Do you drive/park on sidewalks?

[rider1a]

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

Here in Austin city council passed an ordinance allowing scooters to park on the side walk. The FZ6 is pretty small and light so it can be parked on the side walk pending no major obstruction of building walkways etc. even though it is not a scooter with minimal hassle. If the bike was a Honda Goldwing, that might be tougher to do!

I always scope out the parking situation before picking a final spot. I will take a plastic disc to use in case I park in the grass so the side-stand won't sink in the dirt. If the parking lot is full, I will use low-traffic spot like next to a garbage dumpster etc. or a van whose doors open sideways or a small sports car since they take up little space next to my bike.

In the end, sometimes you just have to park in a car spot as far in as possible with the front pointing fore ward for an easy pull-out. But of course, some business and recreational establishment are starting to have motorcycle specific parking spots and that is just groovy with me.

 

[Wiseric]

So long as a bit of common sense in used. ie make sure there is plenty of space and not creating an obstruction there should not be a problem parking on the sidewalk.

I can remember many years back having my lovley cromed side stand bent thanks to a car reversing without looking/or not as the case may be. So I can appreciate why people prefer to park on the sidewalk.

 

[Got-boost?]

I do it all the time and everywhere I go. Stores and outside my house.

 

[buccs40oz]

i voted that i drive and park on sidewalks. but i only drive on the sidewalk in front of my house and my neighbors so i can park on my sidewalk in front of my house. other then that i don't

 

[chunkygoat]

There's a few bicycle paths near my house, one of them winds through the woods and right to my garage - so I've used this bike path numerous times. Other than that, I don't drive on sidewalks - I do however park on them in appropriate situations.

 

[cbzdel]

I park on the sidewalk because most of the because there is no street parking, it hapens alot in the area so why not, no one seems to care either, if someone pointed out that I shouldnt do it or they didnt apperciate me doing it I would change my ways..

 

[bigdog9191999]

me an the wife do it at her moms house in town, as her drive is gravel, dont usually drive on them much (to and from parking sometimes) so only sometimes in the right situation

 

[Tailgate]

I often will park on a sidewalk if it's not impeding anyone's path (kinda like a bicycle). Once, some lot security guy told me he was just about to call towing on me for having parked on sidewalk. He argued that a little kid might walk up and touch the pipes. I didn't argue with im but a little kid could just have easily walked up to the bike in the parking space adjacent to the ped zone beside and done the same. Sometimes, people just don't know---or think about---what they're saying. One of the benefits of owning a bike is splitting lanes and parking. Man, for all the plusses of owing a car (AC, radio, luggage space, extra seats, protection, etc., and more etc.) there are some nice advantages for a bike owner. Of course, there seem to always be some who twist off at anybody who parks on a sidewalk. I can understand if the bike is parked in the way of peds or something. Of course, there always seem to be some who criticize about things that seem petty. Geesh, travel to other countries and you'll see REALLY different attitudes about bikes and how one manuevers/parks in whatever way possible. But, that'sEurope, etc., where there's nudity on prime time public airwaves, public beachers, etc. People are more civilized abroad in many respects.

 

[blitzcraig]

i'll take a ticket for parking on the sidewalk over a dropped bike in a parking spot any day. i don't think i'd make a habit out of it, but those who have had their bikes bumped or whatever know what i'm talking about. it really sucks, a) because obviously your ride is damaged, and b) you will probably never know who did it. so they force our hand to a degree. i live in downtown annapolis and there are a LOT of bikes around. i got freaked out when they re-paved the parking lot in the harbor here and got rid of the motorcycle spots... until i came down and saw they put bags over about 3 meters (weekends only) that cover two spots each that reserve the spots for bikes, so bikes get to share 6 full parking spots which is awesome. otherwise, you would probably have a lot of people parking in areas not meant for things to be parked. if there isn't a safe, legal spot to park, you gotta do what you gotta do. i park in the corner of my parking area at work that is meant for bicycles. makes the cagers and the guy who owns the parking lot (it's a pay to park lot) happy because it frees up a spot. i park in a motorcycle spot in my condo community, which is basically one parking spot that they put a line in the middle of therefore creating two spots for bikes. however, many many times people would not care and park their car over the two spots when they were empty, forcing me to resort to buying a bike barn and screwing that sucker into the asphalt. :thumbup: i try to play by the rules as often as possible but unfortunately that is not always possible.

 

[TRAILERTRASH]

I drive on the sidewalk only if i am parking somewhere and i get caught in the rain and there is shelter on the sidewalk. I am a pretty laid back individual and i dont much care what other people do as long as they dont involve themselves in my business.

