They could have the big bucket
type arrangement you see on road/bridge tolls, where you just throw
the correct change into a big scoop and carry merrily on your way.

--

Call me "Bob"

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a
little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"

Benjamin Franklin

Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 16:58:10 +0000, Not Responding <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

After having read about the practice here and elsewhere, I finally did
it; took my bike with me into a shop.

It was only a Tesco Express and I was only after an emergency bottle of
wine but, as I approached I realised there was *no* bike parking. Not
even a convenient lamppost. I had the Good Bike (Tifosi) with me so I
thought "what the hell" and rode up to the door which, being automatic,
opened ahead of me - SO I CARRIED ON IN.

OK, I hopped off withing 3 feet of the door but this is still radical
behaviour for me. I'm sure I've never been the same since that bang on
the head. I walked around the shop went to the checkout and paid and no
one said a word. But I'm not sure I've got the nerve to do it again.

Since you're just down the road from me - let me know next time and
I'll join you.

"Adrian Boliston" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Not Responding said:

After having read about the practice here and elsewhere, I finally did
it; took my bike with me into a shop.

It was only a Tesco Express and I was only after an emergency bottle
of wine but, as I approached I realised there was *no* bike parking.
Not even a convenient lamppost. I had the Good Bike (Tifosi) with me
so I thought "what the hell" and rode up to the door which, being
automatic, opened ahead of me - SO I CARRIED ON IN.

OK, I hopped off withing 3 feet of the door but this is still radical
behaviour for me. I'm sure I've never been the same since that bang on
the head. I walked around the shop went to the checkout and paid and
no one said a word. But I'm not sure I've got the nerve to do it
again.

Another way of looking at it - what's largest and more likely to block
aisles - a bike or a fully laden shopping cart?

I regularly cycle to Tesco's Cheshunt, park the bike outside and take my
bike trailer in with me and use it as a shopping trolley. No one seems to
mind, in fact the only lady who stopped me wanted to know where she could
get one because she thought it was such a good idea!
Chris Nowak

Helen C Simmons said:

Actually I've found hotels to be wonderfully accommodating for bike parking.
I've just told them in advance that I'm bring a bike which requires secure
parking and I've been able to either park it in my room or it's been kept in
a locked garage/store room for me.

At one small hotel in County Cavan I was told my bike could be kept in a
secure store at the back. This turned out to be the beer store. I
suggested I'd best stay there with the bike overnight "just in case",
but no luck.

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

Tony W composed the following;:

Quoted message said:

"Not Responding" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After having read about the practice here and elsewhere, I finally
did it; took my bike with me into a shop.

I did very much the same at a Marriott Hotel recently. I was there
for a one day conference. There was no cycle parking so I walked in
with my bike.

Much to my surprise NO-ONE said anything.

I simply wheeled the bike through to the conference room and 'parked'
it at the back of the room.

On leaving at the end of the day I wheeled it out through the bar and
lobby. No comment from anyone.

Did I look THAT bolshie??

Maybe they could see you had balls through the Lycra ... 😉

--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
(8(!) Homer Rules ... 😉
"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 19:19:48 GMT, Call me Bob
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

What we need is "drive" thru supermarkets.

Ah, no - as any Leftpondian cyclist will tell you, bikes are banned
from drive-thru lanes for "safety reasons".

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

"Paul - [censored]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Maybe they could see you had balls through the Lycra ... 😉

No -- I was in mufti

T

Quoted message said:

Actually I've found hotels to be wonderfully accommodating for bike parking.
I've just told them in advance that I'm bring a bike which requires secure
parking and I've been able to either park it in my room or it's been kept in
a locked garage/store room for me.

I found the King's Head in Richmond to be very accomodating. Even got
a discounted room as well as bike parking facilities in the lobby.

t'other Vernon
in Leeds

"Not Responding" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I walked around the shop went to the checkout and paid and no
one said a word. But I'm not sure I've got the nerve to do it again.

Why not? It is clearly considered acceptable -- otherwise someone would
have complained.

Tony W said:

"Not Responding" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I walked around the shop went to the checkout and paid and no
one said a word. But I'm not sure I've got the nerve to do it again.

Why not? It is clearly considered acceptable -- otherwise someone would
have complained.

And what's the worst they're going to do? Ask you to leave?

Tony

Jon Senior said:

Well done that man. I've never had the guts to do that without first
sheepishly asking the staff (My bike has seen the inside of the
Playhouse box office on a number of occasions!).

Nah, stride in, walk up to the first employee you see and say "Excuse
me, do you have somewhere I can tuck my bike away safely" as if it were
an everyday event. People very rarely challenge you if you look
confident and as if you should be there. Look unsure and immediately
they know they have the upper hand.

Tony

Tony Raven said:

Nah, stride in, walk up to the first employee you see and say "Excuse
me, do you have somewhere I can tuck my bike away safely"

I tried this in Southampton Safeway once (I'd left my lock at home) and was
told that no bicycles were allowed in the shop (not even just inside the
door): manager's orders. I said they'd lose my trade, as I couldn't leave
the bike outside unlocked; they couldn't care less.

Funny thing is, though, I quite often see a /motorbike/ parked just inside
the door after hours -- I presume it belongs to a staff member.