# Motorcycles: What's up with parking in non-parking spaces? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 21, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845 "2010-04-21T12:33:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/21 "2010-04-22T20:34:25Z")
As a motorcycle rider, I agree that we shouldn’t park on sidewalks. In Denver, scooters under 50cc are allowed to do so but over that size is illegal. I do wonder how to treat the giant concrete apron around, for example, my local Wal-Mart. Not sure why it’s there but it’s too large to be just a sidewalk but it’s not setup for car traffic. Right now, fearing manager retribution, I don’t park on it. I rarely park on the yellow lines at the end of a row. Frankly, I think people are used to avoiding them, it’s an easily visible area to avoid vandals, and it’s unlikely anybody would park beside me that would knock my bike over with their Monte Carlo’s massive doors. I feel like I’m cheating, though. I know that there’s those people out there who, in their jealousy at my ease (my “cheating the system”) that are likely to damage the bike. I don’t know how to balance my fear of retribution vs my fear of parking it among the other cars where it’s out of view and not easily seen by people whirling around looking for spaces. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/22 "2010-04-22T22:59:47Z")
I have no problem with cyclists parking in the hashed out areas so long as they’re not designated for some other purpose. Those who park on the sidewalks in any situation strike me as the same small, entitled minority that think putting 200db pipes on their bikes is perfectly acceptable. Hey, it might make a car more likely to notice you, but we know that’s just a rationalization because some riders think they sound cool. If I drove everywhere with my horn blasting, it might keep some dolt from cutting me off, but it doesn’t make me any less an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/23 "2010-04-23T17:46:48Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > If someone wants to drive a vehicle that has particular problems associated with it, it’s unreasonable for him or her to deal with them by making them _my_ problem. I completely agree, and would never block a sidewalk or access way with my bikes. I often overhear people saying how cool it is to ride a scooter & wish they had one too as they pass by mine. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > And if someone wants to ride a kind of vehicle that, for whatever reason, is more prone to vandalism than other kinds of vehicle, he doesn’t have any right to inconvenience random pedestrians in order to reduce that risk. Agreed, but I’ll still find a way for the bike to be somewhere that discourages theft and vandalism. Although, \*\*you \*\*come out & find your 25K bike on its side, or a $400 dollar jacket gone from a saddlebag & you may think differently! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/24 "2010-04-27T17:03:21Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > I completely agree, and would never block a sidewalk or access way with my bikes. Glad to hear it! > [@](#): > > I often overhear people saying how cool it is to ride a scooter & wish they had one too as they pass by mine. The idea of buying a scooter, something along the lines of a Vespa, has crossed my mind lately. Lot of stuff around here is awfully close for a car, a bit too time- and energy-consuming to go to routinely on a bicycle, but would be a perfect distance for a small motor scooter. > [@](#): > > Agreed, but I’ll still find a way for the bike to be somewhere that discourages theft and vandalism. Although, \*\*you \*\*come out & find your 25K bike on its side, or a $400 dollar jacket gone from a saddlebag & you may think differently! Hell, I rarely leave anything nearly that valuable in my car, even though I can lock the car and put any valuables out of sight. If I had a motorcycle and didn’t have a VERY secure storage bin attached to it, I’d be taking the jacket with me. Either that, or just writing off the occasional stolen jacket as part of the operating cost of the bike. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/25 "2010-04-27T17:09:02Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Hell, I rarely leave anything nearly that valuable in my car, even though I can lock the car and put any valuables out of sight. If I had a motorcycle and didn’t have a VERY secure storage bin attached to it, I’d be taking the jacket with me. Either that, or just writing off the occasional stolen jacket as part of the operating cost of the bike. The trouble is the jackets can be very bulky with padding, and also very hot (they insulate to protect against the wind while riding). So they’re a huge nuisance to carry around. It’s part of my current dilemma. I want to go back to riding, but the armor is a huge pain in the ass to deal with when not riding. I could leave it off, since Arizona allows riding without protective gear, but that’s incredibly stupid. ---
**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 27, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/26 "2010-04-27T21:19:13Z")
**Bosstone** : My current jacket is a mesh Joe Rocket one. The mesh allows ventilation when it’s hot, and there’s a wind/waterproof liner for when it’s cold and/or wet. It has armor in the arms and shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/27 "2010-04-28T17:09:20Z")
I have the Joe Rocket Mesh one too. It’s good for hot weather but it’s far from “not bulky”. The armor does make things awkward to wear around. I’m thinking about getting a cable lock [like this one](http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-4605D-3-Foot-Retractable/dp/B000BD69G0) and I could park the bike, run this through the sleeve & lock it to the bike for while I’m in the store. When I come back out, the whole thing retracts back into itself and it should slip into a pocket. EDIT: there was a guy online on my favorite motorcycle forum that pulled a 100-foot superman move while wearing that jacket. That, plus his helmet and some good luck, and he walked away. The jacket was toast but it’s easily replaced. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/28 "2010-04-28T17:18:35Z")
If one just parks reasonably and responsibly, not restricting traffic flow or pedestrian walkways and the like, not obstructing critical views, they IMHO park wherever you want, if you don’t use a space then there are more spaces for others. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/29 "2010-04-28T17:32:59Z")
In the parking lot at my apartment, those zones have signs specifically designating them for motorcycle parking. I certainly don’t see a problem with it: One of the advantages of motorcycles over cars in the first place is precisely the fact that they take up less space. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845/30 "2010-04-28T22:02:03Z")
> [@Belrix](#): > > I’m thinking about getting a cable lock [like this one](http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-4605D-3-Foot-Retractable/dp/B000BD69G0) and I could park the bike, run this through the sleeve & lock it to the bike for while I’m in the store. When I come back out, the whole thing retracts back into itself and it should slip into a pocket. I’ve thought for a while that it would be a cool idea if a jacket had a cable built in that ran, inside the jacket, from one cuff to the other with a loop on either end. Then you could loop them through the helmet holder and viola, jacket secure. Well relatively anyhow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycles-whats-up-with-parking-in-non-parking-spaces/536845.md?page=1)