my plebgate stories and other tales of jobsworths

A thread to record instances where people with bikes are treated unreasonably and irrationally.

Today on returning to England on the ferry I was not allowed to ride off with the other vehicles by a jobsworth and asked to put my bike on a bus... The reason? Coz you can't.

Then on entering the empty ticket hall at Hamilton sq. I was asked to leave my bike outside... Why? I asked. Health and safety.

I can't help thinking that threads like these do the same kind of thing as people who record instances of bad behaviour on each of their journeys with a GoPro. If you look for it you'll find it.

Perhaps though I really think that some people don't understand bikes in our culture and there are many instances of this minor discrimination. Another example: I was about to take my bike to my room in the Premier inn, Belfast since there was no bike parking. They asked me put it in a room near the reception, locked so I would need to adk for a key each time I needed it... Because of the paintwork!

I want a disabled badge for my bike so I can take it into shops as wheelchairs and prams are allowed in.

I have educated my local shopkeepers who now allow me to bring my bike in. Over the years of doing this nothing calamitous has happened

I just walk in with my bike, if it looks practical. Once in, it's usually not worth their effort to ask you to take the bike outside :)

That weird Cafe bike shop thing at Box Hill station...rolled my bike in looking for a coffee, place deserted...but they insisted I left my bike outside. 0/10 would not go in again.

Box Hill Cafe - Scientifically prove to be the worst cup of coffee ever

But back OT...

Not sure I am down with this.
So you expect to be able to never leave you bike anywhere?
Is that the aim?

That you can walk into any shop, pub, cafe, restaurant and home and keep your bike in contact?

The difficulty here is there are opposing lines of thinking for non cyclists to deal with - one a bike should perceived as a motor vehicle ie on a ferry whereas it should also be treated as a wheelchair , pram , pushchair or buggy in an indoors situation.

Thing is it can be perceived as both. It can be a fast vehicle while being small and neat enough to pop into a shop or cafe ( @WjPrince within reason.) That's the point of this thread, there is often a hostility and difficulty by non cyclists in understanding this

Travelodge three bikes in a room. Ferries are last century.

wetherspoons bike parking

Sorry Skydancer but just looks like another thread about the negatives of cycling - calling out bad ones, commuting horror stories, crap driving, terrible infrastructure, etc. (and I would include a lot of the 'rider down' threads too). Often seems like this forum is designed to put people off riding a bike.

I know what you mean Will. I didn't intend this to be a moan thread but an exploration of how the bicycle is construed by different people. It is often understood to be a toy, a vehicle, a mobility aid etc. All of which affects peoples attitude to a bike.

I am writing a paper about how cycling is construed in our society (and driving) so these jobsworth stories are interesting (not negative as you see this)

You think it's wrong to not be allowed to bring your bike into your hotel room? Seriously? You think bikes ought to be seen as the same thing as pushchairs and wheelchairs? What?

What I find interesting about this thread is the idea that if you replaced the words "jobsworth" & "cyclist" with "person doing job" and "person riding bike" you might perceive the situation differently. I am not advocating any particular view(except perhaps an existentialist one).

That's true. I suppose using the more sensationalist language was more likely to spark forum interest.

As a balancing story, just got to Euston and was waiting for a jobsw... I mean a guard to unlock the cycle storage when a driver from another train on the next platform came over saying Saw a fellow cyclists waiting ... " and unlocked the door.

If it's clean, why not?

Never had any issues with hotels, but then again when there's a big event on they tend to realise that leaving a £3k race bike in a cupboard which anyone can get access to isn't really conducive to a good nights sleep.

Looking back I can't think of that many jobsworth stories - most people / places have been extremely accommodating of late, except said weird bicycle cafe.

The person who works as a security guard in my nearest branch of Sainsburys always allows me to bring my bike in. The person working as a security guard in the nearest but one branch of Sainsburys always refuses. I haven't asked in Waitrose yet.

My local Waitrose won't let me take my folding bike in unless it's folded. Even though it is then more unwieldy and difficult to manoeuvre like that.

le sigh

I put my Brompton in a shopping trolley. Done that countless times, never been questioned.

Sorry Skydancer but just looks like another thread about the negatives of cycling - calling out bad ones, commuting horror stories, crap driving, terrible infrastructure, etc. (and I would include a lot of the 'rider down' threads too). Often seems like this forum is designed to put people off riding a bike.

This forum is sufficiently off-putting to 'noobs' for that to not matter. Anyone new to cycling coming to this forum will think we're all a bunch of cunts before being put off riding.

Moaning is fun.

Also, day to day cycling is shit, mostly. It's just less shit than a lot of other things.

Fortunately when it is good, it is extremely good, offsetting teh shitness

How could you start a thread like this and expect anything less than a moan?

Yes it's frustrating you can't take your bike into a shop. But walking around in clip clop shoes, bumping into people with trolleys and kids, it's not exactly what the great commerce gods want. Furthermore, they don't do in the Netherlands.

Riding off the ferry with the other traffic?
Yes that's a fucking great idea. Let's let bikes mingle in with great big trucks and other vehicles, emerging from a dark hole into bright light.

You wouldn't leave with the trucks, you tend to leave with motorbikes who are let out first. usually they only ask you to walk the first bit as it's slippy (but slippier walking in cleats) then you can get back on your bike.