BIKE: Cedar Street cuts bike locks

[David Dobbs]

I'd be willing to show up with two or three dozen cyclists to give 
these tough guys a little bicycle view point on this matter and call 
the press about it, too.  Signs and noise outside the bar on their 
busiest night protesting the mistreatment of a lady would certainly 
make the Cedar Street owners very uncomfortable and get a lot of 
public sympathy.  Downtown doesn't need bad neighbors or more cars on 
the street and a press release prepared making these points should be 
sent to (a) the media, (b) the Downtown Austin Alliance, (c) the 
Chamber of Commerce, and (d) Austin City Council Members.  Television 
would love a protest like this as it would be very visual.

This would also spotlight the failure of the city to be aggressively 
promoting bike racks and the failure of businesses to get bike 
parking at little or no expense to them.  Bike racks are still free 
for the asking from the city, right?

For the record here, I presume we are talking about the Cedar Street 
Courtyard at 208 W Fourth Street?  That's the only bar I can find 
downtown with "Cedar" in its name.

Dave Dobbs
==================
Dave Dobbs
ddobbs
Austin, Texas
==================



>Thought you all would want to see this....
>
>-MBJ-
>
>----------------------------------
>
>From: Amy Chambless <achambless>
>Date: September 24, 2004 4:26:22 PM CDT
>To: mail, stgetr, aca, 
>BicycleMail, stephen.kreidler, 
>info
>Subject: Lack of Racks...
>
>Hello...
> 
>I wanted to inform everyone of a "policy" at the Cedar Street 
>bar/annex to hopefully prevent what happened to me from happening to 
>others.   
> 
>This past Thursday evening I met co-workers there for happy hour.  I 
>am a cyclist and rode my bike downtown because I enjoy riding,  but 
>also to help alleviate some of the traffic and parking congestion 
>downtown.  Upon my arrival at the Cedar Street bar I discovered 
>there are not any bike racks,  so I locked my bike to the staircase 
>railing that leads down to the outdoor patio.  I was conscientious 
>enough to ensure that my bike was not in the way of passer-by's or 
>folks coming into the bar.  Later that evening ,  when I returned to 
>retrieve my bike...it was gone!   You can imagine the helplessness I 
>felt thinking I was stranded and that someone had stolen my 
>bicycle.  I approached the door men at Cedar Street and was informed 
>that they  had cut the lock off my bike and removed it from 
>the  premises because  they felt  it was in their way.    I 
>explained to them that I felt it was wrong  to destroy my (or 
>anyone ' s) personal property. 
> 
>The doormen returned my bike and broken lock, but told me that I was 
>lucky that  they hadn't just thrown my bike into the 
>street.   When I requested to speak with the owner about being 
>reimbursed for my lock,    I was  refused with the excuse  
>that  he would 'tear me to shreds . '  The door men suggested 
>that if I want a place to lock my bike up , I should  take it up 
>with the city  instead.   They also told me that they cut bike locks 
>all the time .     
> 
>So, what?...if you park  your car in front  of the Cedar Street 
>bar and they don't like your parking job,   will they break your 
>windows to move  it ?  I am appalled that after spending money 
>in thier facility that I would be treated so poorly.  So much for 
>trying to make more parking spaces available for more patrons to 
>visit thier bar...which I will never do again.
> 
>Be Warned Cyclists,
>Angry and without a bike lock
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Get on or off this list here:  http://BicycleAustin.info/list
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