Ridiculous note on Berkeley Place
Comments
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Hammond Maxwell wrote: Anyone live in a building with no street signs or trees out in front? Are those people supposed to carry their bikes inside?
Tsk tsk tsk... we should not be chaining our bicycles to trees - it's very bad for the trees. I kid you not - take a look at http://www.treesny.com/BRTG.pdf for more info and better solutions. -
prusik wrote: [quote=Hammond Maxwell]Anyone live in a building with no street signs or trees out in front? Are those people supposed to carry their bikes inside?
Tsk tsk tsk... we should not be chaining our bicycles to trees - it's very bad for the trees. I kid you not - take a look at http://www.treesny.com/BRTG.pdf for more info and better solutions.
Actually anything tacked/stapled/taped to a tree is a Sanitation violation - Im not sure how it works with bikes. I dont know about suing becuause of a bike (I think a homeowner must have notice of a defective condition) and a bike, in my opinion, is not a defective condition.
We had someone chained their bike inside our gate leading to our backyard. When we came out we thought maybe it was a neighbor and they would be back. It was still there the next day - we called the precinct and asked what should we do? The officer said we could break the lock and do as we pleased since it was on our property. We gave it one more day and I am glad we did - the person who locked it up was riding their bike home with their girlfriend and she was hit by a car. Because he could not take the bike on the ambulance he locked it to our house. So before you act wait to see the reason why it is there. -
prusik wrote: [quote=Hammond Maxwell]Anyone live in a building with no street signs or trees out in front? Are those people supposed to carry their bikes inside?
Tsk tsk tsk... we should not be chaining our bicycles to trees - it's very bad for the trees. I kid you not - take a look at http://www.treesny.com/BRTG.pdf for more info and better solutions.
Not to mention you can get yourself a $1000 fine! From nyc.gov:
7. Can I lock my bicycle to a tree?
NO! Locking your bicycle to a tree is harmful to the tree…and could cost you a $1,000 fine! Chains and locks can damage the protective bark and the cambium (inner skin) layer of a tree. The cambium layer transports sap, the lifeblood of trees, and is the most delicate part of a tree. Chains and locks can also leave a permanent scar on the trunk and leave an opening for parasites and fungus. Be tree-friendly and don't lock your bike to one!
I thought there was something againt locking items to public fixtures like signs, lamp posts, meters, etc. but I wasn't able to find anything. -
Well maybe I just have a different mindset, but I grew up in Brooklyn and we were taught from the time we were little to bring our bikes in the house when we finished riding them. Chaining them outside was an invitation to have them stolen.
Now granted the market for stolen bikes is a lot different now than it was when I was ten, but I still believe that you are more than welcome to chain a bike in front of where you live, to your door, your fence, your gate, or any other thing that you own. But riding your bike down the block and chaining it to a pole in front of someone else's house because its more convenient for you is rude, especially if folks ask you to move it. If you live in an apartment building and someone else in the building has a problem with you leaving it in front of the building, then you have to work it out the same way you'd work out any other issue that comes up in a communal living situation.
My neighbor has gotten tickets from sanitation because people walk by and throw trash into the tree bed in front of his house. Many of the same arguments that are made here could be used in that situation ("Its not illegal to toss chicken bones in the street" "You don't own the sidewalk" "Its more convenient than looking for a garbage can") but he's the one stuck paying the $250 ticket. Really, just move the bike somewhere else. Its not that much of an imposition and if you are really thinking of it as your transportation, well sometimes you have to park and walk to your destination. -
S#^!, last guest post was me...
I thought there was something againt locking items to public fixtures like signs, lamp posts, meters, etc. but I wasn't able to find anything.
I remember hearing this as well, although I thought it was only on commercial blocks. -
Was in Williamsburg/Greenpoint this past weekend and saw a couple of signs like that posted in front of homes and buildings. It is kind of weird though.
