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parking on sidewalk

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:32 pm
by snoot
Hey guys, I've sometimes noticed motorcycles parked in weird places, like sidewalks, or on the embankment right in front of a supermarket, or on the stripey no parking areas of parking lots. Know what I mean?

Does it vary from city to city if this is legal? What do you usually do or not do when it comes to parking.

I never really know what to do with myself when I stop to park it anywhere other than work, school, or home.

Re: parking on sidewalk

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:45 pm
by jonnythan
snoot wrote:Hey guys, I've sometimes noticed motorcycles parked in weird places, like sidewalks, or on the embankment right in front of a supermarket, or on the stripey no parking areas of parking lots. Know what I mean?

Does it vary from city to city if this is legal? What do you usually do or not do when it comes to parking.

I never really know what to do with myself when I stop to park it anywhere other than work, school, or home.
It's illegal pretty much everywhere as far as I know.

Re: parking on sidewalk

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:49 pm
by Dragonhawk
snoot wrote:Hey guys, I've sometimes noticed motorcycles parked in weird places, like sidewalks, or on the embankment right in front of a supermarket, or on the stripey no parking areas of parking lots. Know what I mean?

Does it vary from city to city if this is legal? What do you usually do or not do when it comes to parking.

I never really know what to do with myself when I stop to park it anywhere other than work, school, or home.
I see you live in Los Angeles too.

California Vehicle Code Division 11, Chapter 9, Section 22500:
22500. No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device, in any of the following places:
(f) On any portion of a sidewalk, or with the body of the vehicle extending over any portion of a sidewalk, except electric carts when authorized by local ordinance, as specified in Section 21114.5. Lights, mirrors, or devices that are required to be mounted upon a vehicle under this code may extend from the body of the vehicle over the sidewalk to a distance of not more than 10 inches.

Reference: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22500.htm

Yes, many people park motorcycles on the sidewalk. They are not supposed to. You can get ticketed for it.

You also have to get to know the nuances of areas you frequent. For example, I once worked at a place where I would park on an isolated, dead-end part of the sidewalk in a private business complex. I never got ticketed because it was on private property, not a public sidewalk. And no one would complain, because I was not in anyones way and I was leaving a parking space free. So, everyone was happy. Just be smart and use discretion.

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:55 pm
by flynrider
Depends on the laws in your area. Generally, the parking lot at the supermarket is private property, so most parking regs (other than those for handicapped parking) don't apply.

I often park on the yellow striped areas at the end of a row (not the yellow striped areas adjacent to a handicapped spot, which is illegal most places.). Some large malls in my town actually have "motorcycle parking" signs in those areas. Never had a problem doing that.

In some places, like the supermarket, some people park right up on the wide sidewalk out front (usually next to a bike rack). I generally don't do this unless I see other bikes already parked there. The local management generally decides if they like the idea or not. The security folks will leave you a note if they don't want you parking there.

As for public sidewalks, no way. Most burgs have laws against that and they enforce them by having your bike towed. I wouldn't risk it. When in doubt, just park in a regular parking space.

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:21 pm
by slimcolo
Here parking in area between curb and sidewalk is OK in a residential area but is a ticket if in a bussiness zone. (city ord. not state law) I always pull next to bike rack at stores and only once in 30+ years was ever told about it. At local stores here they only care if you block their vending machines. When I was working in a factory we actually had a motorcycle parking lot that I didn't use. (sprinklers would wash your bike on graveyard)

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:48 pm
by kennydude
i park on sidewalks sometimes, been ticketed once. calgary is crackin down on it since last summer. they musta ticketd 100 bikes in the span of 5 blocks for parking up on the sidewalk
the way it went was the road had little shoulders for 2 cars to park at the meters (they are the zeros below.. the main road goes in the middle) anyway the cars parked at the 2 meters, and motor bikes parked along the lines the meters are on, our excuse was "we werent taking sparse meter space".
cops delt with it for half the summer, then ticketd for the rest.

Code: Select all

             ---0 --- 0---     bike parks here (along dotted line)
           / car parking   \
   ______/                  \__________
                                       Road
   _______                  ___________
            \   car parking /
             \---0----0----/
                    |       
                    |       
                    meter
                           

hum.. i wonder if the ascii picture conveyd my point :P

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:31 am
by SBK15
Everywhere I go I normally park on sidewalks, like the Movie theatre, or a restraunt. Everytime i've took my bike to the movies i've always parked it on the sidewalk. And cops are always loitering around the Movie's. I've never been ticketed.

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:14 am
by Nibblet99
Here, if it isn't causing an obstruction or on double yellow lines, you're likely to be fine

Some towns however have more millitant traffic wardens (Particularly as some of them get paid commission).

Its odd, if you park obstructing rights of way, a police officer generally has their interests in getting the obstruction moved than writing a ticket. Traffic Wardens its a ticket everytime, even if you're sat in the vehicle ready to move it if needed.

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:08 am
by Brackstone
flynrider wrote:

I often park on the yellow striped areas at the end of a row (not the yellow striped areas adjacent to a handicapped spot, which is illegal most places.).
I just wanted to point out something I thought was interesting and most states will probably start doing it. Here in Jersey they are coloring the handicap parking spots blue and the striped areas blue as well just to avoid confusion.

Re: parking on sidewalk

Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 11:42 pm
by Duncan_5
I have kept my bike in storage unit. My shed was broken down and from that day i have reserved space for bike storage in Tingalpa. The cost is reasonable and services are good too.