Mission accomplished

[Eric S. Sande]

The objective was hazy but elements of the 123nd commuter squadra
moved out on National Bike to Work Day.

Traffic was as usual heavy in the Nation's Capital but the turnout
was good, bike to work day '04 featured, well, more than normal
numbers of people riding bicycles.

I had not been previously informed of this activity.

Therefore I was surprised to find a couple of ersatz couriers
dogging my rack, in MY PARKING SPACE on the commuter rack, they
if they were messengers know the proper rack.

They weren't real messengers, just college kids out for a lark.

So I locked on a signpost that I have marked as a secondary, my
friend at work remarked that she noticed I was atypically locked.

This kind of hosing around is just another natural consequence
of bad bicycle education, I mean what the heck are we teaching
our children etc.

Anyway on my morning break I relocated to my proper space.


--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Gooserider]

"Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The objective was hazy but elements of the 123nd commuter squadra
> moved out on National Bike to Work Day.
>
Huh? Isn't Bike to Work Week in two weeks? There's a Bike to Work Day, also?

 

[Alex Colvin]

>> The objective was hazy but elements of the 123nd commuter squadra
>> moved out on National Bike to Work Day.
>>
>Huh? Isn't Bike to Work Week in two weeks? There's a Bike to Work Day, also?


It's "Take your Bike to Work" day. It helps encourage casual recreation
bicycles by showing them life beyond the garage . It empowers them by
showing them that someday they can become commuter bikes.

--
mac the naïf

 

[Curtis L. Russell]

On Sat, 08 May 2004 03:37:43 -0400, "Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Traffic was as usual heavy in the Nation's Capital but the turnout
>was good, bike to work day '04 featured, well, more than normal
>numbers of people riding bicycles.

Come on, it was Friday, the easy commute day. My normal commute takes
an hour, Friday it was 45 minutes (not counting the final bike part).

Of course, it was a bit longer on Thursday. A truck dropped a load of
pipes right at John Hanson and U.S.50, then they closed most of the
bridge over the rails at Florida. That took 3 hours and change. Should
have gotten on my bike in Odenton...

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> writes:

> Therefore I was surprised to find a couple of ersatz couriers
> dogging my rack, in MY PARKING SPACE on the commuter rack, they
> if they were messengers know the proper rack.
>
> They weren't real messengers, just college kids out for a lark.

What would have happened to them if they locked to
the messengers' rack?

Anyhow, you handled the situation with great aplomb.


cheers,
Tom

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[Eric S. Sande]

>Come on, it was Friday, the easy commute day. My normal commute takes
>an hour, Friday it was 45 minutes (not counting the final bike part).

Come to think of it, Friday IS the easy day, isn't it?

At least on the way in. It's not so great on the ride home, though.

Luckily I missed the rush hours and managed to get myself back
to the shack by 0 dark thirty, riding in the rain, but I didn't
have to deal with the thunderstorm.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Eric S. Sande]

>What would have happened to them if they locked to the messengers'
>rack?

Nothing, they were short timers. That's the whole principle of
bicycle racks. Either you Bogart or not. A commuter Bogarts the
rack, we're going to be there all day.

A messenger is a non-Bogarting rack user but still a legitimate
rack user, that's why we segregate the racks.

It's in and out parking as opposed to long term parking, and it's
administered by community consent.

What can I say, this is the way it is. Parking is parking. People
in DC have been shot over parking issues.


--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Zoot Katz]

Sat, 08 May 2004 17:23:59 -0400, <[email protected]>,
"Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> wrote:

>It's in and out parking as opposed to long term parking, and it's
>administered by community consent.
>
>What can I say, this is the way it is. Parking is parking. People
>in DC have been shot over parking issues.

But not cyclists shooting cyclists over which rack is whose. Well, not
in DC yet anyway. Maybe in Amsterdam where bike parking _is_ an issue
and you've got all those wild Dutchmen riding around on dope.

Vancouver bike thieves on dope are weird.
=====/
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: bc.cycling
Subject: Helpful bike thief.
Date: Thu, 06 May 2004 08:31:52 GMT
Message-ID: <[email protected]>

I had an interesting experience a couple of days ago. I locked
my bike against a sign-post in Chinatown and went in for a doctor's
appointment. When I returned, a fellow was standing next to my bike
and he asked me if the bike was mine. When I said it was, he said:
"****! I was just about to steal it!" This gentleman then pointed to
a bolt located at the base of the sign post and said that he could 've
easily stolen my bike simply by loosening the bolt and lifting the
entire sign-post out of it's metal base. He even opened his coat and
showed me his array of "tools" for liberating bikes from their
rightful owners. After warning me not to lock my bike up against
these type of sign-posts, he wished me well and ran off with a wave
and a smile.
======\

Or maybe that's an urban myth.

