Conference noted::bicycle

    
    As I'm sure Tim Reeves will elaborate, Reading DECpark is building
    an enclosed bike shed with card-key access. (The card-key is only for
    the bike shed; different from the one for the facility.)
    
    Can you believe that?!  :-)
    
    -john

    	Rob,
    
    	I'm one of the imbeciles who actually thought I could get
    	somewhere with facilities. Yeah, right.
    
    	There is no written policy. Period. It appears that each
    	facilities person ( 8-)> ) makes his/her own policy. I was
    	told "No bikes in the building. Chain them to the bike
    	rack." I, of course, pushed back and asked for a policy	
    	statement. I again received the "No bikes in the building"
    	line. Here are the reasons:
    
    		1. Bikes will leak oil on the carpet
    
    		2. Bikes will knock holes in the wall
    
    		3. Bikes in offices are a fire hazard
    
    		4. If I let you bring your bike in, the next thing you
    		   know, someone will want to bring their motorcycle
    		   in (and, I am totally serious about this comment)
    
    	Scott

    YEAH, an' after the motos come in, sumwun'll wanna bring a bimmer
    in an then we all mite as well wurk out in the parkin' lot - it's the
    only place there'll be enny space facryinoutloud.
    
    :-)
    
    ed

Here is the long promised letter that was sent to the facilities manager
here in Salem NH (NIO).  I received permission 2 years ago and have
stored my bike indoors since then.  I try to come in early so as not to
be conspicuous and use the less traveled doors.  No complaints from
anyone as yet (I check about once a year) (**except from my friend/manager
who's sick about hearing about bike races and assorted things**8^)
I went through a number of security, safety, and secretary people.  I was
willing to compromise but instead they have allowed me to bring the bike
in
**************************************************

                                                         April 30, 1990

Hello,

My name is Kevin McCarthy.  I am seeking to store my bike in my cubicle 
here at NIO.  I received 
mail from a Mr. {XXX} in NIO Safety who said bikes were not allowed for the 
following reasons but I believe I addressed all of his reasons satisfactorily. 
I have included his mail message along with my responses at the end of 
this mail message.  I also have my manager's and manager's manager's 
support on this issue.

I have checked the corporate policies and procedures manual in personal
and my secretary let me check her copy of the NIO site policies manual.
I have found no section  in the corporate policies and procedures nor
the site policies and procedures that excludes bikes from being stored 
in an office.  I believe that leaves the decision to each individual site
manager.

One concern that is often mention with regards to storing a bike indoors
is the potential fire hazard. According to the NH fire code, the concern is 
the blocking of access.  I have reconfigured my office so that 
my bike would be stored in a corner and would not impede access in any way. 
It would never be stored in an isle or obstruct any passage way.

I have been told that there are bike racks at NIO but I have not seen any
around the building or in any parking lot.  I have seen a set of unsecured
steel posts near the Core A and Core C basketball post, but these are not
bike racks. My concern with them is that they are in an
isolated location.   That is why I would lock my bike to the stairway 
hand rails outside of door 2 (a busily traveled route).
I have seen a couple of different bikes locked up at NIO but no
one seems to want to use the tubes.  One bike was locked to a
pipe attached to the building and one was locked to a street signed
just past the tubes.  Next time I ride in-hopefully tomorrow-I'll
check and see if the "U" shaped locks that a lot of people use can
fit around the tubes.  

Also the metal posts are near the basketball court and a missed ball
might damage the spokes on a wheel.  

I accordance with Mr. Olsen's statements concerning Digital's commitment
to help protect the environment and conserve natural resources (for Earth Day)
allowing secure and accessible storage for bikes would be a step in the
right direction.  The riding of a bike to work would promote energy conservation
.  It would improve the health of participants and thereby lower costs of
Digital health insurance.

I don't know if anyone else has inquired about their bike, but all I 
am requesting are somewhat secure storage space for bicycles.  On the 
Core A/Core C loading dock is a caged area that appears to be storing only 
junk. Maybe this area could be used to store bicycles.  It is out of the way. 
It has it's own outside access door so there would be no need to bring
bikes through a corridor. It is within the building and the doors are locked.  
Another alternative is to have real bike racks secured under the building 
overhang outside the library windows.  This provides some security in that 
bike racks could be secured and the librarian would see anyone trying to cut 
or force a lock. Also the racks would be located near a busily traveled door.

This issue is given considerable conversation in the BICYCLE notesfile
on RAINBO:: (notes 45.*, 322.*, 914.*, and 1480.*).

