US, TX riders ... where do you park?

[mr72]

This is one of those nutty questions that didn't really come up until I started actually riding my bike places.

I know a lot of you are not in the USA, and even fewer are in TX, so this topic probably seems silly. But so far everywhere I have gone where I wanted to leave the bike parked, like while I go into a store, has parking lots full of ordinary car spaces. In TX we have a whole lot of big pickup trucks and large SUVs so parking a moto in a parking space made for a car SEEMS like a good way to get it knocked over when a driver can't see it around a truck/SUV before they turn into the space and knock it over.

Some bikes I see parked in white striped areas like in our company's parking garage, but those kinds of areas are not common in most parking lots. And here in the suburbs, there are no designated motorcycle spaces.

Anyway, what's the general solution you guys found that works? I'm just looking for ideas, particularly what keeps the bike from likely being knocked over and doesn't invite a parking ticket.

[qcbaker]

The parking lot at my job has a couple spots that are a bit too narrow for most cars (you can fit subcompacts there but everyone has SUVs and pickups) so I usually park there. But if I cant do that, or if I'm somewhere that doesn't have small spots like that, what I usually do is back the bike into the spot, and leave the front end of the bike about even with the ends of the cars in the adjacent spots. That makes the bike decently visible when approaching the spot, reducing the chance someone will attempt to pull in without seeing it.


EDIT:

Sort of like this, but with the bike facing the other way:

[Big Rich]

Not from Texas either (but I lived in Clovis, NM for a few years and loved going to Texas....).

72, that's a potential problem everywhere. I do what QC does as well. But when I park in an open parking lot I try to park way in the back since most people insist on parking as close as humanly possible to the entrance.

[Watcher]

I've been riding for 6 years now and on bike full time for 2 years and I've never seen or heard reports of a car pulling into a "blind" spot and running into a moto.  But I have seen people start to pull in and notice me fairly quickly.
Not saying it's not possible, but people generally do look where they're going.  Besides, I have also seen shopping carts blocking parking spaces so it seems like the average driver would be looking for obstacles while parking.

Parking with conspicuity is a good thing but I kind of disagree with qcbaker.
How many reports do we have of drivers hitting rear quarter panels on other cars by entering wide or turning too soon on the way out?  A lot?  I'd be more worried about being hit like that than being pulled straight into.
So I compromise and park it dead center in the spot.  It's not hanging out where a driver can swipe into it, but it's not hiding way in where a driver will get half way in the spot before seeing it.
I also would pull straight in, not back in.  The front of the moto typically doesn't have as much reflectivity as the rear, so in a dark spot the rear of the bike is more conspicuous.


Here in AZ I also see people park in the striped zones, sometimes more than one at a time, but in Chicago where I'm from I've never seen it.
It might be one of those "not quite legal but not quite illegal" things that's only going to be an issue from the property owner.
I've also seen plenty of people park on the sidewalk and I'm not sure if it's legal or not.  But for me, I'd rather have my bike out in the lot.  If people are walking by it they're likely to play with it.  Sit on it, sit their kids on it, they're kids have sticky fingers and poopy diapers, some jerk might even spill something on it or otherwise be malicious...
In a parking lot it's just another vehicle.


If you want a "real" answer, talk to a cop.  They're there to protect and serve.  You don't have to call 911 or go to the station or anything.  If you see someone in uniform approach them, excuse yourself, and ask if there's any law or rule prohibiting parking in a striped area or on a sidewalk.  They'll answer you, you'll know for sure.

[mr72]

Not from Texas either (but I lived in Clovis, NM for a few years and loved going to Texas....).

Yeah mostly I pointed that out so a lot of urban/east-coast folks don't think I'm imagining a problem. The other day I rode over to a Home Depot near my house (actually done it twice) and out of probably 1000 vehicles parked in the parking lot (?) there wasn't a SINGLE other motorcycle. But there were probably 300+ extended-bed full size trucks or 4-ton SUVs. I doubt that's the case in Baltimore or Boston.

72, that's a potential problem everywhere. I do what QC does as well. But when I park in an open parking lot I try to park way in the back since most people insist on parking as close as humanly possible to the entrance.

Yeah that's what I've done so far... park far away where nobody else wants to park, and at the end of a row so it's highly visible.

Still looking for other ideas.

qcbaker I think in your case the fact that the bike is parked next to the back half of a Del Sol makes this much more feasible In my office parking garage, you would not be able to see that bike because instead if 1/2 of a Del Sol there'd be a Tahoe or a crew-cab F250.

