testing the waters..

cuddy duck · June 2007

I'm in a protracted dispute with employers who, stacked to the gills with sustainable transport and cycle friendly policies, will nonetheless be marking Bike2Work week by decommissioning a shower I've been reliant upon for two years of almost life-saving (I'm a middle aged ex-smoker with a pre-disposition to lardiness with a resting pulse of 48bpm, for heaven's sake! [:)]) cycle commuting. Best part of the day. Love it, love it, love it.
I know some of you think showers are over-egging it some, being able to cope with a wet-wipe or a lick from a handbasin, but I work long days in contact with the public and sweat up a storm on my half-hour ride in, and really value - I mean really value - a shower.
Money is of course the sticking point. While my employer spends circa œ666,000 per annum of tax-payers' money buffering senior staff from the true cost of their motoring preference, the > œ5K (suspiciously inflated if you ask me) they claim it would cost to preserve the shower just can't be found.
So, being stubborn I'm thinking of trying to call their bluff by raising the money myself.
My question is, then, were I to do a sponsored century or somesuch, would any forumites be moved to support my efforts?

There are 9 million bicycles in Beijing. But no cyclists: that's one thing we can be sure of....

peejay78 · June 2007

not me.

winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv

shmo · June 2007

I think a sponsored shower abstinence would be a much more effective scheme. After a few weeks your coworkers will realise the importance of having cleaning facilities on site and will petition the bigwigs en masse!

Seriously though it sounds like a honourable cause to fight for and hope you can make them see reason.

frogcp · June 2007

I don't think you'll get very far with the abstenance bit. Last year I was called into the bosses office to be told my cycling gear was stinking out the area next to the server room where I left it as there had been a complaint. I hit the roof, and walked out into the main office and asked 'Which gutless bastard hasn't got the balls to tell me to my face my kit stinks, and would like further to explain how it stinks when it's clean every day, which is more than can be said for the majority of you lot.'

The office smoker piped up with 'well, it does stink.'

'How would you know when you can't even smell your own top lip and smell like a fire in a feather wharehouse.'

Suffice to say I lost and had to move my kit, which now resides in the gents toilets on a wet day - along with two other cyclists kit. To be honest I don't think you'll get anywhare. They think we're eccentric already so a bit of a pong is something which fits in with their image of a cyclist.

Good luck [:D]

Vultures circling high in a clear blue sky - must be a traffic jam near by.

miffedcp · June 2007

i think this is a disgrace and you should right to your mp, take it to employment tribunual, contact CTC legal department and the like.

That is a bit tongue in cheek but I do think that shower facilities are a good idea and kicking up a proper fuss see above should be on a list of possible action

dangerousjules · June 2007

perhaps one for anika rice...[:D]

dangerous jules.
god bless those pagans!

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cuddy duck

I'm in a protracted dispute with employers who, stacked to the gills with sustainable transport and cycle friendly policies, will nonetheless be marking Bike2Work week by decommissioning a shower I've been reliant upon for two years of almost life-saving (I'm a middle aged ex-smoker with a pre-disposition to lardiness with a resting pulse of 48bpm, for heaven's sake! [:)]) cycle commuting. Best part of the day. Love it, love it, love it.
I know some of you think showers are over-egging it some, being able to cope with a wet-wipe or a lick from a handbasin, but I work long days in contact with the public and sweat up a storm on my half-hour ride in, and really value - I mean really value - a shower.
Money is of course the sticking point. While my employer spends circa œ666,000 per annum of tax-payers' money buffering senior staff from the true cost of their motoring preference, the > œ5K (suspiciously inflated if you ask me) they claim it would cost to preserve the shower just can't be found.
So, being stubborn I'm thinking of trying to call their bluff by raising the money myself.
My question is, then, were I to do a sponsored century or somesuch, would any forumites be moved to support my efforts?

There are 9 million bicycles in Beijing. But no cyclists: that's one thing we can be sure of....
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why are they decommissioning the shower? Do they want the space for something else? Surely it does not cost œ100pw to run a shower (hot water and cleaning?).

So. a bit of logic required here:

Ask bosses:

1 Do they encourage staff to cycle?
2 Do they provide parking for bikes?
3 Do they subsidise cycling? (Bike2Work sceme)
4 Is it OK for you to cylce to work?
5 What do you do when you have no showers

Also, how many other cyclists?

_____________________________________________________________________
Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

jel · June 2007

You'll probably find there are a lot of people off for a run or doing yoga at lunch or even motorcyclists who want a private place to change (because they wear just ladies underwear and vaseline under their leathers or something). Either way, these are the people you want to get onside. If it's just you I can understand them wanting to turn it into an executive washroom or something.

Roastie · June 2007

I'd start by talking to whoever at your company is responsible for heath and safety. They should help fight your case.

I would not be able to survive my day without a shower at work - usually when I arrive I'm dripping - I'd need a pack of wet wipes a day!

neillcp · June 2007

Make yourself a temporary shower out of a couple of buckets, and go rinse yourself off in the chief exec's office every morning.

See how long it is before you either a.) get the shower back or b.) get fired.

CycleLal · June 2007

œ5K does sound like a lot to me - my nice boss has just put in a shower from scratch and it was œ3k, but that meant plumping (which you already have) and all the gadgets. Hmm. Depends how big your company is and how well / what access you have to the Top Dog - why not ask for an appointment to just go and talk to as high up as you can go? I am sure if they knew what a silly thing was going on, they'd probably help? I hope....

