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

Posted by Steve L on August 27, 2008, 7:38 pm

>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

Posted by No One on August 27, 2008, 7:48 pm

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:

>> 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

Posted by Steve L on August 27, 2008, 8:22 pm

>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.

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?

Posted by No One on August 27, 2008, 8:31 pm

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:

>> 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.

> 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?

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