ylbaborp

Thank you for looking it up on Google Maps. I thought of this but the cart coral is pushed up against the fence and I can't get my bike back there. If I locked to the cart coral itself, it could obstruct carts, and I'm sure I'd get yelled at.

ylbaborp

Thank you for posting this photo, but not sure where you got it because the bike rack isn't set up this way anymore. You see those loops that face up and out? Now those loops are pushed up against the wall/fence, so it's impossible to lock my bike frame to the rack. That's what I keep telling the parking attendant and manager.

The parking attendant won't even spend a few seconds to look at the bike rack with me. I've never experienced such hostility for just wanting to buy groceries.

ylbaborp

Yes, thanks for looking it up. That seems to be an old photo though. You see those loops that go up and out? Those are pushed up against the wall/fence so it's impossible to lock any part of my frame to the rack. I tried explaining this to the parking attendant and he steamed "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT." But apparently he has time to leave garbage in my bike basket and to deliberately surround my bicycle with 3 carts

Chistophe516

I did a location count from their website info. They have 360 locations spread across fourteen states(AL, AZ, CA, DE, FL, GA, KS, MD, NM, NV, OK, PA, TX, VA). They aren't going to care about problems with one location.

I am not saying this blindly, and/or ignorantly.

I worked for the supermarket chain Safeway, 1985-1987(18-20yrs.-old). They have 900+ locations across eighteen states, and DC. The location I worked at, in MD. Even though it is in the bottom of the backside of the building. It is(it still is at the same location) right across the street from the U.S. Government's Defense Mapping Agency.

When I worked there. The delivery entrance was also marked as a 'Fire Lane'. The Asst. Mgr. always parked his Corvette Stingray there. Numerous other customers did the same thing. This created a problem for the store delivery drivers'. Who would have to wait for someone to remove their vehicle. I would go in each time, and tell the Mgr.. Because, I felt, since it was marked with 'Fire Lane' it would seem important to keep it clear. But the Mgr. never took it seriously . I even went to the Dist. Mgr. . He reacted the same way.. Then I went to the owners' of the building, and told them my concerns. I just got the same treatment, and they reported my speaking to them. To my Mgr.. The overall consensus from local management. Was that I was 'just full of hot air'.

If Sprouts was less than say, ten locations. You might be listened to, by the company. But, Since they have 360 locations. They are not going to raise an eyebrow, about one location.

Chistophe516

Another thing to take into account, is. That it is an affluent community. The $ that is spent at that location. Is bound to be high. So, They can afford to have a parking attendant. Whereas, A location like Tampa, Florida would not have as great a money stream.

cb400bill

Stop posting the store's address.

ylbaborp

That's unfortunate to hear. I figured I'd get more traction on this forum from people who might have experienced similar discrimination against cyclists.

By the way, someone in this thread sent me a PM but I can't check it because this is a new account. So just a heads up to whoever it was, I can't read it!

Chistophe516

Where you are, the ignorance towards' cyclists' is almost stratospheric. Do you have a camera on your bike? So, You could potentially catch the parking attendant in the act.

blue192

Judging by the above picture showing the bike racks, then I would also think there is a greater possibility of a customer being too lazy to bring their cart back to the corral and instead leave it in the no parking area next to the rack. Either the terrain or wind would in turn move the cart against bikes.

Chistophe516

That is a stretch. When I worked at Safeway in the 1980's. I was a 'Courtesy Clerk'. My job responsibilities were:

1. Rounding up the carts from the parking lot

2. Bagging groceries at checkstand

3. Loading groceries' into customers' vehicles'

4. Putting groceries back on shelves', that had been left by customers'

5. Putting damaged food in the back of the store


All those were my list of responsibilities. There were no 'parking attendants', even in the affluent neighborhoods' in the county.

FelixScout

Yeah but that was about 35 years ago and things have very much changed since then.

Chistophe516

Locale, Also makes a difference. In 1985, I was living in the MD suburbs of the MD-DC-VA region. They still don't have a 'parking attendant' at the stores. Because, 'Parking Attendant' is not usually in the job description of a grocery store employee.

homeless in ca.

