Hi there,

As I posted up a few weeks back I have taken the plunge and bought a bike. One of the main reasons I justified it was to park in town easily and for free. I'm fed up of getting parking tickets very time a meeting over runs etc.

I always assumed that parking was free but I phoned the parking people and they said they would send me a little wallet which would enable me to display the ticket on my windscreen. Surely this will get knicked more times than not and I will end up writing a letter every time I park?

I know there are some dedicated bike parking places but the ones I know of aren't really convenient (no point saving the time riding in only to have to walk from one side of the city to another).

Any pointers?

Cheers

Dave

First I've heard of that. You can park in bike parks (obviously) or on a meter free provided that someone else has put money in (they can still be parked there as long as you're in the bay as well). But if they get a ticket then you do too.

Whereabouts are we talking about? I assume London when someone says "town" but it could be anywhere I suppose...

SB

Cheers Simon.

Interesting one about the multi occupancy bays. By town I meant Manchester I don't know if things are different up here.

I guess I thought I could pretty much park where I want for free.

officially parking is only free for bikes in Bike Bays. Otherwise you need to pay - wasnt aware of the sharing of a meter with a car - I have always wondered but been put off in case car hits the bike !

The other alternative is what plenty of bikers in London do. That is park on pavements next to your building and then cover the plate and tax disc with a bag - authorities are not allowed to touch the bike and cannot give a ticket without knowing the reg. Illegal but...

I like the bag idea!!

I actually parked in a push bike place for 3 hours this morning and didn't have a ticket when I returned. A warden must have seen it so I guess that it is allowable, in practice if not theoretically.

The other alternative is what plenty of bikers in London do. That is park on pavements next to your building and then cover the plate and tax disc with a bag - authorities are not allowed to touch the bike and cannot give a ticket without knowing the reg. Illegal but...

not sure if that 100% true anymore...anyway just remove the plate and tax disk to do the job proper like

...and then cover the plate and tax disc with a bag - authorities are not allowed to touch the bike and cannot give a ticket without knowing the reg. Illegal but...

Trouble is you can then be done (legitimately) for failing to display a tax disc. Then they don't have to remove the cover, they can just remove the whole bike :(

Apparently this is getting more common... With Chairman Ken's endorsement, naturally.

Git.

SB

Git was aimed at the head of the London Politburo, by the way. Not you, Dave ;)

SB

w4nker.



Ken obviously :-)

A cover does work remarkably well, one that you can lock through and that covers disc and plate.

Some NCP's allowing bikes to park for free in designated Bike Bays.

Del

Dont worry SB - I realised ! Ken is a right GIT.

I have heard same abt Ken taking the bike, but loads of people still doing the old bag trick and getting away with it near me. You are right though - more risky nowadays, although in theory they always could have done you for not showing a tax disc.
On the other hand lots of London bikers hide their tax disc under the seat to avoid theft...

Hiding the tax disc is fair. I usually keep mine in my wallet. Every copper I've ever met professionally - even a couple of complete arseholes - have been utterly, paradoxically, even, reasonable about that and accepted it as fair play. But parking attendants are a different breed entirely. Probably a different species, too. And there's a space on the ticket for "No tax disc displayed" which goes towards their bonus...

SB