Cycle Parking charges

[historyman]

Went to have a look at Liverpool One, Liverpool's new shopping area. Quite nice. No cycle stands anywhere, though. Liverpool is not well endowed in this respect and many aspects of the development are still incomplete. So I does what I can & chains my bike to a rail by some steps.
Come back a few mins. later and an officious security guard is saying I can't chain it there. I do the 'who are you', 'by what right' thing & as usual he doesn't get the point. But then to my astonishment he sez I have to go to the underground car park where there are some cycle stands and it will cost me a quid!
I never heard of anything like that in this country or abroad for that matter. Apart from anything else it's totally against the economic interest of whoever runs a shopping centre. If I did, I would want more money-saving congestion-reducing cyclists coming to my outlets. And I'd be generating more ill-will than cash by trying to get a measly quid a day out of them.
It's really annoying having to park at one end of the shopping district too. Usually I'd go through a district stopping to buy things (this is one of the things I like best about cycling, having the time & versatility to go to small specialist shops) & come out the other end. But I have to park, walk 10 mins one way, walk 10 mins. back. What a shag
{End rant}

 

[mr_cellophane]

For £1 I would want a locker, or at least someone sitting watching all the bikes.

Bit like this http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/978.aspx
and that is only 50p for 24 hours

 

[historyman]

that's nice at Finsbury Park. But a) as you point out, you're getting security, so worth paying; being a station, cyclists will almost exclusively want to park in one point, and for more than a few mins. This is a shopping area over several acres.

 

[marinyork]

For £1 I'd want someone sharply stood to attention with an AK47 guarding the bikes. Or overnight (hard to come by). Nah that sucks man.

 

[Jaded]

I know the developers and some of the management, so if you'd like I can have a word next time I'm up there I'll have a look and a word... PM me.

 

[andyfromotley]

you tellin me that someone can keep my bike safe in liverpool for a quid???
bargain

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

You could always protest - http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2001/07/44935

 

[Joe24]

Do as they do m Amsterdam, put the bike on its stnd, put the lock through the rear wheel and walk away
I wouldnt pay £1 to park my bike up, i'd rather pick it u and carry it around with me.

 

[historyman]

I like the protest measure signalled by Twickenham Cyclist. I've often dreamed of making spurious notices, along the lines "The owner of this building is rich but a git; cause him annoyance by chaining up your bike to these railings".

 

[Jaded]

Which of course just increases any misunderstanding between cyclist and owner.

I guess it depends if you want something resolved, or you just want to make a noise.

 

[Aperitif]

10/10 Jaded

 

[tdr1nka]

I guess it depends if you want something resolved, or you just want to make a noise.

Ah yes, Railing against railings!
Just run along them with strong metal rule, that'll make enough noise at 3am!!

Seriously tho, paying for parking your bike? Whatever will they find next to try and squeeze the tiniest bit of revenue from?

 

[dodgy]

I was going to nip over to have a looksee at Liverpool One, don't think I'll bother now. Thanks for the tip!

Dave.

 

[historyman]

Which of course just increases any misunderstanding between cyclist and owner

OK, fair point, but I said it was a fantasy idea, not a serious proposition. And well-aimed satire can, on occasion, improve understanding.

 

[Riding in Circles]

We have a retail park near here that has the cycle parking well away from the building on the edge of the carpark, despite having a huge area in front of the building, so the cycle parking is in an ideal place for thieves to work on locks undisturbed.