Ever Had a Bad Experience Parking Your Bike?

[Builtgypsy]

I take up a parking spot with my bike whenever I park somewhere and there aren't motorcycle-only parking spots available. I'll park to one side in case another bike wants to park there too, but I've only ever had that happen on rare occasion. But I've never had a problem. No one's ever said I shouldn't take up a spot because it's just a bike, or never came out to find someone sitting on the bike, nothing.

Has anyone had any problems in legally parking their bike somewhere?

[NeedinJustice]

I take up the whole dang spot and park closer to the aisle so that someone doesn't mistakenly think it's an empty spot and whip in, hitting it.

[Builtgypsy]

I'll do that, just about have my butt sticking out so no one comes zooming in.

[Süsser Tod]

In here very few places have such thing as motorcycle parking spots, and wherever there aren't, you are not allowed to take a spot (but you don't pay for parking either).

On malls and stores bikes are usually parked on the curb near the doors.


On the streets... That's where it gets, hmmm, lets say, challenging. If you park it on the street, you will find it laying on its side as some dumb driver pulls in/out in front or behind your bike, and as most people in here bump the other cars...

So a lot of us parked our bikes on the curb. But I think that since 3 years ago it is illegal to park a bike on a curb/sidewalk, it will get towed and impounded.

[Electrical_Tech]

Never had any issues with parking. While we don't have M/C specific parking, you won't get towed or anything for taking up a parking spot, though you may get cursed on for occupying a spot in a busy lot. A licensed vehicle is a licensed vehicle and my bike has as much right to the spot as any cage. I've never been towed for curb/sidewalk parking but I don't think it's legal either.

[PhilB]

I try to find an odd (but legal-ish) spot, such as an end-opw triangle, or a space that has a shopping cart rack in part of it, or a dumpster or lamppost or something. Or share a space with a bike that's already there. I'm less likely to get hit there, and it frees up the big spaces for the bigger vehicles.

If such a thing isn't available, then I'll just take a regular space. On street parking or metered spaces, I'll find a place where there is a decent amount of space between a couple of cars, pop it in, and add a bit to the applicable meter for both of us.

Oddly, although I use the exact same parking strategy no matter what I ride, I've never had a problem with the Ducati, while my scooter got knocked over once, and when I had a Honda CBR600 for an extra bike, people backed into that at least 6 times.

PhilB