Motorcycle Parking Etiquette

 

I am returning to riding after a number of years and would like a
pointer on parking etiquette.  Is it acceptable to pull into a taken
parking space if there is enough room for a second bike?  What if there
is a parking meter involved?  Personally, I wouldn't care if someone
shared a space with me but I don't want to step on any toes.

Thanks for your thoughts

 



The last time this happened to me, I parked slightly to the left so
the other guy could come in behind me to the left. This was at a
Dunkin Donuts/Gas station type place here in NH.

A minivan promptly pulled in next to me on the left.. an old beat up
junker Ford Windstar and a woman in her mid sixties or so threw that
passenger side door open and literally smashed in up against the
fairing of my week old 07 ElectraGlide.. putting a nasty gouge and
crack in the fairing. The whole bike shook.

I was sitting on a table not 20 feet away trying to enjoy a coffee as
I watched this happen. The woman then gently closed her car door and
started walking towards the entrance as if nothing had happened. When
I called her on it she gave me a dirty look and an "I did?!" and then
walked away from me into the store. When she came out I was handing my
insurance papers to the driver, her embarrassed son-in-law and
demanding his papers. She suggested that "if" that was going to
happen, then we better call the police. I quickly pulled out me cell
phone, which changed her mind completely.

$567 dollars later I have a new fairing and she has points against her
insurance for the next 5 or so years.

I HATE parking anywhere near cars. But if I have to, I park dead
center in the spot and no one else gets to share that spot.

Sorry for the long winded story, but I think it makes the point.

Steve

 

I was thinking more about parallel spaces rather than perpendicular or
diagonal spaces.  I live in an urban area and most parking in the
shopping districts is parallel and metered.

Steve L wrote:

 



Then you got the problem of parking to near either end and they hit
you pulling in or out. No thanks.. middle of the spot if at all. I
know you can fit multiple bikes in a spot and maybe in the city it's
rude to take a "whole" spot, but cages just seem to think my bike has
a big bulls-eye on it.

Some beach towns in Maine will ticket multiple bikes parked in the
same spot. Downtown Boston it would be rude to take up a whole space..
so I think it's a local custom type of thing.

What's your observation where you are?

 

I've seen bikes share a space, especially when Rolling Thunder comes to
town but I never noticed if they were friends traveling together or
chance encounters.

Steve L wrote: