For Lack of a Rack
This weekend I had to run a quick errand in the Back Bay and ran into a problem.
While I prefer not to lock to railings either other options are not always provided. And the number of racks in Boston hasn’t grown as fast as the number of bikes. So even when there is a rack…
Enough is enough. I’ve decided to of take the matter into my own hands.
So whenever I need to lock up I won’t be lacking a rack.
In my hometown São Paulo, racks used to be very scarce, so I’ve learned how to quickly find a traffic sign pole. They are fairly common and can be embraced by the ordinary u-lock.
Now the council has set up a bike rack program: any citizen can request installation of nice, shiny, sturdy yellow ‘inverted U’ bike racks… given enough sidewalk room, they are provided for free.
They do some of that In Washington, DC. they are even taking parking spaces and turning them into bike racks or bikeshare stations
Indeed, finding a [car] parking spot is pretty impossible!
The Boston Architectural College on Newbury St was actually told they couldn’t have a bike rack out front by the historic commission. You know, a sidewalk’s distance from those historic meters and historic 2015 model cars. I mean, really?Meanwhile, all the Newbury storefronts have idyllic marketing showing people on bikes in their clothes, and actually use bikes as sandwich boards.
#illuminatilockup