Author Topic: who's ever been towed? (Read 5356 times)

b4cruz · « **on:** January 16, 2006, 12:36:10 AM »

have you been towed for parking your bike in the wrong place?

i had my work truck towed last week and asked the driver if they really
took the extra effort to get a bike out of an akward place and
slide it up onto a flat bed.

he resounded an enthusiastic YES

but later admitted to me about the hassles:
1.most of the time they need two people
2.they need to get to the bike quick for fear
of the owner returning before the bike is even on the bed
3.even with two people it just takes too long to justify the job

what is the proper bike parking philosophy in the USA?
Do most of you ignore parking rules with the faith
that most tow companies will avoid a bike call?
i see bikes on sidewalks where pedel bikes are
i see them parked by the doors to theatres, grocery stores, ect
in alleys
sharing meters
i see contruction guys parking thier bikes in the dirt w/o a support for the side stand.

Farre · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2006, 03:47:24 AM »

i plead guilty on this matter, i usually park mine on the curb. BUT only if there's enough place for pedestrians to pass it without any problem. When this is not possible i just cram in in every hole i can find. Never had any problems... But this is Europe, dunno in USA

B6mick · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2006, 06:25:31 AM »

Same goes downunder, well in Melbourne, Victoria.
Only a couple of place where ya can not park on the footpath, but they are clearly signposted, and they are only in the CBD.

aussiebandit · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2006, 06:28:20 AM »

In NSW, you can't park on the foot path, and by law you can only park one vehicle per parking space....however I'm yet to hear of anyone getting booked for parking 2 or more bikes in a parking space.

tacoman · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2006, 12:57:59 PM »

If its a public street I'll usually find a parking spot and park legal. If its a store/restaurant, I park on the sidewalk. I usually keep it as far from the doors as possible and try to make sure I'm not in a fire truck zone. Store/restaurant owners usually don't tow their customers bikes. On public streets i'm law abiding. I've seen some tow truck drivers load bikes and its not pretty. They are not responsible for damage so they load it anyway they can.

Red01 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2006, 07:23:55 PM »

I've parked on sidewalks when they're wide enough not to cause a problem. I've parked with multiple bikes in a single spot, but most commonly, I'll park in the triangular spots at the front of parking lots. Never got a ticket or a tow. Did have a gal in a restaurant come out and tell me I couldn't park on the concrete next to the building once though. Since it was a hot day and I didn't want my sidestand to sink in the asphalt, I explaned to her why I wanted to park there. She said she didn't care, so I said, "Fine, I'll take my business someplace else!" I didn't go back there to eat for almost a year.

b4cruz · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2006, 08:33:04 PM »

http://www.ducatigirl.com/california/dmv_b_roulette.html

Can I park in a location where there is only one stall line to the left or right of me?
Other than stall lines for handicapped individuals, there is no talk about stall lines in the California Vehicle Code. This is something that's most likely handled by individual counties. In the case of San Diego County, Article 10, Section 72.150 indicates the following for angle parking: "...the Road Commissioner shall indicate at what angle vehicles should be parked by placing parallel white lines on the surface of the roadway. On such portions of such highways a person shall not stop, stand, or park any vehicle except between, at the angle indicated by, and parallel to both such adjacent white lines with the nearest wheel not more than one foot from the curb or edge of the roadway."
As a San Diegan, I can verify that the folks in them cute little carts are ready and willing to slap a ticket on your bike for angle parking in a spot that doesn't have a white line on both sides. Damned if you do, damned if you don't: If you take up an entire parking stall, car drivers (especially in places where parking is a precious commodity) give you grief about it. If you cut drivers some slack by parking in out-of-the-way places, odds are you'll get slapped with a ticket.

Can I park on the sidewalk?
Motorcycles are considered vehicles by the California Vehicle Code and are subject to the same rules and regulations of any car, so motorcycles cannot park on any sidewalk that is public land. In cities like San Francisco where parking is a problem, enforcement of this law may be lax (as evidenced by a lot of scooters and motorcycles on the sidewalk).

Can I share a metered parking spot?
According to Sargeant Price in "Friction Zone": "As for parking at a meter, a motorcycle's rear tire or fender must touch the curb; and yes, you must pay for the parking space you are using. If you share the space with another car, you could be subject to citation." Technically, it sounds like two bikes sharing a metered stall would be subject to citation if all vehicles are treated equally.
I have heard of cops ticketing bikes sharing spaces, particular where riders congregate and where they want to discourage this congregation. In one instance, the riders decided that if the cops were going to ticket them for more than one bike per space, then they were going to park one bike per space, which meant many spaces in an already too-hard-to-park area were unnecessarily consumed. The cops stopped the ticketing and the riders went back to multiple bikes per spot. Sometimes, only sometimes, reason does prevail.

ttewejnodnarb · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2006, 01:08:53 PM »

They are pretty brutal in NYC, from my experience.

