redeyedtreefr0g

Is it wrong to be annoyed? Here is the situation:

My husband and I use our bicycles right now for our sole transportation. I sent an email to the office asking for permission to use the space in our breezeway to park our bikes. This way come wintertime they would be protected from the elements and not covered in snow or frozen to the other bikes locked up out there. There are plenty of bicycle racks provided, however. The two racks outside our building see very little use- only 3 bikes divided between them at a given time while some others in the complex have bikes literally piled on top of each other.

There is a small boy with a cute Jeep bicycle with training wheels who locked the small bike up to the railing one day about a month after our bikes had their new home. My husband happened to be out to work and the small bike was in the way. I was annoyed. It didn't take long for me to find out that it belongs to the family right above us. I asked nicely one day and they agreed to lock it up to the top rail rather than the corner where it was blocking my husband's bike. On the top rail, the bike can be slid out of the way. I suppose I was happy with that.

The bike very rarely moves at all- the boy almost never rides it. I had my trailer folded up and under the first few steps where is the least vertical room. Today I got it out, dusted it off and added a floor to it. I found out the flaw in my design because it no longer folds flat. So, I slid the boy's bike close under the stairs and took the wheels off the trailer to scoot it under the railing, replaced the wheels and the trailer was now parked closest within the railing space to our bicycles, with the boy's bike still easily accessible.

Well, I came back from walking the dogs and my trailer had been shoved closer to the stairs with the top of it nearly rubbing the concrete, and the boy's bike was back closest to our bicycles. There is plenty of room, so this really annoys me. Not only did they move my stuff (which I had done, I understand) but they could have damaged the trailer. That fabric is very easily ripped and the thing is practically new. I was very careful moving the little boys bike even though he obviously bangs it around plenty. I don't want to have to move his bike every time I need the trailer.


Should I be annoyed that the kid is locking his bike up to a place I specifically requested for our use? In our previous apartments the office did not allow bikes parked there and claimed it a fire hazard, but we are extremely careful not to have anything sticking out in a walkway to trip anyone. Being that there are plenty of other places to park, I feel the boy's bike shouldn't be locked up there, or the thing is light enough to carry it upstairs. He barely uses it at all, and my bike is used every single weekday. I feel that I am entitled to the space because I asked very nicely for it. I'm worried that if I say anything to the office, they might say that no one can park there anymore, though. I'm also nearly certain that if I say anything to the boy's dad, that he will get antagonistic about it.

What should I do? Move the trailer back and use the corner to lock it, so that it cannot be slid back under those lowest steps? Speak nicely to the office and explain exactly what I've written here?


The blue and green bikes represent my husband's and mine. The light green is obviously my trailer, and the red bike is the little boy's. That's how I had it arranged this morning since I could no longer fold the trailer down flat. I hope to fix that eventually, but at the same time, I'll be trying to use it more to take my dogs to the park, so I don't want it hard to get to. As it was, I had to move the boy's bike just to have space to maneuver the trailer out this morning without running it over. The black section is representative of the space under the stair which has a railing around it, while the gray shows how the tallest steps are above us.

CB HI

I do not see any reason for you to be annoyed. Seems the area should be first come.

Since you do not use the cars much, I would park the trailer and and maybe even a bicycle in them. I would go so far as trading one car in for a cargo van that could hold both bicycles and the trailer.

rogerstg

Even though you are hogging so much space compared with one little kid's bike? That's how the neighbors probably see it.

You might get more cooperation from the neighbors if you take the attitude that they are entitled to the space. My strategy would be to open a discussion by apologizing to them for having to move the kid's bike, and wanting to know what they think might be the best set up for parking and storing the bikes and trailers.

This should lead to a dialog of each others needs and possibly lead to a better accommodation.

People are usually more cooperative when they are told they are right than when told they are wrong (even though they may have been wrong all along).

Good luck.

clarkbre

The boy (and his parents) have just as equal rights as you and your husband to freely park his bike wherever they want on an unassigned bike parking rack.


You feel you are "entitled" to the spots? What made you and your husband such high and mighty renters to be above a 5 year old with training wheels? My guess is that they have the same lease and rent that you have with access to whatever bike parking is available. If I were them, I would be questioning why a couple is harassing my 5 year old about his small bike when the couple is parking 3 times as much on the same rack. Why not take your own suggestion and you guys haul your bikes into your apartment so you're not hogging the bike rack for the other renters to use?