 

[sjryser]

So my wife and I went to see Management last night at the theater.(great movie btw) and low and bejhold there is a motorcycle parked next to the bicycle racks on the sidewalk(completely out of the way) and walking up is this cop. So I couldn't resist. I asked if the motorcycle was getting a ticket for being on the sidewalk and he said and i quote. "About seventy five dollars worth." i said good to know and went on to enjoy our movie. Just thought I'd share.

 

[600ccdevil]

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.

Hahaha trust me I know, I work for one. Don't get me wrong I love my job. It's an amazing experience and I see it as a chance to bring some sort of humanity to HOA's.

 

[Tailgate]

So my wife and I went to see Management last night at the theater.(great movie btw) and low and bejhold there is a motorcycle parked next to the bicycle racks on the sidewalk(completely out of the way) and walking up is this cop. So I couldn't resist. I asked if the motorcycle was getting a ticket for being on the sidewalk and he said and i quote. "About seventy five dollars worth." i said good to know and went on to enjoy our movie. Just thought I'd share.

What was the cop's name: Barney Fife?

 

[VEGASRIDER]

One more thing to think about. Here in Vegas, most of the vehicles around here have very dark tinted rear windows to block out the sunlight during the day. It makes it very difficult for a driver to see out the back window at night without additional lighting, making our bikes pretty much nonexhistent if they ever decide to back up into the space they think is empty, when in fact it's occupied by a bike.

 

[Nefilim]

I wish more people would understand the distinction between "kind gesture" and "total rudeness."

I often take my bike to the supermarket to pick up a few goods from the store that'll fit into my pack and there's a maaaassive sidewalk in front of it and a tiny little FZ6 wouldn't make all that much of a difference. I used to park there out of the way so that I'd save a spot for other people and one day I came out and this lady was trying to lecture me for "rudeness" because, obviously, I was thinking only of myself for parking so close to the store.

I get the feeling she was just envious that I could help people while parking 10 feet from the store. So now I take up an entire space near the store to respect her very valuable opinion on common courtesy.

I think these courtesy police need to stop by the motorcycle parking lanes on my campus where people park their enormous Escalades and take up about 8 bike spots, which leads to 8 car spaces being taken because Mr. SUV didn't feel like parking in the back.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I wish more people would understand the distinction between "kind gesture" and "total rudeness."

I often take my bike to the supermarket to pick up a few goods from the store that'll fit into my pack and there's a maaaassive sidewalk in front of it and a tiny little FZ6 wouldn't make all that much of a difference.

Massive or not massive, that where I park. Right in front. I just make sure it's not blocking the path of travel for anyone, especially if someone is in a wheelchair.

Today, I endied up parking up onto the sidewalk in front of a Chiptole (mexican fast food) rather than parking in the hash mark next to a handicap spot because I felt that there wouldn't be enough room in case a vehicle pulled up that had one of those hydraulic ramps. While I was eating, I saw a vehicle pull up into that empty spot and out comes one of those ramps.

 

[kananaskis]

I admit I park on side walks at malls and the like. I have been told to by several Paul Blart Mall cops as otherwise I took up a valuable space and he would have to fill out a damage report if some assclown pulled into the spot quickly or backed in without seeing the bike. If there is an area that is cement as opposed to asphalt I will set the bike there too to avoid having the soft asphalt let the bike go down when it gets hot...
If a cop tags me for it so be it but it would have to be a SLOW day with the officers I know.

 

[LittleRed]

In Seattle it's illegal for motorcycles to park on the sidewalks- a law which is a bit counter-productive considering how sparse decent parking is in that city. A bit further south in Tacoma, however, bikes are parked on sidewalks all the time. I've seen them parked right next to cop cars that are there acting as security details and I've yet to see any get ticketed. I just follow suit. I get nervous parking in a car spot around here- on average, drivers in this town are dreadful...

 

[Caz]

Here in Melbourne where I live it is actually legal for bikes to park on the sidewalk, as long as they are not up against a building (blind people use buildings to guide them) or blocking pedestrian flow.

A few years back the local government tried to change the law and stop us from parking on the footpath. The MRA ( motorcycle riders association) organised a protest park in, and 100's of us got up early in the morning and rode into the city and took up all the metered parking bays. Shifts were organised and more bikes came in later in the morning and took over the spaces. This went on all day. The local government/council soon realised it was better to let us park on the footpath than have to find another 1000 parking spaces for cars to use. :Flip:

 

[dean2287]

I occasionally park on the sidewalk or area in front of a building. It's acceptable here, usually beside a bike rack or somewhere that's not in the way of pedestrians.