[Watcher]

I did a lot of editing to my last post that I think you may have missed.  Could be a good idea to backtrack and read it over. 

[mr72]

I've been riding for 6 years now and on bike full time for 2 years and I've never seen or heard reports of a car pulling into a "blind" spot and running into a moto.

That's good to hear. After 25+ years of driving I also have never nearly hit a motorcycle in a parking space, so maybe it's not that big a deal.

But I kind of disagree with qcbaker.

where's that popcorn emoticon? just kidding

So I compromise and park it dead center in the spot.

Sounds good. In TX we are instructed to park tail-in, so you'd back into the spot.

Here in AZ I also see people park in the striped zones, sometimes more than one at a time, but in Chicago where I'm from I've never seen it.
...
I've also seen plenty of people park on the sidewalk and I'm not sure if it's legal or not. 

In TX it's illegal to park in the striped area around a handicap space (yellow stripes, by law), but the rest of a parking lot is private property without legal regulation. So a white-striped area is fair game, as well as those painted pretend-medians they place at the ends of rows where there's slanted parking. I see bikes parked there from time to time. Also the sidewalk is flatly illegal in TX... and in my own city (Cedar Park) there's a city ordinance that you can't park any vehicle in such a way as to block the sidewalk access including your own car in your own driveway.

Next time I'm at our local HEB (big grocery store chain in most of TX) on the GS I'm going to roll around and investigate where to park. This is a common destination for me. There must be some solution. Heck, with all the hipsters and their scooters, you'd think there'd be a coned-off area for two-wheeler parking.

But for me, I'd rather have my bike out in the lot.  If people are walking by it they're likely to play with it.  Sit on it, sit their kids on it, they're kids have sticky fingers and poopy diapers, some jerk might even spill something on it or otherwise be malicious...

Yeah I thought the same thing.

If you want a "real" answer, talk to a cop. 

I know a bunch of cops, including a couple of motorcycle cops. I'll ask. Because it hardly matters what's really legal, right? It matters what the CPPD is going to ticket me for.

[qcbaker]

...
qcbaker I think in your case the fact that the bike is parked next to the back half of a Del Sol makes this much more feasible In my office parking garage, you would not be able to see that bike because instead if 1/2 of a Del Sol there'd be a Tahoe or a crew-cab F250.

True, the Del Sol is parked way deeper than the bike in the pic lol. I was posting that pic as just a reference for the position of the bike in the spot, though. The idea is to park it shallow enough in the spot that its visible while approaching from the side, ideally along the same line as the rest of the cars in the adjacent spots. I'll try and remember to take a pic of where I parked my bike today when I leave work to demonstrate a little better.

I've been riding for 6 years now and on bike full time for 2 years and I've never seen or heard reports of a car pulling into a "blind" spot and running into a moto.  But I have seen people start to pull in and notice me fairly quickly.
Not saying it's not possible, but people generally do look where they're going.  Besides, I have also seen shopping carts blocking parking spaces so it seems like the average driver would be looking for obstacles while parking.

Parking with conspicuity is a good thing but I kind of disagree with qcbaker.
How many reports do we have of drivers hitting rear quarter panels on other cars by entering wide or turning too soon on the way out?  A lot?  I'd be more worried about being hit like that than being pulled straight into.
So I compromise and park it dead center in the spot.  It's not hanging out where a driver can swipe into it, but it's not hiding way in where a driver will get half way in the spot before seeing it.
I also would pull straight in, not back in.  The front of the moto typically doesn't have as much reflectivity as the rear, so in a dark spot the rear of the bike is more conspicuous.


Here in AZ I also see people park in the striped zones, sometimes more than one at a time, but in Chicago where I'm from I've never seen it.
It might be one of those "not quite legal but not quite illegal" things that's only going to be an issue from the property owner.
I've also seen plenty of people park on the sidewalk and I'm not sure if it's legal or not.  But for me, I'd rather have my bike out in the lot.  If people are walking by it they're likely to play with it.  Sit on it, sit their kids on it, they're kids have sticky fingers and poopy diapers, some jerk might even spill something on it or otherwise be malicious...
In a parking lot it's just another vehicle.


If you want a "real" answer, talk to a cop.  They're there to protect and serve.  You don't have to call 911 or go to the station or anything.  If you see someone in uniform approach them, excuse yourself, and ask if there's any law or rule prohibiting parking in a striped area or on a sidewalk.  They'll answer you, you'll know for sure.

