Do you drive/park on sidewalks?

[600ccdevil]

To set up the scene let me tell you what I do. I work as a facility admin for a HOA. My company manages the HOA as well as the club house and outdoor recreation. My office is on the first floor. The pool is behind the building.

So today at work I walked out of my office and looked out the backdoor towards the pool. To my suprise I see a brand spanking new BMW K1200S parked on the sidewalk between the building and the pool. Keep in mind that in order to get where he was he would have had to drive several hundred feet down the sidewalk to get to the pool area. I promptly went and informed the homeowner that he cannot drive nor can he park a motorcycle anywhere but on the road. He then got on his bike, about dropped it from to much throttle while turning it around, and sped off down the sidewalk and onto the road. Oh, and his 10yo boy was on the bike with him :Flip: Keep in mind that its hot here in SoCal so the pool and surrounding grounds are packed with kids and their parents.

My question is do you ride and/or park on sidewalks? I personally don't as I see it as rude, dangerous, and just overall leading to contempt towards bikes. Here in Cali I see allot of people park their bikes infront of stores on the sidewalk. I don't agree with that but atleast it's just a few feet of sidewalk. What are your feelings on the subject?

 

[xj750_Pete]

Sometimes when its really congested or if I just don't want to get into traffic to get into the neighboring plaza, I just ride down the sidewalk. Now when i say ride, I mean I'm barely moving at 3-5 mph. I don't see any harm in that whatsoever. About parking on sidewalks, well, I think thats taking it a lil bit too far. If the rider is leaving it there temporarily like say maybe a minute or so, OK. But to use the sidewalk as a parking spot might be a bit obtrusive to foot traffic and rude. For example, on my sidewalk next to our complex, sometimes people dump their old couches and junk on the sidewalk. I don't think that's cool at all.

 

[The Toecutter]

LOOSEN UP DUDE!!!:spank: You do you......... and let them do them........

 

[Red Wazp]

I do when there is room and not in the way of others.

Allows one more parking spot for a cage.

Agree with shreveport1, man it was a brand new bike.

 

[mpa4712]

Depends. Here in Florida where a lot of areas are park then walk around, it just makes more sense to park the bike on a sidewalk or even off into the grass near a sidewalk. It beats driving around for 20 minutes for a spot, then paying 5$ an hour for it. Most places here are biker friendly (I live about an hour and a half from Daytona, mind you) so there are often many bikers and riders that need to park. I like to slide the fz right in there with the hogs and choppers. The large brolly men that ride those around offer a sense of security for my bike that a chain just doesn't

 

[sfcali86]

i have parked on the sidewalks where the bicycle racks are but i never have pulled into one. i think it would be safe but i dont know if ill get a ticket

 

[Andz]

I will park on the pavement (that's where pedestrians walk in this country) if it is not in anyone's way and there are no signs prohibiting it. Parking in a car spot just pisses the cagers off more than parking on the pavement does, and the way people drive in this country I wouldn't be surprised if a car swooped into a parking space too fast and realised too late that there was a bike in it.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

My question is do you ride and/or park on sidewalks? I personally don't as I see it as rude, dangerous, and just overall leading to contempt towards bikes. Here in Cali I see allot of people park their bikes infront of stores on the sidewalk. I don't agree with that but atleast it's just a few feet of sidewalk. What are your feelings on the subject?

Obviously, you've never had your bike knocked down/hit by a car in the parking lot. Even worse, find it knocked down as a hit n run.

I will park in a regular parking space as a last resort. I will not park if my bike will be obstructing anything, path, etc. You always hear people say it's very difficult to see motorcyclist out on the road, well the parking lot is no different. In fact, it's probably even worse, as most people's parking skills and ability to back up properly are pitiful. In addition, with more people driving SUV's and pickups, it just adds more difficulty to see out the rear window because it has a much higer profile than a car. When backing up, it may appear that the space is open so they will take the extra space to back up, but in reality, it's not and boom, there goes your bike, and there goes the car driving away.

Best solution for everyone, provide a designated parking area for motorcycles.

 

[chunkygoat]

I work at a Fedex Ground warehouse, and I'd like to say first that my bike was nearly hit by employees flying into parking spaces - on multiple occasions now. "oh i didn't see your bike til i was half way in the parking space."

