Parking Garages: no motorcycle allowed?

[EarsOnWheels_imp]

Went to Baltimore yesterday to visit the USS Constellation near the Inner Harbor. Tried to park at three garages. All had "no motorcycles" displayed. Parked in the third one after I checked with an attendant.

I haven't seen this before. What gives? Anyone else encounter this before?

[Chapomis_imp]

Maybe someone's too loud exhaust defenistrated a few cars

[Randy B]

Or just sets of all of the car alarms.

[emptysea]

Here's an article about garages in Baltimore. Note that it is from 2010, though. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-05...cles-ramps

[Krupator_imp]

Ok that article cites safety as the reason because the gate could come down on someone's head. So how about convertibles? That would be far worse than it hitting a motorcyclists who may even be wearing a helmet. I agree with Randy B about loud bikes probably setting off too many alarms. There may be yet another reason though.

I rode the CB to the hospital last month and at the garage gate it wouldn't give me a ticket! I simply went around the gate because there was room for a bike to pass. When I got inside I asked the guard at the front desk how I would pay for parking without a ticket. She told me that bikes don't weigh enough to set off the sensor that activates the machine (and not to worry about paying). The point of this story was to highlight how easy it was to bypass the electronic ticket booths at the entrance/exit on a bike and park for free. Perhaps too many people in Baltimore were exploiting that.

[emptysea]

The article mentions that motorcycles can ride around the gates and I think that's the main issue. The safety issue may be part of it (and convertibles are not motorcycles), but the noise issue and the bad image issue are a little implausible--these are for-profit businesses and they're not going to turn away good money.

[Krupator_imp]

Taken directly from the article: "Central Parking Systems facility manager Marguerite Morgan-Berard was quickly out of the office, politely but firmly explaining that motorcycles are not permitted to park in the garage. It was, she said, a matter of safety: The gate could come down on Tompkins' head." They cited safety twice in the article. They don't mention anything about motorcyclist parking without paying.

As in my first reply, I absolutely agree with you 100% about people slipping though without paying. The article however, says that they banned motorcycles in the name of safety. That's why I would make the convertible argument with the owner if this happened in my area. That gate could come down on the driver IF the top was down just as easily as a rider.

I'm just saying if it is a matter of money, don't enforce it under the guise of safety.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

The article mentions that motorcycles can ride around the gates and I think that's the main issue. The safety issue may be part of it (and convertibles are not motorcycles), but the noise issue and the bad image issue are a little implausible--these are for-profit businesses and they're not going to turn away good money.

Interesting comment; there is a garage I use a few times a year where the sensor does not open the barrier arm for motorcycles. I was forced to ride around it without paying, since the card reader is also triggered by the same magnetic sensor in the pavement.

I think this was just an oversight in the design of the self-paying system as with many traffic lights which still will not trigger with a motorcycle alone on the sensor. So the best solution is just to make the facility motorcycle-free until the problem is resolved.

It's an inconvenience, but then, motorcycling has some of these along with its rewards.

[emptysea]

Actually, they do mention motorcyclists not paying: "Larry Cohen, president of the Middle Atlantic Parking Association, said garage operators have differing philosophies about motorcycles. Some worry about liability issues, and others have concerns about motorcyclists going around gates."

I think that, while it is possible that a bike might not trigger the gate correctly and great a risk to the rider, I feel that the much more likely reason for the ban is that some operators grew tired of motorcyclists thwarting the system. Revenue drives both reasons, though. I imagine that fixing the gates to assure the safety of the rider has a significant cost in some cases as would creating a solution to the "ride-around" problem. My guess is that the garage operators feel that the potential revenue gain is not enough to make it worthwhile to change the status quo. Maybe ABATE will have some luck over time, though.

These things do take time. I am trying to explain to my local city council that there are several places in town where they could take current no-parking areas and re-stripe them to fit 2 or 3 motorcycles. My contacts at the city basically tell me that it's not worth their time to redesign the spaces for the few bikes that come around and they gain no revenue from it. Time, money, and preconceptions are the factors driving these decisions (or lack thereof), but mostly, it's money.

[Krupator_imp]

Empty Sea I'm not trying to argue with you, but I do not see that anywhere in the article linked to this thread. Is that from a separate article?

As for talking to the city and them not helping, have you talked to private lots? The city I live in has certain private lots that are very motorcycle friendly. When a bike pulls in they park you in one half of a car space and leave room for another bike. They charge both bikes full price, so they end up making double the money on that space. If only one bike is in it they end up making the same money as if it were a car. I can't hurt to ask them if they would do that.