BIKE VALET at the Park Slope Food Coop

pitu

Just walked by -- extra (temporary) racks set up, people minding your bike while you shop at the Coop. I'm guess this is a weekend only thing, but YEAH!

Add this to the bike valet at the Celebrate Brooklyn shows in Prospect Park...

longtimesloper

I am sure I will be sorry i asked this, but, why do you need people to watch your bike while you shop? Is this for people who don't own locks?

opossumqueen

LongTimeSloper wrote: I am sure I will be sorry i asked this, but, why do you need people to watch your bike while you shop? Is this for people who don't own locks?

I'm guessing it's probably related to bike theft/limited parking. You may have read another thread recently about a guy whose bike was stolen (while locked) from outside the 9th St YMCA during the afternoon. Even in a crowd, brave thieves will keep to it.

I was wondering how exactly bike valets work. Do they take the bike? Do you park and lock it yourself but get a ticket so that they only let ticket holders get their bikes back or is it just an actual person there watching them?

pitu

It looked exactly like a coat check.

Yes, people minding the bikes
Yes, you get a ticket to retrieve your bike
No I don't know about the locking part since I didn't have a bike and was just walking by

It doubles the bike parking capacity outside the coop. This is indeed a high theft area, even with locks.

longtimesloper

Wow, good idea then, didn't think anyone would stand out on crowded Union Street in the middle of the day to steal a bike.

carnivore

possibly_maybe

LongTimeSloper wrote: Wow, good idea then, didn't think anyone would stand out on crowded Union Street in the middle of the day to steal a bike.

ljnd

I have ridden my bike to the Co-op for shopping on a weekday and been stymied for parking. I can't even begin to imagine on a weekend. I think this is a great idea.

peanuts

There's actually a sign on Union Street that it is a high risk area for bike theft...I don't belong to the coop, but I think this is a great idea.

bluecat

Great video post Carnivore. I'd probably get an D- for my bike locking skills, now I'm inspired to always lock both wheels and the seat.

The coop runs the bike valet as a weekend FTOP work slot. It is the best thing they done in a long time. It's very hard to find something to lock your bike to on the weekends at the coop. With the valet you don't have to lug a heavy lock and it's faster than if you did.