So a "Security Guard" trashed a friend's bike

So, pretty much as it sounds. My friend left his bike in the stairwell of his flats, which is backed onto by a club. Anyway, turns out the totally unmarked door is in fact a fire exit, and the bike was locked up in front of it. So, the security guard sees fit to absolutely wreck the bike. I mean, I only have the photo my friend's sent me but he tells me the back wheel is snapped, the frame is bent, and the dérailleur has been ripped off. I mean, I get that it was apparently in the way but honestly this looks like straight up vandalism. Anyway, his flatmate apparently saw the guard doing this but was too late to stop it.

My question is, has anyone experienced this kind of thing before and has experience dealing with it? As far as I can tell, my friend is totally innocent of any wrongdoing as the door was in no way marked. I presume it's pretty much a case of being able to straight up bill the club for the damages and a new bike given that it seems to be beyond repair.

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At what point did the saddle get put on backwards? So that black door goes from a residential landing into a nightclub? It's clearly criminal damage, but maybe your friend wasn't supposed to lock his bike there, and there are some regulations about it.

I have no idea what to do first, maybe ask the club what the status of the fire exit is? It's not marked as such...

It's a stairwell.

He needs a sign to tell him not to be selfish?

C'mon, if that's the right attitude in your opinion from tomorrow I'll wrek any vehicle or item that obstruct my way.

Usually you ask (or warn) before deciding to destroy someone else's property.

The black door does indeed lead from a club into a residential landing. The thing is, if the guard was able to get onto the landing to do this, it's pretty clear the bike wasn't actually obstructing the door.

It sounds like the guy literally just pulled at things to try and move the bike. You know, instead of knocking on the like, three doors on this otherwise private, indoor stairwell. The door isn't marked in any way and the stairwell has nothing else to do with the club.

Scilly, it's his stairwell, not the club's.

it's hard to see what greater good has been achieved by leaving the bike in the state pictured. the wheels are still obstructing the passage, so it looks like retribution.

i don't hold high hopes for a positive outcome as that does not look like the fire escape route of a ligit business, but i could be wrong...

This is my point. If you wanted to MOVE the bike, you'd have cut the lock. This is just damage, plain and simple, by someone with a power complex I'd assume. As you say, the bike isn't actually out of the way and overhanging onto the stairs I'd wager it is far more of a hazard anyway.

Especially when it's their property, on their property.

it would be interesting to know if there is a formal right of access for the club to use the stairwell? seems like a strange set up.

I presume it's pretty much a case of being able to straight up bill the club for the damages and a new bike given that it seems to be beyond repair.

Is that a Raleigh Amazon? If so it's value is about £40. Easier to get another one I'd imagine, and put this down to experience.

It is indeed an Amazon. I'd have imagined this one's worth more than that since it is, or at least was, in astoundingly good condition. Round these parts bikes worse than this regularly sell for at least £100...

It's also the earlier model that isn't made of cheese and terrible parts.

And either way, to "get another one" costs money which in my opinion my friend has every right to claim from the club for, via small claims if they won't settle when I go and talk to them once I've assessed the damage.

Yeah, that would be the thing to try, if you have the time and inclination. Problem is proving accountability, and if the court believes you and goes your way, your new problem is then getting the money. Probably. Maybe it's different with values of this amount. Might be easier.

Anyway, tl;dr it's complicated, communal hallways / car parks are where bikes go to die - live to fight another day.

when asked as it was blocking a fire exit.

I thought "why did they locked it outside a fire exit?" but then realised I don't see any sign of it being a fire exit in the photo.

My friend was in his flat which is on the stairwell. He was unaware that this was a fire exit as it was not signed as such, and certainly would not have left the bike there if he knew! I would imagine that it would have been significantly less effort on the part of the security guard to knock on the adjacent door and ask "Scuse me, can you move yer bike?".

Also it's worth noting that the damage and subsequent location of the bike hardly "made safe" the area, instead of a neatly locked up bike there's now a sharp broken wheel (the rim is sheared clean in half) and the remains of a bike precariously hanging over a railing above the stairs.

In terms of liability in case of a fire, I think the onus is on the club to ensure that their exits are properly declared- nowhere is it indicated that this is anything other than a disused door, which is what it certainly appears to be. It's only a fire exit in as much as it leads onto a locked and otherwise private stairwell.

if I walked out of my house and someone had locked a bike in front of the door on my property then it would be gone.

Fair point, it is indeed a stupid place to lock it, haven't realised it's near the top of the stairwell, picture make it seemed like it's on the ground.

But that's the entire point here. It wasn't obviously a fire escape. It's a door inside a private stairwell, with no markings. Not the usual location of a fire door from a commercial venue.

Besides, the bicycle wasn't obstructing the door per se, it was just in the stairwell. The guard's claimed justification of his actions to the witness was that the bike was obstructing the door.

I agree it's not the best place but it was literally outside my friend's door...

But that's the entire point here. It wasn't obviously a fire escape. It's a door inside a private stairwell, with no markings. Not the usual location of a fire door from a commercial venue.

It's in a stairwell, in a tight space, it needn't a sign for it.

It is private property. It's the stairwell of the building my friend lives in, which is AFAIK rented as a single HMO. I'll ask him for more details but from what I understand the stairs are his, hence why he left the bike there.

Its common sense and a lot of people under the age of 25 don't have it.

Not that I'm under 25 anymore, but same could be said of a lot of people over 25.

Let me guess here, you're a lot older than 25?

To be honest I think I'm just going to wander in in a suit on my friend's behalf with a letter of claim and see if they'll settle. Whatever the justification it's clear that the damage to the bike goes way beyond what was required to "move" it- since it was ultimately just tipped over the railings and this did not cause any of the actual damage.

To comply with the Regulatory Reform Act 2005, they will have to ensure that all exits are clear and free from obstruction. They also have to ensure that they are clearly marked, but I don't think necessarily from the outside. If it is a fire exit, it will be included on their fire risk assessment which they are required to have if they have more than 5 employees, or are licensed to sell alcohol.
It looks like one to me.
If I were inspecting it, and it is a fire exit, which leads to a place of relative safety, I.e. A fire protected stairwell in this case, I would insist on the obstruction being moved, before members of the public were allowed in.

This is only an opinion based on your comments and that shonky photo......don't quote me on it, or take it as gospel......imagine I'm a bloke in the pub telling you this, as it is the interwebz, after all.

Silly place to park it, guard is a cunt.

Not much else to say is there?

Except that I got a brand new Amazon in 1990 for my eleventh birthday which I loved with all my heart.

Are you for real?