That's the shopping cart attendant's job innit?

Chistophe516

Yes. That was part of my job. But not being a parking attendant

blue192

The guy or gal is not just collecting carts. The person is also emptying the garbage bins, picking up loose trash, etc. A cart left near the bike racks are not going to be picked up right away. Also do not forget because of the beer virus the carts are also being disinfected between uses now as well.

homeless in ca.

I was a shopping cart valet. I also had to empty the trash cans and help old ladies with their giant bags of dog food.

dedhed

Is it bolted down? No, then move it where you need it to be.

FelixScout

I don't disagree but one should always try to avoid using examples from decades in the past because they may not be relevant in the present.

I may have worked in a coffee shop in the mid 1990's but I do not comment on the state of an industry I have not participated in since then due to the sheer amount of change since that time.

jack pot 

chain your bike to a place at the edge of the parking lot ... some place where the "cart valet" doesn't patrol ... the extra walking will do you good

Chistophe516

#6 n' #7 I did by mopping the floor.
#8 n' #9 I never did.

alo

If it was me, I would ask?

Is there an alternate shop you can go to? I don't know your location.

Is there an alternate place where you can leave your bike at that shop?

There are some people who will try to make it even more difficult if you complain. These people get pleasure out of making your life difficult.

It is sad the management wont do anything.

Moles

This isn't very helpful in the Advocacy sense, but I'd just take a deep breath and shop somewhere else.

For anyone who's unfamiliar with the parking attendant idea - we've had them up here periodically, and it's got nothing to do with the income bracket of the clientele. Head office gets a bug up their butt about the few non-customers using their parking, and over-compensates with a security guard who bullies everyone with the threat of a tow. It's a big corporate temper tantrum, the street level employees have no say anyway, and until they figure out that they're negatively affecting customers you're better off staying out of it.

If I did want to make a complaint in this situation, I'd speak to the store manager, get their name, and then follow up with the corporate head office and let them know what unhelpful response you got from their store.

Daniel4

Suddenly I recall on two occasions where after a long ride and my legs were about to cramp, I rode through a Tim Horton's drive through and bought a coffee.

The first occasion, there was nowhere to lock my bike. The drive through was empty. So I went to the drive through and bought a coffee.

The second occasion, at a different location, I would normally lock my bike on the iron fence at the neighbouring apartment building and walk into the Tim Horton's. But I had decided to line up at the drive through. However, when it came to my turn at the microphone, I was ignored. Then I looked behind me at the line of cars and the staff running in and out taking orders. When I went to the wibdow and asked what that was all about, I was told I shouldn't be there with my bike. Well, I should have been told instead of being ignored. That was bad management and bad customer relations. (Yeah, I learned later about insurance and liability - but that doesn't excuse bad management and customer relationship.)

I'm not sure if I ever did write to Tim Horton's about installing bike racks at all their locations.

I sort of don't like locking my bike on fences and railings of their neighbour's property.

genec

Here is the bottom line folks... cyclists represent a small single digit percentage of customers to these corporations... heck, you cannot even fill a grocery cart and haul it out to your awaiting SUV-truck. Cyclists might buy a bag or two of groceries... So here we are, single digit voice (what, 2-8% of all their customers), that don't provide a lot of revenue... so bottom line... we don't matter. Whine all you want... if a bike rack costs more than a bag of groceries, you are likely to be ignored. There is no law that I am aware of that says we have to be served. There is no "ADA equivalent" that requires bike parking.

So, if YOU do not like the treatment you are getting... go ahead and make your voice heard, but honestly, don't expect action... DO shop elsewhere... where perhaps a store is more "cyclist aware." Good luck folks... that's just the way it is. For all you know, the manager is someone who hates bike lanes and cyclists on "their roads."

StarBiker

Northern Virginia might as well be a different planet compared to many places........

The OP's situation is strange.

I get SOME groceries with my bike, and have to admit bikes racks can be nonexistent. (Everybody just drives their Audi, or Kia around here)

Funny, I worked for the now defunct Mars Supermarkets and they let me bring my bike though the store. Sometimes I would ride it through the store after my shift if the store was dead........