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This posting has a little more info on the law, or lack thereof, around locking bikes to signposts, etc.:
http://untitledname.com/2005/10/nypd-bicycle-theft -
Ben,
That was a good link. The NYPD actually RECOMMENDS locking bikes to sign posts -- as long as you're not obstructing passage. which this bike definitely is not. I'd also like to respond to "Guest's" assertion that "But riding your bike down the block and chaining it to a pole in front of someone else's house because its more convenient for you is rude, especially if folks ask you to move it."
I agree this could be considered rude but I have a feeling that this does not apply to most cases of bike parking! There is no indication that the owner of this bike lives up the block and that he considers his bike such an eyesore or a liability that he has opted to "ride it down block" in order to insult his neighbors. -
Subject: funny aside...
we were having our annual 'everybody in the building get together and do our front garden' day back in May, when our collective kettle boiled over about this really crappy bike that had been chained to an alternate side parking sign for ages. The tires were slashed and flat, the frame was rusted, the seat torn to shreds, and the wire basket had become a repository for the trash of passers-by (which our super had taken to emptying). The concrete under the flat tires was taking on an unhealthy rust/dirt sheen...
By any reasonable standards, the bike looked abandoned. It hadn't been moved in months - I recalled seeing it buried in the blizzard - what was that, February?
So we got some ladders from the basement, two guys hoisted the bike on their shoulders, and two more climbed the ladders to work the chain over and around the sign. Free at last! We parked it at the end of our garden and continued to work.
Not 10 minutes later, this guy walks down the street, and says, "Where's my bike?" We pointed it out, explained what we had done, and how we presumed it was abandoned. He starts giving us shit for moving his bike, and messing with his property! I couldn't believe it...
So which was the worse offense: him abandoning his bike (he confessed it had been there since the fall, because his building had no available bike spaces in the basement) and letting it turn into an eyesore? Or our tampering with private property (if he hadn't come along it would have been thrown away, and likely could be termed 'theft')?
Happy ending: we convinced him we meant no malice, he got the bike fixed up, and now parks it in front of his own building. -
Talk about territorial notes.. I once found a note on my car complaining it was parked in the same spot for too long. It had been legally parked for about a week (there was no alt-side parking that week). I guess the owner of the house thought of it as their personal spot and my car was but a guest.
Had to laugh that one off..
-bc -
what is YOUR property?
Would you still feel this way if the tree roots were encroaching on your neighbors foundation and causing thousands of dollars in damage to their home? Would this change if a thief climbed the tree and broke into your house? Would it be different if you purchased and planted the tree?
people can't see when they've taken in societal 'norms' that are above & beyond.
I don't believe people have the right to chop down trees for no reason on their so-called property. who "owns" a tree?There is no indication that the owner of this bike lives up the block and that he considers his bike such an eyesore or a liability that he has opted to "ride it down block" in order to insult his neighbors.
I don't really know what's going on here, perhaps there is an elderly or handicapped person living there who needs to get on and off the sidewalk at that location. Perhaps there is a school bus that lets kids off there. Or maybe its just really crochety people. In the end it doesn't matter. If a resident has a problem with people parking bikes in front of their home, be courteous and move it to another location. Its just not that big of a deal. -
bluecat wrote: Talk about territorial notes.. I once found a note on my car complaining it was parked in the same spot for too long. It had been legally parked for about a week (there was no alt-side parking that week). I guess the owner of the house thought of it as their personal spot and my car was but a guest.
i parked in front of my brothers house once. his crazy old neighbor comes out and starts to yell at me. that i cant legally park there for more than 2 hr!!!
Had to laugh that one off..
-bc
I ignore him and went inside.
next thing you know, my car has flats on them. my brother told me about this crazy old guy. he takes out the air out of everyones tires. he thinks he owns the surrounding houses next to his. good thing i'm not a violent person.
he takes the air out of my brothers car even if its park in his own drive way! crazy old racist! half the block now is chinese and russian. the old itlian guy there dont like it. he only bothers the none white guys. -
findcate wrote: whoa. we live in a city and it's a BICYCLE for god's sakes. Not someone's recliner & TV...bicycles are healthy & good for the air quality...
My compost bin's good for the environment. Mind if I chain it up in front of your house?