A summary of sites (from the notesfile) where bikes are allowed to be
stored within ones office are:
    LMO
    MR03 (Marlboro MA)
    PKO3
    Stow
    MLO
    YWO 
    RLO  (Rolling Meadows, IL)
    MSO  (Powdermill Road Maynard)
    UCS  (Mt. View CA)
    CFO2 (Concord MA)
    DLB9 (Marlboro )
    LNT1 (Littleton)
    Turin
    OPA  (Charlotte )
    WRL  (Western Research Lab-Palo Alto)
    SHR  
    TRN  (Turino)
    UCF  (Cupertino)
    UCO  (Palo Alto)
    UCT  (Palo Alto)
    FXO  (Franklin MA)  I've been told conflicting accounts about this
        facility.  One says they bring the bike in, the other says no
    
    
Sites that have bike racks that are covered (either by shed or building 
overhangs):
    ZKO (Spitbrook Nashua NH)
    BTO (Burlington VT)
    MRO1 (Marlboro MA)
    ACO  (Acton)
    Reading UK
    UCO  (Palo Alto)-These also allow bikes inside
    UCT  (Palo Alto)- "
    
A number of sites had bike racks but they didn't indicate whether they
were covered by any building overhang.
    

Please feel free to stop by an check out my office at anytime or to
contact me with regards to this matter.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request.

    Kevin McCarthy

Office: Core A NIO/J81
MS:     NIO/B18
DTN:    285-3582

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
****    Here is the letter from Mr. {XXX} and my response. My response ****
****    is designated by >>                                            ****
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Hello

	Bicycles, regardless of value, are not allowed to kept inside offices
or cubicles. There are numerous reasons why and I'll share a couple with you. 
>> I do not believe that this is a corporate policy since many other sites
>>allow them. (See notesfile RAINBO::BICYCLE #45.*, 322.*,914.*,1480.*) 
>>However, I will indeed check with the latest revision to insure that 
>>this is so.

1. Safety - In the event of an evacuation people would grab the bike as they 
            exited, which could lead to congested doorways and threaten Life
	    Safety.
>>I don't believe this is any more true than the guy who delivers mail jumping
>>on the battery powered mail truck to escape from the flames.  No one can
>>say how they would react in a crisis but I don't think I'd endanger myself
>> or others by grabbing my bike.

2. Liability - If the bike was stolen from your office, DEC would be liable 
            for the bike.
>>I don't see how you can make this statement.  Is DEC responsible for stolen
>>text books or CD/cassette players? No.  At Spitbrook, there were a rash of
>>pocketbooks stolen-did DEC reimburse all the cash that was stolen? I think
>>not.

3. Escalation - If bikes are allowed, then a moped owner could claim that his
            bike is of equal value. Then we get into the issues of gasoline
            etc.... 
>>Have you had any request for Moped's in the building?  It would seem an
>>exaggeration to me, to go from 1 person seeking permission to store his
>>bike in his office to suggesting that mopeds users will want to store their
>>mopeds in the office.  Ignoring that fact that mopeds contain gasoline and
>>do indeed fall under the fire hazard guidelines of the fire department.
>>I am not seeking to establish a corporate policy just to be able to
>>occasionally bring my bike into my office.

	I contacted other sites (MKO,APO,HLO,TWO) an inquired about covered 
bicycle racks outside. None provide "covered" racks but some do provide racks
where the bicycles can be and are locked up by the owners. 
>>As stated above in the notesfile and in the mail message to Ms. Van de car, 
>>there are also a number of sites that do allow storage and do have covered 
>>bike racks.

We provide a bike rack at NIO for this purpose, but our security group cannot 
and will not accept the responsibility for them.
>>I am not seeking anyone to be responsible for my bike.  I am seeking the
>>opportunity to ride my bike to work and have a very good chance that my
>>bike will be where I left it at the end of the work day.  A thief will
>>probably not bother a bike by a window where they will have a greater chance
>>of being seen.

	I'm available to discuss this or any other safety issue at your 
convenience if need be. Please feel free to contact me at 5-2429.
>>After I check with the latest revision of corporate policies and procedures
>>I will indeed be in touch.

    MCarthy , you did an excellent job covering all posible angles if we
    all took our time to prepare this world would be much better.
    
    Remember those people that tries to force us off the roads are the same 
    ones who frown on seing cyclist with their bikes in the buiolding.
    here in UCF my only problem was parking close to the entrance where
    the building overhang protects the bike from the elemements. I ussualy
    come in early enough that no body sees me walking in with my bike.
    
    Good luck 
    ED

Hello there. Yes, all these responses sound remarkably familiar. Here in
Digital Park, Reading, U.K., we are "lucky" to have what is called a campus
site. That is, there is no way the building can be surrounded by fences or
generally be made more secure at the perimeter. Therefore, the only real
security Digital can provide is at the entrance to the building.

How many of you can guess the result? The car park is open to anyone who is
interested in taking a look at what's there. The bike shed used to be located
in the middle of the car park. In one day, 3 bikes were taken. In each case
they were securely locked to the bike rack, but bolt cutters made pretty short
work of that. As a result, over �2000 of bikes disappeared.

The "luck" comes in because we were then able to get the Facilities management
actively involved in solving the problem. This is also made more critical due
to a severe lack of parking space here. Digital Park now has about 1800 people
in it, with parking for 1000, at a guess. With this ammunition, we were able to
help Facilities to understand what was required in order to encourage people to
cycle to work. At a minimum, we want to be sure our bikes are still there when
we want to go home!

