Human behavior can be understood as making choices that weigh costs against benefits before taking action, according to the rational choice theorists. I don’t buy it because our choices are always complexly situated.
But this theory can be an amusing lens on bicyclist behavior. For example: I rode my bicycle to the local big-box hardware store on Saturday to by a pair of cabinet hinges for $2.97. Driving a car would have added extra costs beyond the value of the hinges. But I also might have saved time driving, although I wasn’t spending time that would otherwise have been used to make money. There is, however, value to quality time, which is exactly how I value my time on a bicycle.
Let’s consider this photograph I made of the trip:
This was the best I could do for a parking spot.
Or was it?
I checked out the parking situation upon arrival and found no bicycle rack. My choices were there:
- Lock to a sign
- Lock to a fence
- Lock to a shopping cart corral.
- Take the bicycle inside and either lock it or walk it.
There may have been other choices that did not occur to me at the time. I chose number 3 as the best option. Cost effective? Hmmmmm…
Signs and fences are less secure than objects such as the corral. So I easily eliminated these.
My bicycle was certainly at risk locked to the corral from cars and careless shoppers with over-loaded carts. Taking it inside might have been entirely OK with the management. You don’t know until you try, and I didn’t try. I decided not to try.
So what was I thinking? What benefit did I get locking to the corral?
Take a guess 
Comments 9
Visibility? I tend to use this strategy too, and I also make a point of asking management to install a bike rack at places I patronize frequently on my bike. I’m also not above reminding them that their competitors have a bike rack, and that easy bike parking makes a difference in deciding where I’ll shop.
Posted 27 Oct 2009 at 12:21 pm ¶Next time try buying hinges at Markley Hardware on Bennett, east of Glenstone, just east of Foxy’s.
Locally owned and you can park your bike at the door.
Posted 27 Oct 2009 at 2:40 pm ¶If you’re looking for visibility, parking inside the door gives it, and weather protection besides. There’s almost always some secure rail you can lock to. Somebody inquires and I just ask where their designated bike spots are, or if it’s just OK then to just walk it inside as I’m sure they don’t want the liability of a theft due to their failure to plan. At our local Lowes AND Home Depot, I lock up to the chain that secures the hot dog picnic table right next to the exit door. Mostly, nobody gives me a problem. Hardware stores are not likely to be overrun by bikes.
FWIW, the local Target & Wallyworld BOTH have bike racks adjacent to their entrance. In my experience, of big chains, Walgreens is the worst, which is surprising considering they mostly sell smaller items well suited for cyclists shopping. Maybe they’re worried about school kids copying Buddy & me…
Posted 27 Oct 2009 at 6:22 pm ¶your bike has more sh*t on it than a bulls ass
Posted 28 Oct 2009 at 1:07 am ¶Hello… I like my shit!
Everyone… I parked my bicycle there because it gave me the opportunity to blog about the lack of parking
Posted 28 Oct 2009 at 7:56 am ¶When I am at the LOWES here in Columbia I lock my bike to their vast selection of brand new lawn mowers that are parked outside.
No one has ever said anything to me about it.
I’ve tried many times to talk to big retailers about their lack of parking with very little success. I did get a Walmart to remove their own bicycles from their bicycle rack after inadvertently insulting the store manager to the point that he said I was being a jerk.
My favorite story is the time I walked my bike into a local gas station to buy some sunglasses. The clerk scolded me and said, “get that bike out of here.” I told her that there was no bike rack outside. She very quickly responded that there was not one INSIDE either.
I thought that was so witty that I immediately retreated and left! LOL
Posted 28 Oct 2009 at 9:02 am ¶“Everyone… I parked my bicycle there because it gave me the opportunity to blog about the lack of parking”
I was going to say because it made a good photo for the blog post.
Posted 28 Oct 2009 at 9:50 am ¶Keri… That, too
Posted 28 Oct 2009 at 1:38 pm ¶>I parked my bicycle there because it gave me the
> opportunity to blog about the lack of parking
devious! : )
Posted 28 Oct 2009 at 5:28 pm ¶