Anyway sign posts can be risky lockups. But you know that.
--
zk

 

[S o r n i]

Zoot Katz wrote: (snipped)

Appropos of nothing, really, I got behind a guy on a brand-new red
Specialized today. The logo on his butt was:

Zoot Sports.

Bill "just can't get away some times" S.

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> writes:

> What can I say, this is the way it is. Parking is parking. People
> in DC have been shot over parking issues.

Lately I've been opting for parking meters instead of racks.
But today while out and about, I locked to the rack -- the
inside position, closest to the building. I was the first
one there, parked in the rack. I figure that way, subsequent
parkers could use the rack too, without my hogging all the space.
But when I returned from my shopping the rack was full, and I
was momentarily cut off from my bike. Shortly afterward a cute
lady came along, and got her bike off the rack and out of my
way. I chatted her up a bit. I think she was admiring my road
rash wounds. Or was amused by them (gonna have tan-holes from
the dressings.)

When there's plenty of room on either side of a rack, it would
really help if people would alternate, like:

R-bike
bike-A
C-bike
bike-K

instead of:

R-bike
A-bike
C-bike
K-bike

.... where handlebars become entangled, and top shifters
get knocked out of whack.

But a parking meter all to yourself is nice and personal.


cheers,
Tom

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[Eric S. Sande]

>Anyway sign posts can be risky lockups. But you know that.

Not if they're embedded in concrete.

But you knew that.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
Zoot Katz <[email protected]> writes:

> Anyway sign posts can be risky lockups. But you know that.

The 'No Parking', 'Loading Zone' etc signs have those
collars and bolts holding them down. But stop-sign
posts are more permanently embedded. When cars hit
them and bend them over, I wouldn't be surprised if
the City street workers just pull 'em upright again
with a tow truck. However, when cars routinely hit
stop signs, I guess it's probably not a good idea to
lock bikes to them.


cheers,
Tom

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[Eric S. Sande]

>However, when cars routinely hit stop signs, I guess it's probably
>not a good idea to lock bikes to them.

Not when you have a choice, no.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Zoot Katz]

Sat, 08 May 2004 20:27:57 -0400, <[email protected]>,
"Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>Anyway sign posts can be risky lockups. But you know that.
>
>Not if they're embedded in concrete.
>
Another message in that thread claimed the same tools could be used to
remove the sign and slide the bike over the top of the post.
. . .yeah, me too.

>But you knew that.

I figured you'd reconnoitered that particular post and found it
acceptably secure for an emergeny fall back position.

Well done, Sande.
--
zk

 

[Eric S. Sande]

>I figured you'd reconnoitered that particular post and found it
>acceptably secure for an emergeny fall back position.

It wasn't an emergeny. But I had checked out that post in the
immediate past, yes.

Thanks.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Hunrobe]

>" S o r n i" [email protected]

wrote in part:

>I got behind a guy on a brand-new red
>Specialized today. The logo on his butt was:
>
>Zoot Sports.

Zoot gave up carpentry and is selling butts now?

Regards,
Bob Hunt

 

[S o r n i]

Hunrobe wrote:
>> " S o r n i" [email protected]
>
> wrote in part:
>
>> I got behind a guy on a brand-new red
>> Specialized today. The logo on his butt was:
>>
>> Zoot Sports.
>
> Zoot gave up carpentry and is selling butts now?

Cigarette distributor?

Bill "ass you were" S.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Sun, 09 May 2004 07:01:47 GMT,
<[email protected]>, " S o r n i"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Hunrobe wrote:
>>> " S o r n i" [email protected]
>>
>> wrote in part:
>>
>>> I got behind a guy on a brand-new red
>>> Specialized today. The logo on his butt was:
>>>
>>> Zoot Sports.
>>
>> Zoot gave up carpentry and is selling butts now?
>
>Cigarette distributor?
>
>Bill "ass you were" S.
>
You guys crack me up with your cheeky comments.
--
zk

 

[DRS]

"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> Sat, 08 May 2004 17:23:59 -0400, <[email protected]>,
> "Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> It's in and out parking as opposed to long term parking, and it's
>> administered by community consent.
>>
>> What can I say, this is the way it is. Parking is parking. People
>> in DC have been shot over parking issues.
>
> But not cyclists shooting cyclists over which rack is whose. Well, not
> in DC yet anyway. Maybe in Amsterdam where bike parking _is_ an issue
> and you've got all those wild Dutchmen riding around on dope.

You don't park your bike in Amsterdam. You merely return it to the thieves
from whom you bought for ?20 in the Vondelpark. It's good for the economy.

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