Go armed with a number of how many people have said they would use it, that may help. Summer's here, there must be joggers etc, like other people have said. Plus take a copy of sustainable transport policies and remind them of what they have signed up to.

Oh! Better idea entirely! you can apply for grants for shower funding - are you in London? if so each Borough runs a scheme, we've just got œ1,200 from Camden. Worth a look.

helz · June 2007

How can it cost them œ5K to keep the shower? I own a shower in my house and it barely costs me anything!!

*ïù)
`.úï .ú*ïù) ÷.ú*ù)
(÷.úï (÷.úï
Cycle commuting since September 2005

Hackbike 6 · June 2007

I have been working where I am now for 18 years and never had a shower.It really is a luxury.

They couldn't give a **** about us so **** them.Tossers

Some people have said to me they won't cycle due to this fact.

Hackbike 8 Commuting Debut 09/09/2006Dawes Audax 2006 New 20/09/2006 

 Cycle Commuting since 1981 

Cycling Proficiency Test 24 May 1977 (30 years ago)

 Ride to work part 1 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/ypjapc
Ride to work part 2 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jfagu
Ride to work part 3 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jcldv 

How not to lock a bike. http://i14.tinypic.com/52355zr.jpg

The Bosscp · June 2007

Sellotape a kipper behind the radiator in the boss's office.

<hr noshade size="1">
CyclingIsPermittedAlongThisFootpath GenericPath

dondare · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jel

You'll probably find there are a lot of people off for a run or doing yoga at lunch or even motorcyclists who want a private place to change (because they wear just ladies underwear and vaseline under their leathers or something). Either way, these are the people you want to get onside. If it's just you I can understand them wanting to turn it into an executive washroom or something.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hmmm.

I do not shower when I get into work. (There was one but it got taken out, supposedly because street-people were coming in to use it.)

What I always notice is that tube-travellers need a shower when they get in more than any cyclist, and none of them bother.

A pox on both your houses.

Anonymous · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">....
Go armed with a number of how many people have said they would use it, that may help. Summer's here, there must be joggers etc, like other people have said. ...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I tried that with my company and was warned about being "militant". But then again this is the company that runs a bike-to-work scheme so they can trouser the VAT.

....and remember, money talks but chocolate sings!

cuddy duck · June 2007

Lot of q's.
They're flogging the building which currently houses the shower, to developers. Comfortable 7 figure sum will be made. >œ5K is their 'estimate' of the cost of re-provisioning a shower. They say the existing one that I've cheerfully used for two years is a structurally unsound deathtrap and midden and vector of legionnaires' disease and can't be inexpensively dismantled and re-assembled in that part of the site which isn't being flogged off. Hence >œ5K for a new one.
Every manager I've been through is in receipt of motoring subsidy, either free parking (DfT estimate œ300 - œ500pa) or free parking and lease car (@œ4Kpa for senior execs).
If businesses were ships mutiny would be justified, seizing control on the basis that management are insane.
On another forum someone's raised the availability of govt funded matching grants. Do such things exist?

There are 9 million bicycles in Beijing. But no cyclists: that's one thing we can be sure of....

mjones · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cuddy duck

Lot of q's.
They're flogging the building which currently houses the shower, to developers. Comfortable 7 figure sum will be made. >œ5 is their 'estimate' of the cost of re-provisioning a shower. They say the existing one that I've cheerfully used for two years is a structurally unsound deathtrap and midden and vector of legionnaires' disease and can't be inexpensively dismantled and re-assembled in that part of the site which isn't being flogged off. Hence >œ5K for a new one.
Every manager I've been through is in receipt of motoring subsidy, either free parking (DfT estimate œ300 - œ500pa) or free parking and lease car (@œ4Kpa for senior execs).
If businesses were ships mutiny would be justified, seizing control on the basis that management are insane.
On another forum someone's raised the availability of govt funded matching grants. Do such things exist?

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Cuddy Duck, I'm pleased on this occasion to be able to attempt a turquoise meme response to one of your posts![;)]

Sadly there are no Government grants for such things (the government would rather spend millions pointlessly subsidising LPG and biofuels, the main beneficiaries of which are high mileage drives of low mpg vehicles). I believe TfL may provide some grant funding for businesses that have signed up to travel plans, but IIRC you are not London based?

I'd be surprised if could raise enough through sponsorship, on the other hand just raising a bit to pay for something the employer ought to pay for might embarrass them into finding some money themselves.

Your arguments on the costs of company cars and car parking are perfectly reasonable and you should stick to them. You might want to add the (less quantifiable) benefits of helping staff to keep fit and active. There are figures on the Sustrans website under Active Travel and at:
http://www.cyclingengland.co.uk/health.php

Point out that it isn't just cyclists who use showers- lots of people like to go running, or do other sports at lunchtime and would use it if a decent facility were available. What's the value of a facility that makes the site more attractive to potential employees?

On the wider point of justifying having a shower for your cycle commute, well it may not be essential but I much prefer to have one. I've only got a 3.5 mile ride to work, but the traffic is fast and the roads narrow, so I end up riding fast and getting sweaty. Lots of people won't consider cycling if a shower isn't available, so personally I'd prefer to argue the case for providing a shower and decent changing facilities rather than trying to persuade potential new cyclists that they can get away with a packet of wet wipes in the disabled loos.

testing the waters..

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