# Motorcycle etiquette - sharing a parking space? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 20, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761 "2010-04-20T16:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/1 "2010-04-20T16:30:27Z")
Now that the weather has warmed up, I have started riding my motorcycle to work. Today I look out the window and see that some other yahoo has parked his bike in the same parking spot that my bike is parked in. Part of me wants to go out and put a sticky note on his bike saying “Dude, get your own spot!” and part of me thinks it should be no big deal since my bike doesn’t take up an entire spot anyway. I’ve only been riding for about a year now, so I don’t know what the expectations are for something like this. Am I expected to share a parking spot with some stranger if there is room? Is it OK to be pissed off that some other idiot thinks it’s OK to park his bike right next to mine? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/2 "2010-04-20T16:36:30Z")
Park your bike diagonally across the space. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/3 "2010-04-20T16:40:33Z")
I ride and I have no problem with sharing a parking space. It opens up one for somebody else, and that makes sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/4 "2010-04-20T16:45:13Z")
I have a problem with it. Not so much from other bikers, rather from the owners of teeny cars that will try to squeeze in with you. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/5 "2010-04-20T16:47:54Z")
You shouldn’t be pissed. Might be someone you can bump into and **she** might be the hottest thing you’ve ever seen. Might be the local police chief. Might be some guy who can get you a discount on Metzelers. Chill out. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/6 "2010-04-20T17:06:31Z")
I’ll share spots with riding buddies, but when traveling alone, I park in the middle of the parking space, with the back end of my bike even with the back ends of adjacent cars. I’d rather not have strangers parking right next to my bike. I don’t think it’s worth a confrontation - belay the note - but next time I’d suggest parking so as to make it difficult/impossible for someone else to wedge their bike into the same parking stall. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/7 "2010-04-20T17:25:02Z")
Meh. If I park in a spot I try to park facing out and to one side just so another ride can park next to me if need be. It’s courtesy. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/8 "2010-04-20T17:27:58Z")
When I used to ride it was considered normal to share a space. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/9 "2010-04-20T17:49:26Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > I’ll share spots with riding buddies, but when traveling alone, I park in the middle of the parking space, with the back end of my bike even with the back ends of adjacent cars. I’d rather not have strangers parking right next to my bike. > > I don’t think it’s worth a confrontation - belay the note - but next time I’d suggest parking so as to make it difficult/impossible for someone else to wedge their bike into the same parking stall. Why? Is there something I’m missing (I only ride bicycles) about motorcycles that makes it so you’re hurt in some material way by sharing ‘your’ parking spot? ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/10 "2010-04-20T17:58:28Z")
Seems normal to share. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/11 "2010-04-20T18:02:25Z")
I share if it’s someone I’m riding with. I wouldn’t try to share a spot with a random person and I wouldn’t want them to do the same with me. It’s a personal space issue. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/12 "2010-04-20T18:02:26Z")
Are you paying for the spot? If so then I would hope that the other person has at least chipped in. Otherwise what happens if you leave and the other person needs to put money in or gets a ticket? If you’re not paying I don’t see a big deal really. But if you have a nice bike and are afraid someone’s going to scratch it then park down the middle, though most bikers aren’t going to touch your bike at all. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/13 "2010-04-20T18:44:41Z")
If I’m parking amongst cars I park in the center and, like **Joe Frickin Friday** , with my tail even with the backs of the cars. I think this gives me the most visibility and the least likelihood of having my bike squashed by an inattentive car parker. My bike is big enough that nobody is going to squeeze in next to me if I’m in the center. If I’m among bikes, I park with enough room for another to come alongside. Wanna deal with whether it’s better to park on the yellow hashed lines at the end of a row? One driver in my office says “more spaces for me” and the other says “get out in the spaces like all the other vehicles”. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/14 "2010-04-20T18:47:37Z")
A sport bike might be able to fit 2 to a spot, but cruisers with their windshields, saddlebags, and crash bars take up quite a bit of room. I usually park in the middle of a spot anyway to keep from getting door dinged. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/15 "2010-04-20T18:48:27Z")
I always park my bike so that another rider can park his next to mine. It never occurred to me to use a whole space. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/16 "2010-04-20T18:49:28Z")
I’m sorry, what’s the problem again? Two bikes fit into one spot, but he’s not supposed to park his near yours because you’re unnerved by the proximity? Why waste another whole space? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/17 "2010-04-20T18:52:32Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Why? Is there something I’m missing (I only ride bicycles) about motorcycles that makes it so you’re hurt in some material way by sharing ‘your’ parking spot? As with other livestock, overcrowding leads to outbreaks of cooties. ---
**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/18 "2010-04-20T18:53:58Z")
My office recently set aside two spaces for motorcycles, cutting each in half so there were a total of 4 slots. Seems to be working out well. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/19 "2010-04-20T19:09:42Z")
**Telcontar** , I’ve seen this too at a restaurant that’s near work. They’ve divided what looks like it used to be 4 spaces into 8 for motorcycles. I think it’s a pretty keen idea, even though I’m not a biker. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761/20 "2010-04-20T19:10:27Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Why? Is there something I’m missing (I only ride bicycles) about motorcycles that makes it so you’re hurt in some material way by sharing ‘your’ parking spot? Not hurt, but exposed to elevated risk - because someone was too lazy to park in the open stall twenty yards away. Motorcyclists come in all levels of skill, courtesy, and integrity. If a dopy/novice biker tries to squeeze in next to my bike, he may accidentally kick my bike while dismounting his, or his bike may fall over into mine. If your bicycle gets kicked, or someone else’s bike falls into it, or it falls over, you’re not likely to receive any/much damage. But if someone drags a grit-loaded boot across a painted sidecase or a fuel tank - or if a motorcycle falls over and knocks over another motorcycle, maybe even knocks your motorcycle into the car in the next stall - thousands of dollars in damage can happen very quickly. If the culprit has any integrity he’ll stick around and 'fess up, or leave a name/number where it can be found. But maybe he doesn’t, and you come back to find your $20K touring machine tipped over, and the owner of the car it fell against is yelling at you. No matter what, you’ve got a big pain in the ass on your hands. No thanks. Thus, I’d rather have only people I know park in the same stall with my bike. I hang out with skilled riders who are also upstanding people; accidents/mistakes will still happen from time to time, but when they do, I know the responsible party will step up. If you _really_ park far enough over to one side, some idiot will try to wedge his Smart Car in next to your bike. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-etiquette-sharing-a-parking-space/536761.md?page=2)