The present arrangement is that there will be a secure cycle park, with space
for about 40 bikes. We are working on what the internal arrangement will be at
the moment. If anyone has any suggestions, please get in touch. The she will be
covered and have a cardkey access on the door. Only those employees who have
expressed an interest will be granted access. Although not a perfect answer, it
is certainly a great improvement on what we have now. One obvious concern is
what happens when the weather warms up and more people are cycling.

So, Digital Park will soon have a reasonable cycle parking option. Personally,
I would vote for having the bikes inside the building. However, there has been
a resounding NO! on that. This shed seems a reasonable compromise. Also, it
puts us into a better position when we need to upgrade the facilities further.

Tim

    
    RE: .-1 "What happens when the weather warms up and more people
            cycle in?"
    
    Well, my bike is locked to a tree right now because the bike rack
    is full.  And this is March!  (Ok, the remote racks may have some
    room - the ones where the thefts have taken place.)
    
    -john

    RE .-2
    
    Have you any idea when this shed will be built and what sort of racks
    it will have ?
    
    Also, room for 40 bikes seems a bit small. There'll be twice that
    number in the Summer.
    
    Paul

    Re last
    
    If you contact Tim Reeve F7/C7 in DEcpark1, Paul, he can show you the
    drawings and accept your comments. I don't think that 40 is too small
    (not everyone will want to use the new shed and Facilities have done a
    survey). There is a limit to the size of this shed - due to the
    security requirement it is being built (very soon, BTW) in the area
    between DECpark 1 and 2.
    
    Chris

    Thanks for your comments, it should make my request easier. 
    
    re .4  If security does not want bicycles inside because they cannot be
           responsible, does that imply they are responsible when they are
           locked to Digital's supplied bicycle rack?
    
    
    	Rob Miskowitch

     Just a little editorial... I would approach (in WMO anyway - and if
    there was a problem - there isn't) it froma prespective that it is
    none of Security's business. I would talk to the facilities people
    first (plant engeering and the health and safety folks). But even
    before them, I'd probably hit up some senior mgmt. types in the
    building to try and get some support...
    
     I hate the way security acts/thinks and makes a bottom line (if
    not a totally subjective) decision. Not fair! PERIOD!
    
     I LUV BUCKING THOSE GUYS!
    
        Chip_the_ballistic_rebel

    
    
    	At SQF we have a bike shed in the middle of the car park. Again,
    the car park is not secure, with security only on the building and
    facilities. This site was only open 3 years when the first car went
    walkies. If they can pinch cars, there ain't no way I'm leaving my bike
    here.
    
    Graham.
     

    But I suppose they object if you keep the bike at your place of work
    :-)

    
    
    	A quick wipe down with IPA and who's to know the difference? After
    all they go on about it being paper free, never mention bike free...
    
    Graham :*)
    

'Just wanted to let you folks know...

After months of lobbying, the facilities folks at ZK0 finally gave in and
allocated a covered, locked, bicycle storage area.

If you want to use it, send e-mail and I'll tell you about it and how to
get a key.  I'd also be happy to send copies of the letters I wrote if
you'd like to lobby for a similar storage area at your site.


John


P.S. (heard along the way)

      "Why can't I just bring my bike into my cube?"

      "Because if we allowed YOU to do it, we'd have 2000 bikes running
       through the halls here!"

      "Well, you can bring PIECES of your bike into the building, but
       absolutely not the whole, assembled unit."

      "We can't allow you to do that because it's not allowed and it's
       never been allowed." 

RE: <<< Note 2214.15 by TLE::PARKS >>>

>the facilities folks at ZK0 finally gave in and
>allocated a covered, locked, bicycle storage area.

Where is it, within the ZKO grounds?

Related subject: I've been locking my bicycle at the rack between ZKO-1 and -2.
This has worked well. But of the 14 or so slots, half contain locks that
people have left in place. Thus half of the slots are unusable. Why do people
do that? If any reader has a lock that they've left, could you retrieve it? On
a couple of occasions the usable slots have almost been filled, and I would
hate to have someone forced to find another more exposed/public place.
						-- Tom

    re: .16
    
    I can answer that (Why do people leave locks on racks?) question.
    When I was in school, I commuted by bike.  At home, I brought my
    bike inside, so I didn't want the hassle of carry my U-bolt lock
    around, everywhere I went.  Of course, those racks were the "double-
    hoop" variety and there was plenty of room to fasten your lock
    without affecting the space on the rack.  You must have the "vertical
    slat" type...
    
    r�

RE: <<< Note 2214.17 by 33972::RRODRIGUEZ "Where's that Tour d' France thang?" >>>

>    the hassle of carry my U-bolt lock around, everywhere I went.

I don't like the hassle of carrying my heavy lock around either, but I do it
anyway. Besides, I sometimes lock my bike in places other than work, and don't
want to buy lots of locks.
						-- Tom

    Does anyone know the "policy" at AKO2?
    thx,
    Nancy