Bike parking still a no can-can do at Shop Wrong

This wonderful video shows how easy it is to shop by bike in the Netherlands:

Of course, back in the U.S., it can be a very different experience. Just finding secure bike parking can be a daunting task. At Shop Rite in Ogletown, it remains a no can-can do, regardless of how many bikes are locked to outside furniture.

The store on Rt.4-Chestnut Hill draws many bike shoppers and commuters, yet repeated pleas for bike parking fall on deaf ears.

6 bags of groceries await careful arrangement in Caroline’s panniers.

“I spend $150 for groceries every two weeks, and this is what I get for bike parking” says Caroline Honse, pictured above. Car-free for over 7 years, she continues faithfully shopping at the Chestnut Hill Shop "Wrong" despite the atrocious bike parking conditions. “Non-drivers are routinely disenfranchised, and this case is a good example. Here we are reducing our dependence on motor vehicles, doing our part for a clean environment and better quality of life. Providing a bike rack is one of the most cost effective ways of encouraging more folks to do the same”.

The food store chain – like too many others in its class – fails to provide secure bike parking, and riders are left in search of anything they can find that will take a lock and hold a bike upright as they load groceries. It is not uncommon to find multiple bikes – as many as a dozen on occasion – scattered about the front of the store. A cart corral above appears to be a common target, and is Caroline’s first choice if space is available. But sometimes there isn’t, and a tree or sign post becomes a last resort. (originally posted on Nov. 6, 2011)