A reader sent this photo of 2 bikes parked at a bike rack on Washington Street, along with a complaint.
So let's see if you can figure out the problem.
Q: What's wrong with this picture?
Hint #1: It has to do with the orientation of the parked bikes.
Hint #2: 2 words: SPACE-HOGS
Hint #3: The bikes are supposed to be perpendicular to the rack not parallel... so that more than 2 bicycles can use a rack that was designed for 11. (thanks, hobokengolf)
Alright, Hint #3 was the answer, not a hint.
Now, I probably would never notice something like this since I get around on 2 appendages known as 'legs' capped with things called 'feet', but this reader noted an epidemic of this kind of bad bike etiquette all over Hoboken. Have you?
Perhaps the ground below the rack needs to be painted with white or yellow lines for those a little slow on the uptake about proper bike rack usage?
So let's see if you can figure out the problem.
Q: What's wrong with this picture?
Hint #1: It has to do with the orientation of the parked bikes.
Hint #2: 2 words: SPACE-HOGS
Hint #3: The bikes are supposed to be perpendicular to the rack not parallel... so that more than 2 bicycles can use a rack that was designed for 11. (thanks, hobokengolf)
Alright, Hint #3 was the answer, not a hint.
Now, I probably would never notice something like this since I get around on 2 appendages known as 'legs' capped with things called 'feet', but this reader noted an epidemic of this kind of bad bike etiquette all over Hoboken. Have you?
Perhaps the ground below the rack needs to be painted with white or yellow lines for those a little slow on the uptake about proper bike rack usage?
oh boy. Does even GRAFIX_AVENGER need instructions on bike rack use? This is the nine bike wave, part number HS652779 and it can be used for up to ELEVEN bicycles at the same time.
ReplyDeletelol... thank you, hobokengolf! As I said above, I locomote with those things that G-d gave me. Since I'm not a bike rider myself, I used the scientific method of counting the upside down grooves in the bike rack. Well, the info you've provided makes this 90 degree mistake even worse.
ReplyDeleteI will revise accordingly. Thx again.
I suspect that the positioning of the rack might put the front bike tires in jeopardy (sticking out into the street just close enough to the curb to get hit by parking cars) and wouldn't allow the full usage of 11 bikes without bikes hanging off the curb and into the street. They'll need to reposition the rack if they want the 11 bike capacity which would be great.
ReplyDeleteIf a person bike parks so they can get 11 bicycles in this rack, one of their tires will likely hit the cars parallel parked. Granted you could do a little better than these cyclists shown here but there is a problem afoot on the design side too. Sort of like the notion that there is a person that uses one individual sheet of toilet paper at a time.
ReplyDeleteSold American!
Hey hullabaloo, yes, you spoke first
ReplyDeleteLooks like our posts crossed in the mail. Please don't ride me about copying you, which I will flatly deny. I racked my brain and then was too tired to post it for a few minutes. I guess we were working in tandem. I'm just a basket case today. Breaks over, I need to get into gear.
All good points, y'all.
ReplyDeleteIf the 'average' adult-size wheel diameter is about 26" you'd want the rack located min. 13" off the curb, but I'd add an extra 12" tolerance... so let's say the rack ought to be about 2 feet from the curb edge. Does that sound right? Well, that's just a GUESS. The manufacturer's installation specs have those guidelines. Which should comply with or possibly defer to any applicable city ordinaces for placing these on the street.
Installation specs would provide minimum required clearances, front, rear, sides. So, I'd ask what the installation specs were and did the city follow them?
If anyone passes by a bike rack today, have a looksy, see if you think it's located too close to the curb.
@plywood: I promise not to nail you on this one or take the air out of your tires. Great minds think alike. But did you have to hog all the clever biking references? A+
ReplyDeleteHullabaloo- just got off a busy shift at the tavern, tonight it was an 'all I could handle' bar, a real blowout! Then I saw and enjoyed your last post. My puns are just for kicks, stand tall: while half of my attempts go down the tubes, yours are the greatest! :)
ReplyDelete