I agree the note sounds paranoid, but bike parker, if he/she is using this spot regularly, is just rude. Plenty of other bike owners in NYC manage to trouble themselves to put their bikes away. -
well, compost attracts rats. as far as i know, bikes don't. I imagine lots of bikers live in walkups and don't have anywhere else to leave them. anyway, we should all be able to leave our bikes on the street. it's a form of transportation--we should make it easier for people to bike, in this traffic congested city. not harder. and i don't see anything at all rude about chaining your bike to a street cleaning sign, on a regular basis or not.
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Some people need to reread the homeowners note. It has nothing to do with looking at bikes nor whether bikes are healthy for god's sake.
I'll venture to guess all those in favor of the bike don't own a home, don't have to pay home owners insurance, don't have to worry about a ticket from the sanitation dept. or finally getting sued if someone gets hurt as a result of the bike. More ridiculous lawsuits have been won so I wouldn't be surprised if this led to one.
Yes to the question whether or not if there are any signs outside you should carry your bike inside your home. Personal responsibility.
As for the chalk, you're missing the point of your own post. The homeowners don't have a problem with an eyesore, they're afraid of a lawsuit. -
actually, the point is that it has nothing to do with anything real, like getting hurt from someone parking a bike on the street. that's just silly. it reminds me of a neighbor i had in CT when we lived in a snobby gated community of beachfront property. this man was always watching everyone, waiting for someone to break the rules. I swear, he must have been sitting by his windows with binoculars 24 hours a day waiting for some stray jogger to come by 'illegally' or for someone to leave their kayak in the wrong place. the truth is he had no life, despite everything he had, he was just a completely annoying person who couldn't stand other people having fun--a self-righteous busy body. that's the mentality that I perceive in the homeowner who taped the note to this bike.
I mean come on, who really worries that they'll get sued because someone's left their bike on the street?? it's just an excuse to be territorial and self-righteous. And I favor the bike, but I also carry a $2m personal liability policy. You don't have to be self-righteous (or a homeowner) to be responsible. -
Subject: Re: Ridiculous note on Berkeley Place
more-eggs-please wrote: I was walking my dog along Berkeley Pl betwen 6th and 7th last night around 11 pm and came across the following ridiculous typed note taped to a bicycle seat. The bike was locked to a street cleaning sign next to the street.
I don't think giving this homeowner's address , or saying he vandalized said bike chain without proof, or suggesting parking bikes en mass in front of his property is "neighborly" on your part myself. If the person wants to write a note then let him have his vent. It's one guy who doesn't like a bike chained in front of his house. Big frigging deal. Or who knows maybe it's someone else who wrote the note and doesn't even live in the house. I don't see this as the decline of civilized manners much less the downturn of Park Slope. Now! Not saying thank you after receiving a tip for making a tea, well that's a whole new territory......
"Please chain your bike to a different location," the note read in 18-point Times New Roman. "We've checked and we are liable if anyone trips over your biked and falls on our property. Thank you for your understanding."
Is it just me or is this totally absurd? First of all, the bike was in no way obstructing anyone's passage on the sidewalk in front of the two buildings it was straddling (which begs the question: whose property is this bike on, anyway?)
I was tempted to throw myself over the bike and scream for help and threaten to sue the owners of the building(s) since I felt they deserved such an inconvenient consequence for having such a stupid issue with this bike. Instead, I peeled off the note from the bike's seat and took it home. Alas, the note was REPLACED (this time with even more tape) by the time my husband walked by the same spot this morning.
Does anyone else think these people are INSANE? This is in front of 109-111 Berkeley. Is this what PS is turning into? Would these people prefer to see more cars than bikes? Or, are they saying they'd rather this person park his/her bike in front of a neighbor's house instead of theirs? I don't think that's very neighborly at all. -
findcate wrote: actually, the point is that it has nothing to do with anything real, like getting hurt from someone parking a bike on the street. that's just silly. it reminds me of a neighbor i had in CT when we lived in a snobby gated community of beachfront property. this man was always watching everyone, waiting for someone to break the rules. I swear, he must have been sitting by his windows with binoculars 24 hours a day waiting for some stray jogger to come by 'illegally' or for someone to leave their kayak in the wrong place. the truth is he had no life, despite everything he had, he was just a completely annoying person who couldn't stand other people having fun--a self-righteous busy body. that's the mentality that I perceive in the homeowner who taped the note to this bike.