Here is what I have gotten away with:

1) Parking in a metered spot, in front of or behind a car without regard to the time left on the meter. I have even gotten back to the bike after the car has left with an expired meter and not been ticketed.

Here is what I have been ticketed for:

1) Parking on the sidewalk. I was not blocking anything and there was plenty of room. Stupidly, I took the plate off on a Duc monster (where the VIN is in plain sight) and also got a ticket for not having a plate or registration (sticker on plate). I guess I pissed that meter maid off.

2) Parking too close to a hydrant.

3) Alternate side parking.

They park on the sidewalk and EVERYWHERE that is marginally flat in Paris with little to no enforcment. I think the we deserve that right due to the fragile nature of the motorcycle in general. The Duc got knock over sooooo many times that I was forced to garage my Bandit. I went through insurance once, it was so bad ($2800 for a tipover because the tank ate it). So that was $500 plus all the times I fixed it myself, plus the lower resale for all the little things that got missed, or not fixed to save $$. PISSES ME OFF!! The cpos don't care, they have a law to enforce...it's not there job to question it. There is no repricushions for it. You walk into the store, spend 20 minutes, walk out and your bike is down. Of course, no one saw anything.

rider123 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2006, 01:30:58 PM »

I've been towed but that was my descision. The guy was super nice and took extra care with my bike. He says even if he tows because of the police he takes special care of the bikes.

Red01 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2006, 07:11:42 PM »

Quote from: "ttewejnodnarb"

I think the we deserve that right due to the fragile nature of the motorcycle in general. The Duc got knock over sooooo many times that I was forced to garage my Bandit. I went through insurance once, it was so bad ($2800 for a tipover because the tank ate it). So that was $500 plus all the times I fixed it myself, plus the lower resale for all the little things that got missed, or not fixed to save $$. PISSES ME OFF!! The cpos don't care, they have a law to enforce...it's not there job to question it. There is no repricushions for it. You walk into the store, spend 20 minutes, walk out and your bike is down. Of course, no one saw anything.

Just one of the reasons why I don't like Urbia and live in a rural area. I aviod cities whenever possible. Fortunately, we have special m/c parking at work, segregated from cages with big steel poles and curbing with gaps to let bikes in/out, but too small for cages to attack.

ttewejnodnarb · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2006, 06:01:23 PM »

I'm with you...as soon as I get out of school I'm getting a job where:

1) It is warm

2) I can afford a garage and an outdoor space to Q without having a Trump-esq bank account balance

3) It isn't so f'in crowded all the time

4) It is WARM

5) There is more than 200 feet between stop lights without first having to ride for two hours

Can you tell I'm a native NY'er and have been in the city for 29 years!?!

Red01 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 19, 2006, 06:42:28 PM »

A city boy not in love with the city?

ttewejnodnarb · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2006, 11:29:22 AM »

My love affair with the city ended when I started working and living on my own...When I was a kid it was great! Taking the subway to the museums, getting pretzels on the corner. I remember when there was drug dealers and prostitutes from Avenue A east and you wouldn't set one foot past unless you where looking to score (which at 10 years old I was most certainly not!). Now, when I was looking for an apartment a couple years back, I looked at a newer building between Ave's C and D that was $2500 a month!!

The love affair changed into mixed feelings while trying to exploit opportunity (business) and find escape (emotinal). It was fun while it lasted, but after you've gone to all the clubs and experienced the life (I owned a nice sized lounge for 2 years...feels like another life) it begins to seem pointless and taudry.

Now I'm getting married, making a move to do what I love (ME) and hoping to open a new chapter. Some poeple actually dream of making it in the big city...I dream of making it out!!

PitterB4 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 20, 2006, 12:31:18 PM »

Just don't do what I've done and move so far out that you spend half you life commuting. I've got a beautiful house with a pretty yard in a nice town that is even near some good riding. I just know the stress of dealing w/ traffic for 2.5+hrs every day is knocking years off my life.

What was this thread about? Sorry. No, I've never been towed.

b4cruz · « **Reply #14 on:** January 20, 2006, 02:43:20 PM »

I live in a condo community surrounded
by urban traffic strip malls and other crap,
but its just hidden enough to where its perfect;
with a garage huge greenbelt and everything.

I have family in PA that live in rural areas but they are all
getting californiazed just like Colorado Arizona ect.

Can't stop the strip mall/traffic virus. It will get you eventually.
No matter how far you move away. Except for maybe Alaska.

The food is too good in southern california too move away.
I will deal with traffic all i have to for my noodles and carne asada.