I hadn't really considered that someone might be more likely to knock it over on their way out of the spot, but I get what you're saying. I do try to keep it right in the middle of the lines, so cars have plenty of room when pulling in/out, just far enough back in the spot that its visible when approaching from the side. And the reason I back in was that I've always felt it was easier to see the front of my bike, since it has more surface area. Also, its easier to just ride away when I leave that way lol. But, I concede you may be right about the rear of most bike being more reflective, so maybe pulling straight in is better advice.

Also, totally agree with you about not parking near where tons of people are going to be walking by it. Although, I think people wanting to touch/sit on your bike is more of a problem for you since you have a much cooler bike than most.

[Watcher]

In my MSF curriculum we teach to park tail in when parallel parking or parking along a curb.  The whole side of the bike being visible to approaching traffic is very conspicuous and for pulling out into traffic facing forward is a lot safer.

For a parking lot?  I don't think it makes much difference.  Come to think of it, my bike has reflectors up front along the sides of the forks.  The only additional reflector in back is the license plate and the two red jewel reflectors on the plate mounting bolts.  But more is more so I use it.  Also keep in mind the park mode that turns on the tail light.  Unfortunately I can't use it anymore because I modded my Buell's headlights and they also come on in park...  But you guys shouldn't have issues with it.

Just don't park turned sideways.  I did that once at an old apartment I was living at because I was planning on working on the fuel routing and wanted more room for my tools and to sit.
While I was inside getting a snack and letting the bike cool off someone ALSO PARKED IN THAT SPOT BLOCKING ME!  Went around to a few tenants asking who the funk it was and noone owned up (of course).  In the end I had room to pull it out so I had to move to another spot.
Was tempted to pull valve stems out while I had my tool kit but hate breeds hate...

[rscottlow]

Like others have said, I typically park in the white striped areas. If there isn't one, I park in the most conspicuous parking spot I can find. I've seen some park on the concrete walkways up next to stores, but I've never been inclined to do so.

How many reports do we have of drivers hitting rear quarter panels on other cars by entering wide or turning too soon on the way out?  A lot?  I'd be more worried about being hit like that than being pulled straight into.

I can attest to this. Last weekend someone backed out and cut the wheel too hard, unclipping the bumper cover on my wife's Mazda. Unfortunately it happened while we were in the store, and I didn't notice it until the next morning when we left our house.

[barry905]

A few years back I went to the gym and parked in one of the spots in the car park. And sure enough someone tried to park on top of my GS and knocked it over. Fortunately he was honest enough to find  me and tell me that he did so, but since then I have tried to park on any striped area or anywhere where cars would not normally try to park.

Sadly, 4 wheel drivers don't seem to look too carefully where they park, particularly when the spaces are in short supply.

[rscottlow]

Just another suggestion...I ALWAYS look at the cars that I'm parking next to, no matter what I'm driving. I generally avoid parking near minivans (usually signals drivers distracted by their kids, or kids that are "grabby"), cars that are already dinged up, or vehicles that are clearly not valued by the owner/driver. I'd park between a king ranch and a corvette before parking between a '93 ford and a brand new minivan.

[qcbaker]

Just another suggestion...I ALWAYS look at the cars that I'm parking next to, no matter what I'm driving. I generally avoid parking near minivans (usually signals drivers distracted by their kids, or kids that are "grabby"), cars that are already dinged up, or vehicles that are clearly not valued by the owner/driver. I'd park between a king ranch and a corvette before parking between a '93 ford and a brand new minivan.

This is good advice too, I think. If a driver doesn't seem to give a damn about their own car, they probably don't give one about your vehicle either.

Another question: If you're riding with a buddy, do you both park in the same spot (assuming there are no other moto spots available)? You can pretty easily park 2 bikes in one car-size spot, and we'll usually will do this if my riding buddy and I are stopping for a snack or something. I'm just wondering about other riders' thoughts on this.

[mr72]

I ALWAYS look at the cars that I'm parking next to, no matter what I'm driving. I generally avoid parking near minivans (usually signals drivers distracted by their kids, or kids that are "grabby"), cars that are already dinged up, or vehicles that are clearly not valued by the owner/driver.

Great point. I practice the same tactic in my car (well, Jeep) and have done that for years. Only I generally preferred minivans because they don't have rear doors that open and ding your door. But I get it about kids. I'd add to that, around here it's not just minivans, it's midsize-to-large SUVs.