Realistically, you need to get over it and learn to share (sounds like something I'd say to a 5 year old...). What is sounds like is that you are parking 3 of the 4 items locked to the bike rack and you're still *****ing about a small bike with training wheels.

No offense, but I would re-evaluate the situation long and hard. You're starting a battle and losing a war. When all this pans out, you and your husband will look like A$$HOLES (actually kind of already do)!. Why...because you are preparing to hassle a 5 year old about a bike that is legally parked and that you have moved for your convenience. However, you and your husband are taking up 2 spots in the parking lot cars that don't operate.

Machka 

Sounds to me that it is a public area. Other people saw your bicycles etc. there, and figured that everyone was allowed to park their bicycles etc. there. If you make a fuss about it, the building manager will very likely tell you that no one will be allowed to park bicycles there.

CBHI has a good idea ... park your stuff in your cars (or in front of your cars along the parking lot fence, under a tarp). Or take the bicycles up to your apartment.

Retro Grouch 

I drive a school bus. This sounds like the kind of thing I deal with every day.

My elementary kids are constantly jockeying over the seating arrangements. I tell them to find a way to work it out for themselves because, if I have to work it out, they're all going to hate it. They believe me and they make it work. Nobody gets their own way all of the time but that's part of growing up.

If he parks his bike the way that you'd like, what's in it for the boy? Find something to make it worth his while. One thing I'd definitely avoid would be getting the apartment management involved because you're almost surely going to hate their solution.

Jaye

If you presented this to me and I was a) The apartment manager or B) the boys parent I would tell you to get on your high horse and ride off a cliff. The boys bike is not blocking your access to anything, and as was already said if you don't like sharing the space then take your stuff inside. I garuntee the boy won't park his bike in your apartment.

Stomper

If you don't want to damage the trailer and you don't have sufficient room in your apartment for it or the bikes, why not rent a small storage unit? This would alleviate the problem and would reduce the likelihood of weather damage or vandalism of your trailer. You're lucky that nobody else has decided to use your bike parking spot, especially since other bike racks "in the complex have bikes literally piled on top of each other."

redeyedtreefr0g

Wow.

I honestly did not expect such hostility here, of all places. Is it because I said the other bike belonged to a small boy? Would I be getting this reaction if the other bike belonged to some delinquent gangster?

You have enough space in your car that you'd willingly lug two bikes in and out of those confines 4 times daily?? No, I do not have a van and never plan to get one, frankly I'd like one less car than we have now.

There is no fence, and my cars are not fit to store bikes in when I need to access them so often. Also, there ARE bike racks. The reason I requested the space under the stairs is to protect the object of my daily transportation from rain and snow.

Yes, if this was one of the two bike racks outside our building, I would agree wholeheartedly.

The bike is NOT legally parked as that is not a space designed for bicycles. The cars have nothing to do with the discussion, I’m sorry I’ll remove the irrelevant background information. I am not hassling anyone at all, in fact I believe I am the one being hassled at the moment by you.

I understand that this may be true, this is why I have no problem sharing the space with that one small bike. He didn’t know that I got permission to use that space, rather than it being a designated area to park a bike. My issue is that I don’t want to continuously have to move the small bike when it is perfectly fine and easy to reach where I had it. I’m annoyed at the lack of care shown to my own belongings which were moved for no reason.

I also drive a school bus (ok currently I’m still only an assistant in my new district waiting for a route opening) and I understand about petty squabbling. That’s not what I’m doing at the moment. I honestly feel that what I did is fair to everyone. My stuff is all together and accessible, and his bike still has plenty of room and is accessible quite easily, even for a shorter weaker child. I made sure of this.
Also, you shouldn’t need an incentive to be polite to people.

I stated that it is.

Why would I want his bike in MY apartment? This was never suggested by me, I said that the thing was light enough to carry it upstairs.

Velo Dog

You've already spent more time thinking about this than it's worth, reduced yourself to bickering with a 5-year-old and irritated everybody on the forum. You live in an apartment. Part of that deal is sharing the public spaces.

rebel1916

The joys of communal living. If you can't take it, you're gonna have to buy a house.

Machka 

We're not the hostile ones here. Reread your first post.


It's a public area. If you don't want your things touched or moved, put them in a private area (your car, your apartment). It's quite simple.



