The joys of parking

[Dom]

Had a really shitty start to the week this morning. Rode into college as normal and went to park. The 'bike park' area is a sort of mini section of one of the main carparks, and it's too small for the number of bikes and scooters that come to our college. Everyday there are bikes parked around the edge of it since there basically isn't any choice.

Since the RS has such a shitty steering lock I went to park outside the bike park since it's annoying as hell getting it in and out, and within a few minutes the spaces that were left at the time would be gone anyway. Before I've turned the engine off a guy wearing a college t-shirt comes up and tells me to move inside the bike park. I tried to explain why I wasn't parked there but he totally ignored me. When I said ok so where do we park when it's full he says 'You don't, most colleges don't even offer parking'. Most colleges only accept a set number of people too, whereas ours just accepts anyone who applies now and it's utterly huge, it can manage to offer parking. I asked if I could just put it in the car park in a car space and he says no. After arguing for another few minutes he changed his mind and said I could park in a car space but only if there were lots available and I notified reception afterwards (it helps them to know why?).

This lovely guy goes on to tell me he's a biker and it's people like me that gives bikers a bad name. What the fuck? There is a point where I'll give up on trying to be polite and it's pretty much when someone says that to me. I'm just trying to ask a few simple questions whilst he shouts at me for not just nodding and riding off. He's also insisting that I'll never pass my test if I don't know not to park in the road. Apparently it's a road. It's obviously a secret he's kept well to himself since everyone else reckons it's a part of a carpark which is very rarely used at all, but oh well.

By now I admit I was pissed off because he was so desparate to go out of his way to be a twat to me. About 2 seconds after I moved a scooter parked where I was and I said he should move before he gets an earful.

"Right, you, off to see Paul. In all my years here I've never had to take someone to see Paul..."

Umm... ok, Paul, right, fine. I'll go wherever you like after my lecture but I'm already going to be late.

"No, you're going now."

So I'm dragged off to see the mystical Paul who turns out to be a bloke in a suit, what he actually does I don't know. The friendly carpark man says he keeps telling me and I keep ignoring him etc, etc and Paul says if I do it again I'll be expelled. It. I guess that means parking with the other bikes outside of the bike park when it's full.

Rock | Me | Hard Place

</rant>

If you read this far, you must be real bored.

[Jrod]

Tut tut Dom, if i can fit my ZXR in the bike park you can fit the RS. Must try harder

[Dom]

Not when it's full you can't. Unless you've mastered the art of parking the ZXR on top of scooters.

[EuropeanNC30R...]

There's always some people in authority, however little, that like to abuse it to make themselves feel better/more important in their sad little lives. Try not to let it get to you Though I must admit, it made me angry reading that.

[aqualung1]

its as maurice says it amazing how given a t shirt of authority some people abuse it

dont let it get to you ... however difficult that may be

[RealNinja]

Oddly enough I have just encountered the same sort of problem on my missus's SR125.

Parking on the local Tesco's, I always park close to the buliding, behind the anti ram posts.

I have done this LOADS of times on both my ZX7R and the ZXR4, without any problem, but tonight I went down on the SR because the others have been garged for the winter.

As soon as I parked up and got off this bloke in a Tesco uniform cos across and tells me I can't park there.....

I looked at the bike, looked at him, and then said 'Yes I can' and walked into the store.....

He was even looking after it for me when I got back

Seems that this is a 125/50cc thing as I never have any problems parking the big bikes.

I can't see your guy being a biker TBH, as most bikers don't give a fig where other bikes park - perhaps his T-shirt is a symbol of 'authority'
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[Josh]

I have always parked my big bikes behind the anti ram posts at Tesco's and have never had a problem (except avoiding shoppers as I back out) but I saw a couple of chav 125 riders getting moved out into the car park for parking there, and a police car stopped next to some 125 chavs (a lot of them around here) while they were parked there and a Tesco suit and a security guard all chatting away/blocking the bike in.
Makes me kind of angry but then again they were quite obviously chavs and I think I'd have moved them on too.
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[mchaggis]

[Kickstart]

[synaptyx]

[instigator]

Used to park my 125 outside the door of my local tescos, 5 ft from the door.

Nae bother

[Dom]

[Gazdaman]

If you're ever confronted by a guy is just a checkered tesco shirt (blue or red) you're perfectly safe to ignore him/her.

I park behind the crash barriers all the time. I've parked it outside the big glass wall at the front of the store before. It's fine.

Maybe my circumstances are different because I work there. But out security never has any problems with people parking bikes/peds.

It's a bike it takes up about this much room <---->. Live and let live.

Gaz

[Jrod]

They didn't even care when I did a wheelie. (well they didn't see )
I wonder if I would of got expelled for that.

[freestyler_onli]

I hate people like that-you just wanna smack em in the gob!

[stinkwheel]

You are at college right? so YOU are paying THEM to go there? They aren't going to expell you for parking in the wrong place. Next time, just ignore the guy. Don't even give him the time of day. They can find out who the bike belongs to but they have to apply in writing to the DVLA and they can't make a fine stick unless they take you to court...and even then their signage has to be absolutley spot-on.

Despite that, if it is actually a road as the guy says, then the only people who can do anything about it are duly appointed traffic wardens or the police and the parking restrictions must be specified in council bye-laws.

Sounds like you have run foul of a jumped up little Hitler-Jobsworth type fellow. The best thing to do is ignore them totally, they have no power unless you pander to their suposed authority. Pretend they aren't there and have a good laugh later at the extent of their riteous indignation. You have not suceeded unless their face has turned purple.

Reminds me of an incident when I was at college when I chained my bicycle to a lamppost on campus. I came back to find a second chain on it and a sign informing me that I had to pay a 20 pound fine to have it removed. I went and got a hacksaw and cut their chain in half, one of the security guys came along and asked what I was doing. I just ignored him ranting away 'till I finished cutting through the chain, unlocked my bike and rode off.

Another time I came back to my room at the halls of residence to find a note saying that the cleaner had seen my BB gun and longbow and they had confiscated them. I reported them as stolen to the police who told them they had to return my property. This pissed them off somewhat.

They can do fuck all and if they try and physically stop you, just put in a complaint about being assulted.
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[headlamp]

I'd park wherever, and if Mr. T-Shirt man takes you to Paul again and he threatens you with expulsion from college, just tell him that if you were expelled then the headline in The Daily Mail - "Student Expelled for Parking his Bike in The Wrong Place" would look good and your quotes about him would do wonders for his CV!

Ridiculous!
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Dom]

Some very fun suggestions there cheers guys. Might just have to give 'em a try if it happens again.