Hospital: X X Medical Center, how may I help you?
Me: I was wondering if you had any bike parking available.
Hospital: You mean, like, a motorcycle? You just park in a regular space.
Me: No, a bicycle.
Hospital: Um, you're going to ride your bicycle? Um, I don't know. Hang on. (Muffled) This guy says he's going to ride his bike here and wants to know if we have a place he can park it. [pause] No, a BI-cycle. [pause] I know. (No longer muffled) I don't know if we do.
Me: Who takes care of parking problems there?
Hospital: Um, let me get you security.
I then spoke with a helpful gal in security who said that she thought there might be a bike rack on the bottom level of the covered parking. I thanked her and when I rode to the hospital I did find the lone bike rack in an area that I didn't feel comfortable locking up.
I decided to lock it up next to the front entrance. Easier to get to. The railing I locked up to couldn't be picked up along with the bike - and - the security cameras regularly sweep past the spot.
Yeah, much better.
4 comments:
Overland Park Regional certainly doesn't have this problem. Under the covered main entry circle drive, visible from the lobby:
http://www.kc-bike.net/photo/2008-03-30-hybridzilla.jpg
http://www.kc-bike.net/photo/2008-1-5-oprmc-rack.jpg
Sadly, I've had to lock up to that rack an awful lot lately. I can't say I know exactly how you feel (my wife isn't apparently in imminent peril) but I can sympathize.
Your family is in our prayers.
By the way, I have gotten lazy. The ER Entrance doesn't have a rack and it's a bit of a hike. I'm no stranger to railing lock jobs.
http://www.kc-bike.net/photo/ERPrkng.jpg
Ran into the same issue over the summer. I had to head to a local hospital every few weeks to plan an exercise (pandemic flu response) and the first time there I asked the valet parking guys about bike parking (sitting on the bike) and got a blank look. I just cabled to one of the posts in front of the place.
I hope things go well for you.
At hospitals I typically lock up at a railing just like your photo shows. Some creativity is often required.
My grandfather is in hospice right now -- it's a matter of days for him. He's 83 years old and ready to go, but it's still tough for the rest of us.
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