I think another advantage to parking a moto next to Corvettes and Porsches might be that you can see the bike over the cars.

Also around here, a King Ranch truck is usually an actual work vehicle. I mean, the 1300-square-mile King Ranch is not that far from here, and in the NW suburbs where I live is 5 minutes or less from many active ranches. And the drivers of these big old TX trucks, in my experience, harbor reasonably strong disdain for those of us who choose to drive sports cars or ride motorcycles. Either that, or they just flat don't care that we are there. While moms with kids tend to be among the worst drivers I think due to distraction, but the big-truck guys tend to be indifferent road-hogs who expect everyone else to stay out of their way. IMHO. I know I'm generalizing and there are certainly many who don't fit this stereotype, but after spending the last 15 years driving a tiny roadster on CenTX roads, that's my take.

Good suggestions, keep 'em coming

[rscottlow]

I see where you're coming from regarding the sliding doors on vans, and you're definitely right about the SUV's. It's just all too often that I see moms loading up their groceries while the kids are bumping into/leaning up against someone else's car, trying to get into their own. And I know from personal experience that kids like to touch shiny things    one of the first lessons I have taught my kids is never to touch someone else's vehicle without their permission. Looking is okay, touching is a no-no.

That's interesting about the King Ranch. Around here, guys that spend $70k+ on a truck like to keep them in tip-top shape, for the most part. I live in a pretty rural area with A LOT of trucks, but most farm trucks are the older models, and guys just drive the big, nice trucks for show.

[mr72]

That's interesting about the King Ranch. Around here, guys that spend $70k+ on a truck like to keep them in tip-top shape, for the most part. I live in a pretty rural area with A LOT of trucks, but most farm trucks are the older models, and guys just drive the big, nice trucks for show.

Yeah around here you have construction crew bosses driving $50-70K trucks along with the landowners of ranches etc. They use these trucks for work and are not overly concerned with their condition. I guess this is kind of how I treat my Jeep, which is only a year old and pretty nice in general but I use it for what Jeeps are good for, and misuse it for stuff like hauling lumber and tools.

This is Texas. Everyone has a truck, seems like (not me). A $50-70K truck is an ordinary DD for a whole lot of Texans.

[qcbaker]

...
That's interesting about the King Ranch. Around here, guys that spend $70k+ on a truck like to keep them in tip-top shape, for the most part. I live in a pretty rural area with A LOT of trucks, but most farm trucks are the older models, and guys just drive the big, nice trucks for show.

I've noticed this as well. I guess its different in rural TX, but in suburban PA expensive trucks are almost never used for actual work. This makes no sense to me. Wouldn't you want the nice truck with all the work-oriented features to be the one you do the work with? And if all you're doing is driving around for fun/show, not hauling or doing work, why even buy a truck? Wouldn't a corvette or something be a better "drive it for show" vehicle? I just don't get the appeal of pickup trucks (and really, SUVs too) if you don't frequently do anything that facilitates the need for such a vehicle...

To each their own I guess... 

[mr72]

I guess its different in rural TX,

Yeah but this is suburban TX ... I'm a mile as crow flies from the Austin city limit.

And if all you're doing is driving around for fun/show, not hauling or doing work, why even buy a truck?

Because: Texas.

Everyone has to have a truck. It's just the standard vehicle for men, I suppose because they don't feel like a "real man" without it.

And in some cases, they do occasionally put something in there, like the 8 year old's baseball bag or a new grill from Home Depot.

[Watcher]

Another question: If you're riding with a buddy, do you both park in the same spot (assuming there are no other moto spots available)? You can pretty easily park 2 bikes in one car-size spot, and we'll usually will do this if my riding buddy and I are stopping for a snack or something. I'm just wondering about other riders' thoughts on this.

You can fit 4 motorcycles in a spot of you don't all pull in at once.  I've done it going to a crowded restaurant before.  Right side goes in first, dismount, left side goes in.

Since 2 can comfortably fit in one spot I think it's polite to park like this, but I won't park next to a stranger's bike even if there's room in that spot.  In other words if I'm with friends we'll park 2 to a spot but if I'm alone I'll find my own spot.

[ShowBizWolf]

Any time I've ever gone somewhere with another rider (and bike) we've shared a parking spot. I also agree with parking in the striped areas... I do that when I go to a store or the mall or wherever.

+1 to the scoping out what vehicle(s) you're parked next to as well!!