Chris516

Where is the logic in thinking the will be eating at the drive-thru. When they have to take the money out. Where are they going to put the food, while they get the money out.

jputnam

Having sold commercial insurance in the past, I've never encountered a policy that excluded premises liability for bicyclists in drive-thrus. Doesn't mean they don't exist, but I won't believe they do until someone actually provides a copy of a policy with such a restriction. "Insurance liability" is a convenient cover for any number of arbitrary business decisions that management doesn't want to take ownership of, and most customers are quite willing to blame some faceless insurance company.

howsteepisit

+1 ^^

FBinNY 

I agree that the insurance companies are often used to give cover to corporate decisions. It's always nice to have a scapegoat. But insurance is only one aspect of risk management, and good businessmen will implement policies to try to prevent claims even though they have coverage.

So when someone says, our insurance doesn't allow....., they might mean that the corporate risk management team chose not to.

The effect is the same. My homeowner's policy protects me in the event someone slips on the ice in my driveway. Even though I'm covered for slip accidents, I may (and do) choose to shovel the snow, or spread gravel or do whatever I can to prevent the slip in the first place.

Also, regardless of the general policies, insurance carriers will often send their own risk managers to advise (or require) that certain practices are put into place. You may still have coverage, but the carrier is telling you what he wants to see done. In my warehouse, my property carrier sent an inspector who gave me a laundry list of suggestions and requirements, from installing traction strips in stair treads (suggestion) to replacing all the circuit breakers and panels made by a certain company (a requirement to maintain then policy with 90 days to comply), to all sorts of other housekeeping, safety and fire prevention recommendations, some suggestions, some requirements. They'd be back every 3 years for a fresh review.

So you never know who, but the traffic flow rules for parking areas may be set by the city building inspector, corporate risk manager, or insurance company risk manager.

As an example of how this can get. My warehouse had a large fuel oil tank above ground in the basement. The fire code specifies it be 1/2 buried in sand. The county has since passed a code which says the tanks have to be fully exposed so they can be checked for leaks more easily. I used to have the issue revisited every 3 years, and wasn't going to dig it out, then bury it back and forth, so I printed both codes, above and below on a sheet of paper, and had it to the inspectors saying that when they get the story straight, I'll do it. (tank remains 1/2 buried in sand (so far).

kickstart

The corporation I work for is self insured, yet uses that as a catch all semantic for safety rules. Its corporate code for "we've been sued for that, and don't want it to happen again".

FBinNY 

It could also mean, we've had close calls and don't want to have a lawsuit. Or that we've looked at it and see risks, and want to be smart about this.

As I said earlier, business open their doors to make money. If they create policies that turn away business and cost money, they have a reason (or at least believe they do).

gpsblake

I wouldn't want to wait in a line of cars blowing fumes or whatever in my face while on a bicycle on a drive-thru. What are you going to do afterwards, eat your food while riding your bike??? I rather sit in anyways on a bike,, I can keep refilling my drink and even more some to put into my bottle afterwards.

The Quiet One

You learn something new every day. I thought all states considered bikes vehicles. I looked at the League of American Bicyclists web site and it looks like those that don't say that a person riding a bike has all the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle. That's a pretty subtle difference. I wonder how much it matters in the grand scheme of thing.

As for drive thrus, I don't stop at places during normal hours unless they have a rack. Late night, I'm sleeping, so It doesn't matter to me.

genec

Could it be that the ins co considers cyclists as peds and thus excludes them that way?

rydabent

While it is not a fast food join, I went to my bank. Several times I have ridden my LWB bent thru my banks drive thru. They never said a word. BTW I didnt get run over, the bank didnt start on fire, and there were no law suits against the bank. The only thing of importance that happened was I saved gas money by running an errand on my bike.

rydabent

Look at this situation logically. And yes I know common sense and logic are getting trampled these days. The is no sane reason that a person should not be able to go to a drive thru on a bike. Why should I be expected to leave my bike outside and subject to being stolen? After all according to almost all motor vehice codes, bikes have all the rights of a car.

spare_wheel

In Portland this is a settled issue. If you own a business and do not allow bikes in your bike-thru you will have a ton of whoop-ass descend on you and your business:

Burgerville to biking mom: No burgers for you! | OregonLive.com
Burgerville: Bikes now welcome in all drive-thrus - BikePortland.org


Walgreens refuses bicycle riders at outdoor service windows - UPDATED - BikePortland.org
Walgreens now "welcomes" people on bikes at outdoor service windows - BikePortland.org

Chris516

Very valid point. I like to go inside, too. I can relax and not have to worry about a motorist doing something stupid while I am eating.
I won't go to Walmart ANYWHERE. But I am glad Burgerville doesn't discriminate.

spare_wheel

Walgreens has nothing to do with walmart.

