What am I missing about this motorbike parking issue?

[Meltedbrains]

Hello, I'm not a biker so hoping people might have some insight!

Boring context:
I work in a building with lots of different businesses and organisations. We have a small number of dedicated staff spaces attached to the building, predominantly disabled spaces for staff and visitors.
There's a large public multistorey car park visible from the building (including with bike spaces).

One of my staff is having issues with bikes parking on the cross hatching of the disabled bays (shes a blue badge holder). Reason given by biker: The spaces are roomy, involve an awkward angle (so dead space) and because it's most businesses the cars tend to only need access to one door so can butt up to the other line more /be less central in the space. To be fair we seem to be the only organisation that's complained in the building

I've obviously raised it with our building management. My view is it's a disabled bay, you can't park anywhere in its bounds but I'm an autistic rule follower. There is one particular bloke who does it

Eventually I've got some traction with his manager who basically read him the riot act i believe and the problem (at least from him) stopped for a few weeks

He's parked there on friday again. I've raised it again

Last week I was told that it was because his normal space is blocked.

I've obviously told them it's a blue badge space, doesn't matter. I wonder though why you'd be so persistent?

Is there a reason why motor bikes don't like parking in public spaces? Is it more risky, more likely to get knocked over? I've realised I rarely see them in multistoreys, council car parks etc

I know that vans for example don't like Parking on the street because of the high rate of people damaging them to see if there's tools.

I know the parking in a blue badge is a nono but there must be a reason why you'd risk being fired for it. Or do people really risk that just for convenience?

He sounds like a twat.

Bikes are more vulnerable than cars, easier to steal or damage etc.

However they still can't park in blue badge spaces! They have no idea what access arrangements the drivers have.

People just don’t care.

You’re not missing anything. They’re entitled and self centred. Keep the management on it.

I don’t fully follow what the biker’s concerns are from your description, but it doesn’t matter. He should not be parking in a disabled bay and the fact he knows he is inconveniencing someone who is entitled to use that bay makes this particularly unreasonable behaviour.

Keep on at it via his manager.

The issue is that many multi-storey car parks do not have bike spaces and they are more vulnerable to theft. You also cannot park them in any car park that requires a ticket to be placed on the dashboard because you don’t have one. Dead space eg in corners of car parks are ideal for bikes as long as it doesn’t impede the car parked there. It is never right to block a blue badge space but without an accurate diagram or photo I can’t work out from the description if it’s a extra large triangular hatched area in the corner or just a normal disabled space.

we do need better bike provision because it’s a far better use of space in a company car park, you can park 3-4 bikes in a space of one car or use dead space in corners. It’s normal to use dead hatched areas for bikes rather than waste a full car parking space in many circumstances.

now off to roast in leather on my bike (and we have booked parking!)

Pillion princess (boak) here.

He’s a twat. He’s also likely risking more damage to his bike by parking there. The tiniest of saving graces I could afford him is he feels bad parking in a normal car parking space… but, like, whack it in a dead space on the perimeter of the car park or something. There are also plenty of angle-grinder proof locks and chains he can get for security

Many bikes in multi storeys and normal commercial car parks can park for free, but, tbh, guy just sounds like a precious knob

This is helpful to know

I wondered if there was a reason he was so reluctant

I think he is more just in dispute about the level of inconvenience

My black and white thinking is that cross hatching = wrong so it's interesting that actually it's common for bikers to try and find dead space to park in

His thinking seems a bit more grey. He feels that the space is wide enough that he isn't impacting anyone, cars can still get good access to the doors because the space is wider than a typical space to accommodate a lamp post. He feel it's just people being pedantic about rules, I think because previous blue badge holders have said its OK.

I understand better now, and have to say he sounds insufferable. Quibbling over whether he is more deserving of the ‘extra’ space than the person who is actually entitled to it wouldn’t motivate me to take his feelings and rationale into account.

I wouldn’t call myself a black and white thinker by any stretch, but this is actually a great example of why sometimes we need binary rules - it simply isn’t on for him to unilaterally decide that your colleague can manage with less space or try and wear her down with wheedling and guilt-tripping.

My dp is a biker btw. Can’t imagine him parking in a disabled spot ever. You’re either the kind of selfish and stubborn git who makes your problem into someone else’s or you aren’t, biker or not.

He a dick. Report him every time and insist that it is moved as soon as you see it. Make it more hassle than its worth to park there

Without a diagram it's not possible to say if the bike is parked responsibly or not. Is the bike in a position that a disabled user could be inconvenienced? If so then it must stop. If the bike is on a wide area of hatching and isn't in anyone's way then why not? Bikes take up very little room and are poorly provided for, finding an odd space that doesn't inconvenience others is often the only option.

Does he assume that all vehicles needing a wheelchair to access them have rear ramps - because if so, he is wrong. Side ramps are also a thing, so you need room for the ramp and room for the user to get off that ramp. They need significantly more space than someone getting out of a chair into passenger or driver seat then dismantling a chair and passing it over themselves to the passenger seat/behind them.

Diagram really needed here!