The Chainlink

Property management at 10 S. Riverside tried to cut my lock

Hey all,

Just a bit of a heads-up: I would recommend against locking bikes in/around the pedestrian plaza at 10 S. Riverside (Monroe and the river), as I did so today and security / property management evidently tried to cut my lock and remove my bike.

For some background, I was working from this building today, which is a building I have worked from before but do not work from regularly. I seem to remember them previously having some bike racks near the building, but either I am mistaken or they were removed. When I arrived, I looked for a decent spot to lock up, and didn't see any bike racks nearby - walked to the other side of the building, only rack I saw already had 3 bikes on it. There, however, is a quite sturdy (roughly telephone pole diameter) guardrail that separates the pedestrian plaza from the river to stop people from falling over the edge. Given the lack of otherwise secure bike parking, I locked up to this railing (I have a chain that is relatively long. U-lock would not have gone around it). While there is no obvious reason (to me) why anyone would have an issue with bike parking here, I did look for any signs asking people not to lock bikes there, and did not see any.

As I was unlocking my bike at the end of the work day, a man walked up to me and mentioned that he had seen someone in a uniform (he mentioned the company, which I don't remember, but I took to be the building operator) trying to cut my lock off. This fits with the two marks on my lock that appear to be from bolt cutters and some ripped fabric on the chain cover.

Thankfully, my lock withstood the attempted cutting with nothing more than cosmetic damage (thank you, Abus hardened steel). While it's possible that (a) this story was fabricated or (b) this was actually a thief dressed in a uniform, I don't have any reason to believe either of those to be true.

Regardless of the legality of removing my bike, at the very least this is a bit troubling. While I'm pretty confident I was on private property, there was nothing to suggest I was locking my bike somewhere I shouldn't have been, and it was completely out of the way of everything - actually much more out of the way than most bike racks, in my opinion. Even if property management has the right to remove a bike locked how mine was, I'm not sure why they would want to do so. I could understand if a bike was left there for an extended period of time, but mine was there for ~5 hours.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on August 6, 2013 at 4:13pm

I'm pretty confident I was on private property

Well, there's your problem.

Permalink Reply by Eli on August 7, 2013 at 8:58am

There is a decent-sized bike rack on the pier at the south end of the harbor, where the Columbia Yacht Club ship is tied up.

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on August 12, 2013 at 9:52am

I am glad that you have had a pleasant experience with the building's security. That always warms my heart. I hate when people automatically start ragging on the "non-bicyclist". We know that not all bicyclist are saints. Even the ones that think that bicyclists should be the only people allowed to do things. If you don't do anything wrong, you are the exception to the rule. Remember, if you are the only one that is always right, not everyone does what you do. And if that is a surprise to you, I'm sorry for ya.

Since I work in the downtown area, I may be able to shed some light on this topic...from a building management/security aspect:

And let me preface this by saying that I am NOT a lawyer, and don't work for the city...

First of all, there are several bike racks on the southwest corner (by the wooden "patio" area) of that building (on Canal-side, just under the wooden fence the circles the patio). Also, down on Canal (between Monroe and Madison) there are a few of the "upside down U's" to lock up at, as well as a few poles for the various city signage about "No Parking, Tow Zone", etc. You either didn't make the effort to find a proper rack to lock your bike to, or chose not to until after the incident.

Secondly, as much as people want to say that it is an "eye sore" or whatever, that is not the real reason. With as much foot/pedestrian traffic as there is (especially during the warmer times) it is a possible liability as a trip hazard. And trust me I see it all the time. People are in a rush to get to the train/work/wherever, have their noses buried in a smart phone (or their ear) or are busy checking out the sights, and they will trip (actually just walk right into !) on one of those orange and white "saw horses" that they used to mark off areas of that plaza (due to construction or needing construction) or one of their hug garbage cans. Those items are claerly marked and visible for at least 15 feet before you get there. What do you think would happen to someone who would walk into the sharp edges of a platform pedals sticking out of a messengers bike?

It also let's kids have something else to climb up on to look over the railing, adding to the possiblity that the child will fall over the railing. You want to blame the parents? Sure. Start blaming the parents of the ones that have TV's falling down on their children, when they are allowed to climb the furniture that the TV is on.

Another issue is the accessibility (not really relevant in this issue, but should be touched on...) for the elderly to hand rails, or handicapped people to use ramps. If you lock your bike to either of those, they cannot be used by those individuals. You may not care now, but when you get older (and we all will) you may need to use the handrail to go up a few steps. Or you may not be able to get your "Get-Around" onto or down the ramp due to to a messenger's locked bike (they will only be there a minute, they all say).

All of thses issues can lead up to a law suit. It will not be brought onto the bicyclist (or the TV manufacturer). It will be the owner of the property that is liable for keeping the area safe for pedestrians. Especially on private property.

It is a liability issue. If you ran that property, or any other, you would have to be concerned with that.

