CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Bikes look unprofessional

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  1. Lezzles
    Member

    We've recently had new tenants move into our building in a Science Park out of town. They recently complained to our company about my bike and where I store it.

    Currently our science park has a bike shed but it is miles away and can only store about 6 bikes. Therefore I wheel my bike into our offices and store it under the stairs where it is out of the way and stays dry.

    Apparently our new tenants have objected to my bike being stored inside because it looks messy and unprofessional.

    Now this is the reason I love my company - in essence our Office Manager told them, in the nicest possible terms, to get lost and that his diesel guzzling car parked outside makes the place look messy and unprofessional. What makes this even better is our Office Manager is c.25 stone and drives everywhere!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. kaputnik
    Moderator

    They are just jealous because they would like to drive their Range Rover in and park it under the stairs if they could.

    I like the cut of your office manager's jib!

    There is a huge problem in attitudes that "professional" = suit and a junior executive saloon car (or upwards) parked outside. The people that subscribe to this school of thought are not prepared to allow those that don't to reap the advantages of choosing to cycle - such as being able to filter through traffic (WRONG! Get off the road!) filter in a cycle lane (WRONG!) cycle on a shared use path (WRONG! Get on the road!) or park right outside their destination (or inside) as it would inevitably mean that they are quite probably WRONG themselves about everything.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. Baldcyclist
    Member

    As part of the missives of a flat I own in Livingston, you are not allowed to store bikes on landings or communal areas, and this used to be 'policed' by the factor.

    When I visited my tenants recently there were 3 bikes attached to the railings at the window on the landing. Must admit, I did think that they looked unsightly (I always kept my bike IN the flat when I lived there), although not enough to report it. I would have if they were causing an obstruction, or were a possible hazard in the event of a fire.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Lezzles
    Member

    Yes if people had to push past I could see their point. My bike is stored under some stairs which is not a thorough-fair. The space isn't used at all for any other purpose and hasn't been for the last 5 years I've worked here.

    There is a car park with c. 100 cars right outside - why isn't that deemed unprofessional and messy?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. crowriver
    Member

    I think in many people's eyes (ie. non-cycling car drivers) bikes under the stairs just reminds them of the kids' bikes in their garage at home, or a tenement stair they lived in when they were a student/young professional.

    I mean, come on, serious fully grown up adults drive a massive fock off car! Preferably 4x4, climate control, fog lights and in-car entertainment with TV, DVD and iPod housing. They have arrived, baby! They don't mess around on stupid bikes like some big kid!!! How unprofessional is that? You loser!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "c. 100 cars right outside - why isn't that deemed unprofessional and messy?"

    Bit like those Edinburgh New Town residents who don't mind streets full of parked cars but couldn't contemplate communal rubbish bins - and were/are apparently happy with black binbags on the pavements...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. crowriver
    Member

    couldn't contemplate communal rubbish bins

    They might be alright for the denizens of Leith, but far too declassé for the New Town, I shouldn't wonder.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "They might be alright for the denizens of Leith, but far too declassé for the New Town"

    Fine for most tenement areas. But I forgot - it's not about class or rubbish, (though seagulls and foxes are cute), it's about parking spaces.

    How about a parking permit price escalator?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. cb
    Member

    I remember reading about some new housing scheme where cars had to be parked out of site of the street (Poundbury, perhaps?).

    Some of the residents complained that the lack of any cars felt artificial and unfriendly*.

    So we have become so used to them that we need even just the sight of them!

    (*not sure what the exact words were but that was the basic sentiment, I think)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    When George Street got closed to cars a few years back there was a comment from a bar owner that the street "lacked atmosphere".

    So there you go, cars make somewhere a buzzin' place to be.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    "
    the street "lacked atmosphere".

    So there you go, cars make somewhere a buzzin' place to be.
    "

    It's 'true'.

    At least if there are not a lot of people - or perhaps bicycles.

    Humans clearly need some sort of constant visual stimulus.

    Banning cars - in places like Princes Street - is regarded (by some) as a bad idea because the 'eyes in the cars' discourage mugging. Or something.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Myself and another neighbour have spent a lot of time and effort (and a decent amoutn of money) tidying up, cleaning and improving the back green to make it a nice place to go and to look at out of the window. Now, 3 'orrible looking fully-flexible BSOs have been chained to the washing poles. Doesn't look unprofessional, just looks 'orrible out my window! The old steel frame I have put in the flower border as a garden ornament looks much nicer.

