BIKE: Cedar Street cuts bike locks

[Mike Dahmus]

As usual, I'm going to be the evil contrarian here.

1. The analogy to car parking is not appropriate. The cars are parking 
in public right-of-way (Cedar Street does not have a private lot of 
which I'm aware). It's up to the city to enforce the law there - and you 
can bet your bippy that if a car was double-parked there, they'd get a 
ticket.

2. I appreciate the prodding of the city to provide more bike racks in 
the area on public ROW. Private ROW is a different story. The city 
should be encouraging, but not heavy-handedly. For instance, the public 
ROW (sidewalks) around Republic Square would be a perfect place to stick 
more racks. The more the better. Yee-haw.

3. The bar should post signs as a PR move to indicate that bike locks 
will be cut - if they don't do this, they're stupid. However, the bar 
should not be unduly pressured to provide bike parking - they don't, 
after all, provide car parking either. If you can't be bothered to park 
your bike a block or two away and walk, as the car drivers are already 
doing, then you don't deserve our moral outrage.

- MD

Lane S. Wimberley wrote:

>I would also be willing to attend.  Please keep us posted about time
>and place, if this moves forward.  Hell, we could then proceed to a
>more bike-friendly venue for some beers, eh?
>
>I think Michael's idea about how UT handled the sitch' would be an
>excellent suggestion for Cedar St.  Also, are there any signs up there
>to let cyclists know (a) to not lock up bikes there, and preferably
>(b) where to lock up bikes?  That might also be a good idea --
>certainly more civil than the heavy-handed tactics they currently
>employ.  And, you'd think the bright folks there might get a clue
>after cutting a few locks...
>
>BTW, (4) in the list below might be "reimburse Amy's bike lock cost."
>
>-Lane
>
>
>Michael Bluejay writes:
>  
>
>>I'm in if someone wants to plan a protest.  I can't organize it, but 
>>I'll show up.
>>
>>If we do have a protest then we should have concrete wishes for what 
>>we'd like Cedar Street to do, e.g.
>>(1) provide bike parking,
>>(2) install signage where they don't want bikes parked
>>(3) not cut locks off bikes.
>>
>>One thing that UT used to do (and may still do) if you parked at the 
>>Union where they didn't want you to park, was to put their OWN lock on 
>>your bike along with an insulting note, telling you to go get the 
>>building manager to unlock your bike.  Maybe Cedar Street could lock 
>>bikes instead of cutting the customers' locks.
>>
>>Regarding Dave's point about the city, there may be a failure by the 
>>*City* to aggressively promote bike racks, but not a failure of the 
>>City's *Bicycle Program*, since that department has done everything 
>>they could to get bike racks out there with limited budget and staff.
>>
>>-MBJ-
>>
>>
>>On Sep 27, 2004, at 3:04 AM, David Dobbs wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>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
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Get on or off this list here:  http://BicycleAustin.info/list
>>>      
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Get on or off this list here:  http://BicycleAustin.info/list
>>    
>>
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