I was surprised that even here in Portland, OR…not far from downtown…I was on my bicycle and pulled into a small shopping center. I guess you could call it a strip mall, but it was pretty small and completely surrounded by small residential streets.

So imagine my surprise when (a) I couldn’t find any bike parking in front of the main grocery store. I had to walk entirely across the parking lot and over to the side of a dentist’s office. Then (b) I went back to the grocery store and discovered it had no indoor seating. There was plenty of room from what I could tell—they had an entire wall dedicated to greeting cards and another entire wall dedicated to flowers. But nope, nobody can sit here—even though they have a significant large deli! They did offer a very bland outdoor seating area over on the side of the building, but given it’s been windy and a bit drizzly I decided against it. (Also it was deserted for obvious reasons.)

Folks, I am so weary of bike/pedestrian-unfriendly retail. The accommodations car drivers get that we don’t continues to astound me—even in areas which are presumably “progressive”. 🤨

  • driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.brEnglish
    51·
    6 months ago

    Second, don’t you guys lock a bike to anything bolted down? For example a “very bland outdoor seating area over on the side of the building” or the traditional lamppost. If it’s not used, have at.

    I use an e-bike to move around, if I don’t lock it, or locked it to a “lamppost” or anything not a bike rack and got stolen the insurance is void. So yes, Im picky about where I lock my bike and don’t do business where I can’t lock it properly.