I'll bet that within another month's time, you and your husband will come home from a ride only to discover that someone else has parked his/her bicycle there ... that person will have seen your bicycles there, will figure that's a legit bicycle parking place, and will park there too. What are you going to do then?

tergal

Most of the hostility would have been avoided if you had named your thread "i am unsure what to do "

As it stands it reads more like " should i declare war on this family because their 5 year old son does not want his Birthday present covered in snow"

anyway , back to being constructive. If you want to get this resolve with out starting WWIII you are going to have to comprise on something, can you just leave your trailer and carry your bike to you apartment ?

no1mad 

Quick question- Has the notion of parking your bikes in your apartment ever occur to you?

I had some friends who used to share a 2 bedroom apartment that's not too far from where I currently live. One of them rode a motorcycle and he parked it outside with all the other cars. He woke up one morning to find someone had messed with it. He couldn't park it in the breezeway, but he wasn't going to leave on the lot anymore, either. He started parking it in the dining room of the apartment. Ground level, vinyl flooring, and he pushed it into and out of the apartment- he always started or killed the engine in the parking lot. Not one of his neighbors had an issue with that.

CB HI

You could just put the trailer in the car. Well, I tried to be nice at least. With some, I guess such effort is pointless. Have a great day *****ing about the kids bicycle.

GettinMyLanceOn

Maybe bring your trailer in. Looks like you are taking up half the rack from that image.

frantik

that's what i would do

I keep all of my bikes and my trailer inside of my apartment because i don't want my neighbors messing with them.

you could try to explain that but honestly I don't feel like any one person should be entitled to a space just because they asked. you want to claim a certain part of the common area as "your space". you could contact the manager but the potential to lose any special bike parking privilege exists.

i wasn't totally clear on if these people have already compromised and moved the bike once.. just work around it if so. or keep your bikes in your apt.. there are many storage devices you can use to get them out of the way

myrridin

As others have mentioned you are not ENTITLED to any of the common areas for your own personal dedicated use... That should be obvious, but clearly isn't. I suggest that you purchase a small home and then you will be entitled to store your bikes in whatever manner you choose...

Retro Grouch 

That's probably what the boy's parents are thinking too.

I don't see it as being polite so much as negotiating. You're asking for something from him (parking his bike in a certain way because it's more convenient for you) but are willing to offer absolutely nothing in return.

Uh - would you behave the same way, moving a "delinquent gangster's" bike without his permission? Picking on somebody smaller because you think he can't or won't retialiate is bullying.

cehowardGS

I guess I am odd man out here!!

Shame on ya for leaving a bike outside.. Shame..

RaleighSport

Hey now.. my aluminum bikes like the outdoors.

BlazingPedals

I'm thinking that you would have gotten the same reaction if, instead of a kid's bike with training wheels,the other bike had been a Trek Madone owned by another adult who thought they were entitled to use the spot. It's a common area; be glad the manager lets you park there at all. I agree you should talk it over with the kid's parents to find a solution that works for everyone. So far they seem willing to accommodate you, and that will probably continue as long as they don't think you're becoming unreasonable (from their point of view.)

wphamilton

I don't know about your local area, but here it would be a violation of fire code to store the bike under the common area stairs. You could research it here https://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/ic...2009/index.htm since apparently your community adopts these international fire codes. It may be a violation, and your management isn't aware of it or made a judgment call for your convenience.

It's something to think about, before getting into push comes to shove with the neighbors or management. Any one person complaining and you may lose your parking special privilege.

Rowan

We're talking about a five-year-old child who has a new bike and wants to be like a grown up. Just as well he's not behaving like a grown-up on a bike forum...

OP, either park your bikes in the properly designated area, put them in a vehicle, get rid of one of the cars and put a shed on your designated parking space to lock the bikes in, or take the bikes and your other crap up to your apartment.

Stop carrying on about what a little kid does. And do us all a favour and stop using that rubbishy green type.

clarkbre

Your cars have something to do with it (and actually relevant). In part of your original post (conveniently deleted) you said that your bikes were your sole transportation because your cars are both not operational. So, your bikes are a little more "entitled" now because they aren't just recreational anymore?

Flip this one step up the food chain...

If there are limited parking spots in the parking lot (very common with communal living), why should an operational vehicle have to potentially park on the road or off the premises while your 2 heeps take up valued parking spots? You are lucky the other tenants aren't requesting your vehicles be towed.!

In reality, you're bikes are under violation of the fire code. And, your cars are most likely in violation of your lease (stating your cars must be operational or move within a certain time frame...very common).

Judge yourself before you start judging others.

I disagree.

Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you!