by Don Cudd

In the year or so that I've been a bike commuter I've had several run-ins with store managers who won't allow me to bring my backpack into their stores. My argument is always the same: "I'll leave my backpack at the front of the store as soon as you start making your women customers leave their purses there too." As valid as my point may be, it rarely ever gets anywhere. I just end up in a shouting match with the manager, and my list of places that I won't do business with grows. To date the following stores are on my list:

* Albertsons * Barnes and Noble * Blockbuster Video

* H.E.B. * Hollywood Video

* Randalls * Target * Wal-Mart

While some might argue that I'm better off not doing business with these huge, impersonal, bureaucratic, even evil companies -- and I wouldn't necessarily disagree -- I think we bicycle activists should put up a fight on this issue. I don't like having to drive clear across town for stuff that I can find 24 hours a day across the street at Wal-Mart, just because I refuse to let, probably unbonded, Wal-Mart employees care for my valuables. Car drivers commonly lock small valuables up in their cars while they're shopping. I resent being told by store managers that I'm not entitled to the same level of convenience and security -- because the "glove box" of my "car" happens to be a pouch or two in a back pack. And I resent the implication that, because I carry a backpack, I'm more likely to steal than a woman who carries a purse.

We could encourage customers to tell officials of those companies that their policy is not only silly-- given that most allow women to carry purses -- but it also does nothing to encourage bikers, who, after all, are doing more than their share to keep our air clean and our roadways uncongested.

I spoke with an attorney friend of mine about the discrimination angle of this issue. He said that, if I had support from many more bikers, the group could possibly begin legal action of some kind against businesses that ban backpacks but allow purses.

I'd be interested in knowing what other bikers think of this issue.

[Ed. Note: Cyclists always have the option of leaving their bag with a store employee while they shop, although it's understandable that not everyone will be comfortable with doing so. Also, stores that are really wary of cyclists carrying backpacks could consider providing lockers for shoppers. Cyclists interested in the above issues should write to the author, Don Cudd, and not to the webmaster.]