    Next time I see the bike's owners I'll point out the pointlessness of locking the bike around a pole that it can easily be lifted over.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. crowriver
    Member

    it's not about class or rubbish

    Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. cc
    Member

    Not that I ever wear a suit, but, you know, I reckon this is a reason for the infamous Cycle Chic thing - that folk can wear posh office clothes and still pootle along comfortably on a bike - given the right "take it easy" attitude and bike, anyway.
    It helps to open some peoples' eyes to wider horizons than the junior executive BMW.

    Cycle Chic: pour hommes
    :-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    "

    it's not about class or rubbish

    Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that...

    "

    OK, not just.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. Uberuce
    Member

    One of my favourite fellow cyclists in the NHS bike park is the chap who rides the rustiest old MTB I've ever seen move. I guess it was his from high school or student days, 20 years ago and looks like it hasn't had a scrap of maintenence since then.

    He, however, is always immaculate in suit and tie. Cruises in at a sedate pace, of course, but within ten seconds of trouser clip removal, you'd never know he'd even been on a bike.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. PS
    Member

    Being devil's advocate on this one - bikes are large objects and most people do not expect to see them indoors. Much though I like my bikes, if I had mine sitting in my living room at the moment they would make the place look untidy and I would feel obliged to shift them elsewhere if I was inviting "polite company" round.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. Dave
    Member

    Yes, we don't have our bikes in our living areas, so I wouldn't expect to be able to leave mine in the working area of an office either, far from it!

    To be fair though, in unused space such as below stairs, who on earth can complain (in fact, literally 'below stairs'!)...

    Mentioned elsewhere I'm doing a demo commute with a colleague tomorrow. In our office the boss cycles, the deputy boss cycles, I cycle, and now (finally!) someone in my team is going to cycle, if just for a day. So it's like the pyramid people would expect, only in reverse ;-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    4.5 bikes significantly improve the appearance of any otherwise dull magnolia living space. Well in my opinion at least.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. Uberuce
    Member

    You gotta build yourself the mancave rack. Not that I did, or could, but am glad Lawrence did.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. Dave
    Member

    Not sure - bar tape and tyre clash there somewhere, and does the bar tape match the walls, darling? :P

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. Dave
    Member

    Wait, just realised that's a track pump!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. kaputnik
    Moderator

    yeah, the 0.5 bike is the frame in bubblewrap against the wall. I don't own a red-tyred folding unicycle with a wooden saddle.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. Uberuce
    Member

    Have you ever tried walking past that? It's as close as I've been to being a plumply bottomed female in Italy. #grabbybars

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. Kirst
    Member

    I'd love to be able to say it's a bike in the middle of the room that makes the place look untidy.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. crowriver
    Member

    Kappers, that hallway has 'fire hazard' written all oer it. Hooks mon, hooks!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  27. Uberuce
    Member

    @Kirst, I'll pop a photo of my bedroom up tonight. SRD's bike folded behind the chair is easily the tidiest thing there.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  28. Lezzles
    Member

    If I knew how to attach photos I'd send you a picture of my bike at work. I could then send you a photo of the 100+ professional looking cars in the car park (and the slipway because the car park is too far for some people to walk).

    Posted 12 years ago #

  29. chdot
    Admin

    Photos can't be added directly to CCE.

    Need to on Flickr (or similar) and linked.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  30. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    But the cars aren't actually in the workplace.

    Though I do agree, tucked away under stairs etc., that's not an unprofessional look at all. Actually, in all honesty I don't think a bike sitting beside a desk, as long as it isn't creating an obstruction, doesn't look unprofessional. But then we here all like bikes. Others would think a dog in an office was unprofessional (I don't) or that not wearing a tie looks unprofessional (I still find dress down Friday here odd because the work done is just as good, which kind of proves the lack of necessity to be in proper shirt, tie and troos the rest of the time - however, I do also like the 'separation' it creates in my mind between work and free time by having to don a work outfit).

    But we're comparing apples and pears if trying to decide whether cars in a car park look as unprofessional as bikes in an office... It's just not the same thing. Sorry. It's not.

    (when my old work was winding down to closing, and there were only 3 or 4 of us left in the building, I stopped locking up outside - which had to be down the stairs on the front, because chaining to the railings looked unprofessional - and wheeled the bike into the front office. But then we got no-one coming in).

    Posted 12 years ago #

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