Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Chaining bikes to poles in the pavement – and a rant!
Many people chain their bikes to poles set into pavements. The poles are often there for parking restriction/regulation signs. We have one outside our house for our son’s designated disability bay. The pole is midway along the bay and against the edge of the pavement. So any bike chained to the pole quite simply blocks access to our car parked in the bay.
Recently we have had a problem with bikes being chained to the pole. I spotted one person in the process, buzzed out and asked her, nicely, not to do so, pointing out that it was a disabled bay, that the bike was blocking access to the car and that there was another pole just a few feet further along. She was not at all happy, told me that she was only going to be an hour, the pole is public property and that she has a right to chain her bike there. I again asked her, nicely, if she would mind chaining her bike just those few feet further along and she very grudgingly did so but was clearly furious.
I am darn sure I am morally right to request safe access to our car for our son but are there any rules or regulations? And should we have to wait hours for someone to move their bike before we can safely access our car?
What is it with people and disability bays? They sure as hell don’t want the disability but they hate, really hate and resent the bays and really seem to enjoy parking in them, blocking them, encroaching into them so that the space is so small that there is only room left for a dinky toy car. Sometimes, no quite often, we despair of human kindness and consideration.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Park on
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What an unfortunate encounter. Cyclists can attach their bikes wherever they want. You have one space to park your car to support your son. Really crap that people not only don't think about it, but then have the gall to try and argue their point.
Perhaps you could put a sign up on the pole asking people to keep clear. I wonder if the council has any enforcement powers on this issue.
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The solution would be to have the pole set back from the curb, like they do in other parts of the borough where they are half the height and installed against the boundary line.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Ruggles on
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Duplicated
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Sure they are still counted as a unnecessary Obstruction
Check Environmental Protection Act
Do Rember removing them off advisory posts when parking restrictions started
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Permalink Reply by Sarah on
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There is a woeful lack of cycle parking in the borough. No one wants to chain their bike to a pole, locking to a cycle stand is far preferable. Perhaps we should all be asking our local councillor why there isn't more cycle parking (and where they're is, why it is in such silly locations for example blocking the cycle lane at the entrance to the Gardens from St Anns, which is why no one chains up there)
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The cyclists should also take care that "smart" thieves know only too well how to lift a bike up and over these relatively short poles after removing the parking sign which, after all, is attched with relatively thin metal strips.
Better to use a cycle hoop or TALL lamp post.
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cycle hoop is fine if it's close to where you live and you manage to get a place in one after a LONG time on the waiting list. But the reason for having a bike is for transportation, and when you reach your destination you will need somewhere to park it. More cycle parking is needed everywhere. I can't even ride my bike to any of the local post offices because there is no bike parking. Even for the High Road branch which is on CS1!
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One good thing in the St Ann’s LTN proposal (there’s a current separate thread about other aspects) is planned provision of several cycle hangars. Possibly not useful for you if it’s not your ward, of course, but it presumably suggests somebody is taking note of the need.
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Permalink Reply by Saddic on
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Thanks for your replies and support. It is appreciated.
I am totally in favour of the new bike hangers in the LTN proposals (and elsewhere). And also agree that there should be many more places for bikes to be secured at all destinations. I appreciate the difficulties cyclists face; my husband has only recently given up cycling.
I have written to the disability bay peeps at the council to see what they can come up with as a solution as I doubt we are unique.
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