Worknomore

Anybody been denied the drive-thru at the bank? I have never attempted the drive-thru at a fast food joint but I ride to my bank usually once a week. I am always cheerfully received at my bank's drive thru.

daihard 

Do they actually have humans? The only drive-thru's at the bank that I've been to are just a bunch of ATMs. They won't deny you because of your mode of transport... for now.

Worknomore

Yes real humans, complete with smiles and salutations. In a relatively small town.

CliffordK

I agree it is completely illogical to turn away customers for walking/riding.
And people remember bad service much longer than they remember good service.

I suppose I can imagine during regular business hours to encourage pedestrians to go inside (and the restaurants/banks probably consider bikes to be pedestrians).

However, during the extended hours there isn't a choice. So not serving the pedestrians/bikes means they just don't serve them. In most cases, it makes absolutely no business sense.

As I mentioned, it was in PORTLAND over a decade ago when I was refused service at Wendy's for walking to the drive-through during extended hours when the lobby was closed, and there was no line. After being refused service, I never went back... ever... until the restaurant stopped selling hamburgers and started selling Mexican food.

Perhaps I'll have to bite the bullet and get a twitter account and start tweeting just for these occasions in the future.

FBinNY 

I think this is maybe the best way to handle this stuff. I was not defending the policy, which seems stupid and arbitrary, only the rights of business owners to set their own policies --- including what you or I think are dumb ones.

Using social media is an effective way to effect change. It's fast and it's free of the political process.

daihard 

A bit off, but a new Taco Time just opened in our neighbourhood. They had no bike rack. Some of us complained loudly on the social media, though it was mainly on Facebook and not on Twitter. They just installed a bike rack today.

RomansFiveEight

Well, motorcycles can brake and accelerate as well (usually much better, actually) than cars, and they have the same required safety equipment (brake lights, mirrors, etc.) That, among other reasons (including requiring a license) is why a motorcycle is treated exactly like any other car on the road.

All that said, I can't see why any of those things matter in a drive-thru. I've never been through a drive-thru on my motorcycle or my bicycle though! Can't say I ever had the desire.

Guess it all comes down to whether that business/state considers a bicyclist a pedestrian or a motor vehicle. Motorcycles are definitely a motor vehicle. Most places treat bicycles similarly to motor vehicles. But, with laws like these, we can see some treating them like pedestrians.

loky1179

Well, Gerv has:

CliffordK

Has anybody EVER been turned away from a coffee kiosk for walking/riding up to the window?

Thanks guys, I think I finally understand the policy.

During daylight hours, stores, banks, restaurants encourage walking customers to come inside the store. Stores might in fact wish to encourage customers to view all their other items in the store for mad purchases. Bikes, of course, tread a fine line between pedestrians and vehicles.

For the fast food restaurants and pedestrians, the problem comes during the extended hours when they choose to keep the drive-through open and close the lobby.

A "normal" business would change the policy to allow all comers to the drive-up window. But, they seem to forget to change their policies from daytime to late hours.

Bikes just get stuck in the middle.

And, of course, as mentioned, people remember bad service, and the internet is a good way to spread dissatisfaction.

no motor?

I was at a local Chase branch. They took my deposit then, and I found another bank that not only allowed me (and others on bicycles) to use their drive in and wasn't run by criminals that helped crash the economy. I now use a credit union that hasn't said anything when I park my bicycle inside their lobby when making a deposit.

Don in Austin

Starbucks has a corporate policy no bikes in the drive-through. One good reason I don't patronize them. In Austin we have lots of locally owned coffee shops, many with drive-throughs. They are very friendly and the girl with purple hair and three nose rings is happy to fill you water bottles.

Don in Austin