Ah, if only I was so enlightened as to know the motivation behind every person's thoughts and deeds!
I mean come on, who really worries that they'll get sued because someone's left their bike on the street?? it's just an excuse to be territorial and self-righteous. And I favor the bike, but I also carry a $2m personal liability policy. You don't have to be self-righteous (or a homeowner) to be responsible.
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right. well it was pretty apparent and if you lived next door to him you'd understand...the guy had the most amazing view you can imagine at his doorstep and he was pure misery. but he always had a very logical explanation for why you couldn't do whatever you were doing, usually related to litigation and insurance. I'm talking about leaving a kayak on the beach, and things of that nature.
anyway, just pointing out that i personally doubt the validity of the note and I think it's intolerance & self-righteousness more than anything, and i am just amazed that so many people have a problem with bikes on the street. -
Well, my neighbor was apparently evicted when I was in Spain. He's now set up his own little ShantyTown on the propery he was evicted from (behind the gate next to the front stoop of the brownstone). I'm talking a garden umbrella set up to shelter his dog, plastic bags up as sunscreens and personal property (think cans of food, clothes, etc.).
All this on my lovely tree-lined street.
If I had a bicycle chained to a sign right now instead of this eye sore, I'd be happy.
It's all about perspective, no? -
crazy things like this lead neighbor to kill neighbor!
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blksafyre wrote: Was in Williamsburg/Greenpoint this past weekend and saw a couple of signs like that posted in front of homes and buildings. It is kind of weird though.
my friends who live up there & their guests have experienced some tire slashings... even for just locking up for a few hours. very friendly. :roll:
my roommate had her van's tires slashed, too.. these people were like, "that's where we park, don't park there" and she parked there anyway b/c why not? luckily her worked paid as it was the work van. people are crazy.
what do people think of the cones outside on lincoln (CH) btw. washington & classon? for the hummer? -
vanilla wrote: what do people think of the cones outside on lincoln (CH) btw. washington & classon? for the hummer?
Really? Blatantly illegal. -
vanilla wrote: my roommate had her van's tires slashed, too.. these people were like, "that's where we park, don't park there" and she parked there anyway b/c why not? luckily her worked paid as it was the work van. people are crazy.
It's amazing to me that people would do this, when it's totally obvious who's responsible and they have a much more valuable piece of property (their home) that's just as easily vandalized (e.g. brick through their window at 2 a.m.). It seems incredibly foolish. -
findcate wrote: anyway, just pointing out that i personally doubt the validity of the note and I think it's intolerance & self-righteousness more than anything, and i am just amazed that so many people have a problem with bikes on the street.
I understand that you doubt it. I just have a hard time believing that an intelligent person can't see something from a POV other than their own without it being completely invalid.
And again, I don't think that "so many people have a problem with bikes on the street." Some people may have a problem with bikes on the street, but others are upset by the lack of consideration (some people just don't want someone else's stuff in front of their property) or possible safety issues, and I'm certain that there are a number of other, valid concerns out there.
Consideration - okay, I'm sure that everyone can relate to this - I had a friend staying over while visiting last year. Over the course of his stay, he pissed on the rim of my toilet bowl. Was I upset about the little drops of urine? Did I think that it was a potential health hazard? No and no - I was upset that he wasn't considerate enough to wipe it off. Same thing goes with dropping brochures/flyers etc on one's stoop. I remembered that some interesting things were said in those threads, so I looked them up - Lo and behold! I was surprised to see a couple of things that you had posted -findcate wrote: That totally drives me nuts, it is so annoying! Disrespectful to people's property and the environment.
even though...findcate wrote: actually, your stoop is public space (apparently).
