Just got asked a biking etiquette question by a friend
 

And I don't really know the answer. Apparently she is without a car and is using a bicycle. She needs to have some copies made at an office max, but the only bike rack at the mall is a fair distance away in front of a gym, and she says its pretty apparent that the rack was put there for the gym's use.
She is wondering if she should ask permission or if most bike racks could be considered public parking.

Since I am pretty rural and seldom even take a bike lock, and there are 0 racks in town anyway, I can't give a good answer.
Going to send her a link to this thread, so remember that this is for someone who is just trying to do the right thing and keep it positive:lol: You can bash me all you want for not knowing.:roflmao2:

I always treat bike racks as public parking. The only time I'd ask is if it's clear that the business is using it for some other obvious purpose, like putting bikes on display for sale.

I also have no problem locking my bicycle to random things when the business/shopping center fails to provide appropriate and close parking. This includes but is not limited to signposts, fences, and trees. I am also a jerk.

I'd use it. I might also point out the Office Max that they have no bike parking. (I also regularly lock my bike wheels to the frame and lean it on the frame of a business' window so I can watch the bike from the inside. That wouldn't work in a high theft area; they would just lift the locked bike, but in a lot of places, that works well. Esp with less than high end bikes.)

Ben

I've brought my bike into shops and placed it on a wall or window - of course, not blocking any doorways, aisles or exits. If someone doesn't like it, that gives you an opportunity to talk to that someone about their bike parking problem. If you're friendly and genuine, you shouldn't have any problem.

i'd use the rack if it was convenient.

Roll the bike into Office Max like she owns the place. No one has ever said one word to me ever as I entered numerous places. If they did, I would roll the bike right back out.

You got it. There is no laws that prevent bikes in a store.... and no reason for any business to discourage a customers entry (with or without a bike).

But... don't limit your choices to "the mall". There may be closer easier places to make copies. Or maybe... a smartphone image converted into a PDF and saved on the cloud... or emailed... might work.

Before rolling the bicycle right in, check for "No Bicycle" signs. Many business have those up and get quite upset if you violate that rule. My office building, for example.

However, unless the rack has a sign indicating that it is for a particular business, I'd use it.

Or if it is some distance away, I'd lock the bicycle to whatever is close by (tree, fence, etc.).

It is fine to roll right on out without conducting business there for whatever reason, IF you don't have a reason to conduct business there in the first place or practical alternatives are conveniently available.

REI has no problem w me bringing my bike in the store, but Dicks' Sporting Goods, does. Dick's has to put a red tag on it. At least this is way it is in Natick, MA (aka Boston, Metro-West)

Depends on how crowded or small the store is....being considerate goes a long way. I often just say "do you mind" as I park on the inside of the store away from the door. No one has ever objected and it does lead to conversations about bike parking, riding etc.

Car parking is also free for anyone as long as there's no sign that says, "parking for customers only." If there's plenty of room on the bike rack, why would anyone care if you parked there?

If I was a bike thief, I would LOVE to find an unlocked bike leaning against the wall in a store. I would know that by the time the owner noticed it was missing, I would be 5 miles away. And by the time the police arrived, I would be 20 or 30 miles away. And by the time the police actually started looking for the bike, I could have rode it to the moon.

So the best idea is to lock the bike properly. I agree with Machka and others that it's OK to use the neighboring establishment's bike rack, or lock to a tree, sign post, sewer grate, or whatever. I would also politely let the store owner or manager know that they really should provide bike racks, and it's even good for their business to do so.

Occasionally I pickup prescriptions at a Safeway in a dodgy part of town. I take the bike in the store with me and just roll it around. It doesn’t leave my sight.

Just use the rack.

Or lock it to the handicap parking signs, cart return in the parking lot, trees, whatever.

I saw somebody take the wheels off and put it in a shopping cart once.

Yeah bike tourists do that too.

You have failed to account for the possibility of store employees keeping an eye on the bike. You have also failed to account for the fact that someone can lean their bike against a wall and transact business while still keeping an eye on it.

Personally I think all bike parking is public parking. That said I do try to use city installed bike racks whenever possible.

I've wondered about it before, is a bike rack "for" businesses in the immediate area and could anyone get their nose out of joint if you parked there and walked off. But I don't think that anyone, literally anyone, in the business cares about the bike rack. They sometimes don't even know it's there, and when they do they don't know how it got there.

I lock up wherever it's convenient, which more often than not isn't at a bike rack. In fact, around here they're mostly off somewhere out of the way and I think I'd rather have my bike somewhere out in the open. But I don't think there is an etiquette issue with using the bike racks, not that I've ever heard of.

I guess I'm just a total failure!