Now, as a fellow bike rider (over a year of commuting daily now), I understand your frustration. There do need to be more signage in and around the riversides. Some building management teams think that those signs make the property look gaudy. You know, too many "don't do this, don't do that" signs.

However, if you didn't put forth much of an effort into finding another suitable area for your bike to be locked to...THAT, my friend, is your fault. Whether it was being a bit lazy or it was just more convenient for you. I AM NOT PLACING BLAME. I have never had an issue finding somewhere to lock up my bike in the downtown area, And (knock on wood) I have never had mine stolen. Maybe it has to do with my actual bike (My Beast). Maybe it's just that nobody wants it, but me? I don't know.

Either way, the marks on your chain may have been put on there by someone else. I know that any of the buildings in the downtown area have an engineering department that have grinding wheels and know how to use them (gladly). Or cutting torches. If they really wanted it off, they would have gotten it off.

Look around the area. You might see other places that you can lock your bike to. Maybe even a better one. Maybe get with security and see where they recommend. It might surprise you that they might know where the rack has been moved to. Afterall, it is their property.

Remember, that you wouldn't be allowed to park your car there either, if you drove that to work. You would have to find parking (curb-side for umpteenth dollars - Thanks Mayor Daley...sarcasm - or a parking structure). You would have to make the appropriate accommodations. You would have to get there earlier for a better parking spot. It is no different for us in the biking world.

If I have ruffled a few feathers, I am not sorry. I tell it like it is. If you take it personally, that is your issue and maybe you are subconsciously guilty.

 

Have a Great Day and Please ride safely !

(Remember, safely means different things to different people. Maybe I should say don't ride stupid?LOL !)

 

Respectfully,

 

Manny

Permalink Reply by Tom Dworzanski on August 12, 2013 at 10:22am

Wait what?

Manny FU...Really!? said:

You want to blame the parents? Sure. Start blaming the parents of the ones that have TV's falling down on their children, when they are allowed to climb the furniture that the TV is on.
Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on August 12, 2013 at 11:45am

Tom,

I was trying to stop anyone from trying to say that the parents of the kids on the riverside plaza that run around climbing on the planters (and the bikes that would be locked up on the railing) should be controlling their children, before they end up going over the side or getting hurt by climbing on the bike.

It a comparison.

Try telling parents to be more responsible for the children that end up having a TV fall on them, while the child is climbing all over the furniture. No one will admit that they didn't teach their child to NOT climb the furniture that is holding the big LED/LCD/LMOPQ TV that they just HAD TO HAVE. Or to actually ATTACH the strap that usually comes with the TV (both my tv's came with one, as well as the wall mounts.....I chose to use the base instead to keep it off of the wall.). I mean, it is only their child's safety.

Which brings me back to the parents having the RESPONSIBILITY to teach their children what to do as well as what NOT to do. Discipline, which is a different topic altogether, I will leave alone. This is about bikes.

It was a comparison, Tom.

 

Respectfully,

 

Manny

 

P.S. I guess I did ruffle someone's feathers....who cares? I don't.

Tom Dworzanski said:

Wait what?

Manny FU...Really!? said:

You want to blame the parents? Sure. Start blaming the parents of the ones that have TV's falling down on their children, when they are allowed to climb the furniture that the TV is on.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 12, 2013 at 12:24pm

Wait what?

Have a Great Day and Please ride safely !

Permalink Reply by Mike M on August 12, 2013 at 12:46pm

Manny, I think you missed the spirit of my post by a substantial margin. My intent was to inform others that where I locked my bike probably isn't a great place to lock up in the future, since building security here evidently does not want bikes locked in this plaza. Since this is something that was not obvious to me (partly because of the lack of signage), I believe it's entirely possible that it also might not be obvious to others. Just trying to save them the potential hassle of dealing with a bike removed by building security. Although it wasn't really my intent, you could also theoretically argue my post helps this building's security by encouraging cyclists not to lock up there, so that security won't have to deal with the bikes in the first place.

Thanks for the point about bike racks on the Canal side of the building - I did not know those were there. I looked on the other three sides of the building, but did not check that side. Although I did see numerous street signs that were available, I think it's fairly obvious why I didn't choose to lock up to one of them.

I would agree that building security could have cut through my lock if they really wanted to using something other than bolt cutters. However, everything I know of the situation indicates they tried to remove my bike in that manner.

As you acknowledged, your comment about handrail accessibility makes little or no sense here.



Manny FU...Really!? said:

I am glad that you have had a pleasant experience with the building's security. That always warms my heart. I hate when people automatically start ragging on the "non-bicyclist". We know that not all bicyclist are saints. Even the ones that think that bicyclists should be the only people allowed to do things. If you don't do anything wrong, you are the exception to the rule. Remember, if you are the only one that is always right, not everyone does what you do. And if that is a surprise to you, I'm sorry for ya.

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