So which is it? Is it being "territorial" on the part of the person living there? Or is it a lack of respect on the part of the other person? Or is it all about compromise in a city of millions, but only if I get my way?
As far as possible safety issues - While there is no law specifically prohibiting the locking of bikes to signs, there is also nothing confirming the right to do so. Further...SIDEWALK and STREET OBSTRUCTION
Considering that you need a permit to put even an A-frame sign on the walk, and the fact that the DOT must do an inspection and issue an approval on the installation of each and every bike rack installed in the city, is it a leap to think that there just may be some valid safety concerns?
Sidewalks must be kept free from unauthorized obstructions such as refuse containers or A-frame signs to allow the free flow of pedestrian traffic. It is illegal for anyone to place or leave any box, barrel, or other moveable property upon any public street or public place. -
WhyFi wrote: [quote=vanilla]what do people think of the cones outside on lincoln (CH) btw. washington & classon? for the hummer?
Really? Blatantly illegal.
walk by one day, it's funny. rumor is that he is not only the landlard... but you know, also the neighborhood connection.
security cameras everywhere! -
Subject: chained bike
Hi all:
I have mixed feelings about the long term parking of the bike in front
of the persons house. Last year someone chained his bike to our
stoop railing. The owner of the bike must have lived next door where
there was no stoop. His bike was attached to our stoop railing everyday.
It didn't bother me too much but I remember thinking it was rather presumptuous of the bike owner to do this. My husband, on the other hand, really hated the bike being there. Ultimately, since it was sort of
blocking the entrance to a Bean Sprouts storefront, someone left a post-it on the bike asking the owner not to park it there. The bike owner removed the bike. -
Subject: Re: Ridiculous note on Berkeley Place
This happened to me on my block on PPW. I kept my bike chained to a traffic sign. First I had a guy come up from behind, yelling 'Is this a permanent situation or what?" in my face. Then he put up a note to my bike threatening to have it removed by the police. Someone having the same reaction as you scrawled the following message for the poster: "you need to get laid more often."
Someone else came up to me from that building repeating that threat. I said "sure knock yourself out". He kept repeating it slower and louder as if I were a stupid foreigner who didn't get it. I called the Park Slope precinct to check if what I did was illegal, and the cops couldn't stop laughing. "Ma'am, the people in this neighborhood are always upset about something."
After a while my bike started getting destroyed: saddle, tires, etc. I found a parking space indoors for my baby, which is a Euro import. The whole experience was a bit of a culture shock (I'm Dutch) to me. -
Wow, whyfi i'm impressed that you researched my comments...
I don't see any conflict. Throwing flyers on my stoop is the same as littering all over it, the flyers blow around the street, creating more litter in the neighborhood. It's a waste of paper, and creates more work for the city (and for me) to clean it up. that's why I find it disrespectful.
A bycicle is not litter. It's a mode of transportation that also happens to be good for the environment and people's health. I might mind if someone chained it to my stoop (because I don't really thinkmy stoop IS public space since I have to clean it, although for some reason the law seems to consider it public space...but I might not mind, I'm pretty laid back), but I think bike owners have every right to chain their bike to a street cleaning sign, which I don't believe is private space. It seems to me like the contradictions your pointing out aren't actually contradictions. -
findcate wrote: A bycicle is not litter. It's a mode of transportation that also happens to be good for the environment and people's health. I might mind if someone chained it to my stoop (because I don't really thinkmy stoop IS public space since I have to clean it, although for some reason the law seems to consider it public space...but I might not mind, I'm pretty laid back), but I think bike owners have every right to chain their bike to a street cleaning sign, which I don't believe is private space. It seems to me like the contradictions your pointing out aren't actually contradictions.
Maybe this is the issue. A bike is transportation, but its not something that Americans think about readily as a transportation option, so it seems to be intrustive to just leave them lying about. That's kind of like someone who walks to work saying "I don't want to bring all the dirt and crud from the street into my house so I'm going to leave my shoes here on the sidewalk".
All I know is I'm glad that I live during the age of the combustion engine, because the horse parked in front of my house would have killed me.
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