exactly where can you park your bike?

Missybiker

I saw an interesting post about a pike that had been clamped by a firm in London (couldn't get to the bottom of it, other than the company who clamped the bike obviously felt they could do so, in return for money).

This got me thinking, in my town (watford) there have been efforts in recent years to set up bike stands, so I am reasonably confident that if I wanted to ride into town or near shops I would be able to park my bike safely and securely. But the other day I had an appointment at the local hospital. I didn't want to drive, but worried like billio about wher I could park my bike. Their website showed that there were the traditional bike stands, but I wasn't sure there would be enough or I would even find them. So I drove. When I got to the hospital, the 2 bike parks were chocci block - I wouldn't have been able to park my bike there. That got me thinking, where can one legally park a bike. At the hospital there were lots of metal fences, am I allowed to park my bike against these or is this counted as private land?

Perhaps it's a daft question.....

tangled_metal

When I was a teenager I hated spending money on buses to get 4 miles into town so I always rode in. I had read something about locking your bike in a place with a lot of throughput. So I locked it up on the barriers that stopped pedestrians crossing the road at a dangerous junction where the main road into town turned off and became a dual carriageway. It was also where a lot of pedestrians would walk past into town. I never had an issue with my bike being locked there. AFAIK locking your bike to one of those barriers is not a problem.
In the hospital near me some cyclists do lock their bike up against railings near to an entrance rather than the empty cycle park spots, tucked in a dark area in the corner away from the main entrance, at least they are those solid metal loops from the ground. Don't lock up to lampposts though.

What I don't like are the nice, securely locked bike stores in front of the main hospital entrance. Nice big sheds, solid frames that hold the bikes with plenty of room around them to lock. With solid keypad locks. In the light and in view of the main entrance. Whereas the bike parks for visitors or patients is tucked away where a bike thief can work at their leisure. Put the secure employees bike store in the dark and.the public one in the light and obvious location.

The Rookie

The 'clamping' can only occur on private property, so any 'footway' next to a road and the relevant strete furniture (sign posts, lamp posts etc) is fine.

Missybiker

Thanks Tim, makes sense. I know occasionally you do see signs on fences that say bikes will be removed, so I will obviously avoid them, Tangled metal, I know what you mean about shed hidden away or in the dark, seems to me we need more bike racks for sure. ( in watford favour, they are trying to make the town more cycle friendly with paths and bike racks aplenty). Thanks chaps!

thistle_

The Higway Code used to say (not sure if it still does) something along the lines of you shouldn't lock your bike up somewhere where it would be a hazard to others.

I think that sums it up really, just use common sense. If there's a sign saying 'no bikes' then don't lock it up there.

markhewitt1978

What about getting a sticker for your lock which says something like "If there is a problem with my bike being parked here, please don't remove it. Call 07......"

The Rookie

Unless there is some warning, or the bike is causing a serious obstruction and needs removing, then any removal causing damage is criminal damage even if it's chained to private property.

Examples
Chain it to a fence with no signs. They would have to leave a note asking you to move it and give you a reasonable time to do so before cutting it off.
Chain it across a gate blocking it, they can cut it off straight away, signs or not
Chain it to a fence with a warning sign saying something along the lines that 'bikes will be removed' and they can cut it off.

t4tomo

Missybiker wrote:

Thanks Tim, makes sense. I know occasionally you do see signs on fences that say bikes will be removed, so I will obviously avoid them, Tangled metal, I know what you mean about shed hidden away or in the dark, seems to me we need more bike racks for sure. ( in watford favour, they are trying to make the town more cycle friendly with paths and bike racks aplenty). Thanks chaps!

they are trying, but the so call cycle path down the high street past the ponds always makes me laugh, as it just looks like the rest of the pedestrian zone its always covered in pedestrians. it could have done with a large slug of green paint. Have they changed that now they have renovated the ponds area? I haven't been down for a while.

Missybiker

T4timo, although the upper high street and the one looks really nice you are right, there doesn't appear to be any bike demarcation. There are more bikers than ever so it appears to be working, but you are right, it would have been better if there had been a properly marked lane.