To top that, i get flamed for taking a full space with my bike. That, and nobody uses the sidewalks as they lead nowhere. So yes I will ride my bike on the sidewalk, to park on the sidewalk - at work. Not in public places or out front my house, but in special circumstances i will. The sidewalk is my unofficially assigned parking space at work.

I have my reasons, and they aren't to be an *******. They are to give an extra parking space for other employees, prevent my bike from being hit by somebody flying up to a parking spot, it is closer to the entrance, and its clearly within sight of the cameras should something happen.

You got me sold - I do it every day at work.

 

[DefyInertia]

I've never parked on a sidwalk that I remember but it's pretty common in SF. I see bikes parked out of the way on the sidewalkk all the time....cops don't seem to mind.

 

[Aleziel]

always parking on sidewalks if i can,

theres a war outthere between cars and bikes... ive got my bike dropped twice by moronic car drivers, and ive seen countless others being pushed and dropped

 

[westgoingzax]

I do when there is room and not in the way of others.

Allows one more parking spot for a cage.

I agree. I do it when there's a large sidewalk. It's convenient for me and leaves parking spots for others. Plus less risk for the bike, as others have pointed out. However, I don't know how legal it is... hopefully I won't find out the hard way.

 

[Fz6Sa]

Here in Denmark is the local councils that decide whether or not it's legal to park on the side walks.
Parking laws here are in general NOT in favour of motorcycles, - e.g.. it's illegal to park on a marked "car" parking space with a motorcycle ....

So in the areas where it's legal to use the sidewalk for parking, - I use em.

 

[manas12]

Best solution for everyone, provide a designated parking area for motorcycles.

+1 to that. Especially malls and big stores with huge parking lots. I usually park farthest from the store away from all the cars and then walk.

 

[flhtifz]

If I pee in your swimming pool, it's because I don't want to get out and WALK to the bathroom because I once saw someone slip and fall on the sidewalk, so I don't want to take a chance of that happening, therefor I will pee in your pool. Not to mention all the bikes parked on the sideWALK leading to the bathroom in the house.
Sidewalk, root word,,,,walk.
Guys, to each his own, I choose to park in a parking space. If I could park on a sidewalk OUT OF EVERYONES way, legally, I would do that. I'd be more worried of someone messing with my bike on a sidewalk than in a parking spot. Not everyone thinks like a biker and knows you are freeing up a parking space for a cage. If they hit my bike while it's parked, I have insurance. Then again, if they hit it or scratch it while it's on the sidewalk I have insurance for that too. HHHhhhmmmmmm, maybe this sidewalk thing isn't such a bad idea???????

 

[Blackblood]

Can't say I've ever really thought about it.Most of my bike trips are to work where there is a proper shelter for bikes or to club meetings where there is sneaky parking behind a gate which no cars can really get to.Although if I do head out for a sunday run then I always park basically where other bikes are for "visability in numbers"and that mostly means sidewalks or coach spaces:thumbup:

 

[FZyLarry]

When I first read the poll I was going to check no NEVER. Then I started thinking about it after reading a few posts and realized I do park on sidewalks occasionally. When I go to Home Depot I stay away from the land yacht parking spaces because these people can't seem to get their vehicle into a single space to save their life. There are no moto spots so I pull up on the sidewalk in front of the store (next to the Barbecue display) and park there. I see quite a few folks doing this and I understand why.

As far as driving on a sidewalk, well I can't think of any time when I am doing that but who knows... Never sa never.

 

[600ccdevil]

What they really need is designated parking for motorcycles. It seems that most of the reasons people park on sidewalks are for saftey.

 

[Luiz]

+1 to that. Especially malls and big stores with huge parking lots. I usually park farthest from the store away from all the cars and then walk.

My school provides spaces but sometimes there is a car in it.

I always ride and park on sidewalks when I can. I feel it keeps my bike safer and less likely someone will attempt to steal it.

 

[wrightme43]

My bike was ran over in a marked parking spot.

Just wanna go out on a limb and say (and now this is not the opinion of the site only my personal opinon)

HOA are horrible. Here is a article, Condo associations dying as fees dry up - St. Petersburg Times

Basicly some wonderful advice that can serve you well in life. Mind your own business.

Yes I know I am a jerk.