tikit On Trial Part 6c: Park Ave Atrium Building

SUCCESS! Date of trial: Dec 5, 2007, 3pm
Insider: BF Club of NY member
Type of building: Impressive glassy atrium with escalators similar to Price Waterhouse Cooper building.
Known policy/insider statement: I used to be permitted to bring my Friday up provided that I folded it and encased it in a large bag. After 9/11 they installed new security gates in front of the elevators, so for a while I just stopped using the Friday to commute. When I started up again the building management had changed and I was told the bike wasn't permitted. Good news may be coming, though. The NY City Council is apparently preparing a bill to force landlords to allow bikes. They tried this 2-3 years ago without success. Knock wood.
My approach: Dress to impress, left helmet strapped to my backpack in view of guards, remove balaclava, fold and cover bike, carried it in.
Result: Success - just. Guards at desk joked "you wanna put that helmet on and take a rocket to the roof?" I decided, for some reason, to ask if my folded bike was OK. He shrugged and said, "it's folded it's small, no problem."
Then, a guard standing at the entrance stepped forward and said, "that a bicycle? Not allowed, building management policy." A convo ensued not unlike the nightmarish Price Waterhouse Cooper trial.
I reasoned until they called Mundy's, the building manager, who said, "As long as it's completely concealed." Since a pedal was showing, the guard watched as I stretched the cover over everything so nothing was protruding. Then he showed me to the elevator. Whew! On reaching the floor, I was met by my insider and a circle of wide-eyed admirers (of the bike) who emerged from their carpeted cubicles to joke and trade bike-security horror stories - just for a moment. Back to work!
Visit http://www.bikefriday.com/tikit/trial07

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• tikit
• bike
• friday
• folding
• bicycle
• commuting
• advocacy
• cycling
• ny
• chelsea
• manhattan

[kembooo000]

I've seen the video the man in blue shirt is talking about on youtube. It was just incredible. The best part was when the police car passed nearby the guy who kept hammering the chain and didn't even stop to ask him what he's doing... Folding bikes are the ultimate solution to this robbery problem...

[dgalvan123]

thanks for posting these videos! Very interesting real world examples of what you can and can't do with a folding bike.