Bicycle Austin forum

CharlesDuffy

Member

Registered: 2009-07-03

Posts: 56

Folding bikes not allowed in county buildings?

My primary mode of transportation is a Bike Friday Tikit -- with 16" wheels and a 3-second compact fold. Under normal circumstances, it goes with me everywhere as a matter of course -- shopping, on the bus and train (even when the dedicated racks are full), indoors with me in my office, etc; as such, I don't carry a lock.

A few days ago I went by the main Travis County Tax Office on Airport. The officer providing building security indicated that bicycles were not allowed inside -- folded or unfolded, covered or uncovered. He was kind enough to keep an eye on it while patrolling outside the building, and I was able to transact my business -- but being dependent on the kindness of strangers is somewhat less than ideal.

What would be the right channel by which to put a bug in someone's ear? When folded, the bicycle fits in less volume than a (non-folding) baby stroller, and is explicitly exempted from anti-bike policies elsewhere (ie. Amtrak). As such, I doubt very much that this policy was written with folding bikes in mind.