This ties in with the specific issue I also want to discuss is , is it illegal to chain bicycles to lamp columns ?
Illegal or not (and AFAICT, it's perfectly legal), it is antisocial if the pavement is narrow or busy. I'll often park my bike in a car bay using the sidestand if it'll hinder pedestrians locked to a lamppost.
In these circumstances, I park the bike on the road side of the lamppost. At most of the places I need to do this there is just enough room to do so without the bike overhanging the road.
