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Cyclist gets shopping centre bike ban overturned

Unexpected outbreak of common sense sees cycling policy updated

A Croydon shopping centre has rewritten its rules on bikes after a cyclist wrote to complain that he had been stopped by security staff while only pushing his along. Both the Whitgift and adjacent Centrale shopping centres accepted this was unreasonable and will now allow people to bring bikes in as long as they are not ridden or left unattended.

Mitsky from Croydon was walking through the Whitgift Centre with his bike on Saturday January 2 when a security staff member told him: "Next time, don't bring your bike inside."

Writing to Whitgift to question this, Mitsky said: “May I ask why there is a restriction on bicycles? It doesn't take up much space, not more than a baby buggy, and the centre was not particularly busy at the time.”

Rather predictably, a customer service representative responded by quoting the centre’s admissions policy, which at that time stated: “Bikes, roller-blades, micro-scooters, skateboards and Heelys (or similar) are not allowed in our centre”.

They added: “We appreciate that you were not riding your bike and that our shopping centres are currently less busy, however these policies remain in place to ensure the on-going safety of our customers.”

Dissatisfied with this, Mitsky wrote again: “Presumably all shops within the site are banned from selling those items, or any customers who do purchase them are immediately thrown off the site for having them there.

“This is a very unfair policy, as I was not being unsafe by WALKING my bike. It is comparable to holding any of the other items in your hands, or a parent pushing a baby buggy/stroller etc.

“I can appreciate people being asked to not USE these items on safety grounds, but the current policy is overkill.

“I don't expect a reply, I would just request that this policy is reviewed and amended to be more sensible.”

This is the point at which you would ordinarily expect such an exchange to arrive at a dead-end, but yesterday Mitsky received another response from Centrale and Whitgift, the organisation that runs both those shopping centres.

It read: “Upon reviewing your points, which were raised with both Operations Managers from Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres, the decision has been made to amend the bicycle policy so that bikes are permitted in both centres as long as they are not ridden or left unattended on the malls at any stage.

“The policy has now been updated on our website and will be implemented by both centre security teams from today.

“We’d like to thank you for bringing this to our attention and we hope to see you in the Whitgift again once the lockdown has been lifted.”

The website does still outline restrictions on taking bikes on lifts and escalators, but Mitsky plans to query this too, pointing out that Transport for London and rail companies don't bar bikes in these locations.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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14 comments

Avatar
grOg | 3 years ago
1 like

The lack of common sense.. the centre policy no doubt was meant to apply to riding bicycles inside and only the dopey, over zealous security staff needed the clarification.

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mitsky replied to grOg | 3 years ago
0 likes

Agreed, it lacked common sense.
Before I emailed them, I didn't see their website which listed the guidelines.
They provided a link in their first response, which showed it basically stated that bikes were not allowed inside.
So security were doing their job correctly, based on the actual rule at the time, even if it was still overkill.

Avatar
kamoshika | 3 years ago
14 likes

I was once asked to leave a shopping centre because I had a unicycle with me, and the security guard told me that bikes weren't allowed. I told him it wasn't a bike. He wasn't amused.

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hawkinspeter replied to kamoshika | 3 years ago
8 likes

kamoshika wrote:

I was once asked to leave a shopping centre because I had a unicycle with me, and the security guard told me that bikes weren't allowed. I told him it wasn't a bike. He wasn't amused.

I used to go shopping with a unicycle and in Asda asked if they could just stash it behind the customer services desk while I shopped which they were happy to do.

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RoubaixCube replied to kamoshika | 3 years ago
3 likes

Should have pulled out a few balls and started juggling while riding said unicycle. They might have laughed hard enough for you to make your disappearing act

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hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
8 likes

If you're not allowed to leave a bike unattended, then does that mean that you have to bring your bike with you into any shops as well?

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Steve K replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
1 like

I wondered that too. Though you might just be walking through the shopping centre to get to the other side, rather than visit the shops.

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mdavidford replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
3 likes

You could just attach a big brightly-coloured sign that says 'LOOK AT THIS!', so as to make sure that people are attending to it.

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Sriracha replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
5 likes

Does all seem a bit daft. People bring pushchairs into the supermarket. I don't see that as a reason for me to drag my bike round the aisles in Tesco.

Likewise I lock my bike outside the supermarket. I don't think that is a reason to expect parents to leave their infants outside in the buggy (though it did used to be common practice!).

These things are not equivalents.

And now the powers will be ruing their decision - already he wants to escalate the privilege.

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Velo-drone replied to Sriracha | 3 years ago
0 likes

Your example is not an equivalent either.  A supermarket aisle does not in any way compare to the massive promenades in shopping centres such as the one in question, in which there is no real reason that anyone should be prevented from wheeling a bike through.  

Challenging the lifts and escalators thing does seem a bit OTT - the ones at train stations have generally been designed to be large enough to accommodate bicycles, the ones in town shopping centres are often barely large enough to accommodate a human being in my experience ...   

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mitsky replied to Velo-drone | 3 years ago
7 likes

My apologies if the article wasn't clear.
I was spoken to by security at the Whitgift shopping centre whilst I walked through it in between visiting 2 shops with my Brompton.
I also don't have a lock for it as it would be a magnet for thieves if left unattended.

I should point out that whilst I visited the shops, which were not busy, not one member of staff asked me to leave my bike outside.
If the shops (and areas in between) were busier, I would have folded it to make it easier and safer to move around.
When using public transport hubs, most lifts are too small/packed to use without folding it. I also fold it when using escalators.

I should also clarify that at no point had I requested they change their policy to require parents to leave children outside in their buggies.

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Velo-drone replied to mitsky | 3 years ago
2 likes

I feel your pain - had exactly the same with my Brompton in local shopping centre.  I folded it up and carried the rest of the way, but it was entirely ridiculous as there was acres of space.  Not sure I've ever actually tried wheeling it through the shops themselves unfolded - though if there's security/till near the door I do occasionally fold the back wheel under and ask the if I can leave it there while I go round, if it's a smallish shop.

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mitsky replied to Velo-drone | 3 years ago
1 like

Which shopping centre was it?
Maybe You can point them to this article and get them to mirror the guidelines?

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jh2727 replied to Sriracha | 3 years ago
1 like

> Does all seem a bit daft. People bring pushchairs into the supermarket. I don't see that as a reason for me to drag my bike round the aisles in Tesco.

I don't see that there's any real reason anyone shouldn't wheel a bike around with them in a supermarket - particularly at the present time. If you are holding your bike and everyone is maintaining social distance, then it is not possible for it to be an obstruction. With regard to hygiene, cycle wheels only come into contact with the same things that shoes or other wheels come into contact with (due to their size they might be closer to the produce, but they're comparable in size to wheelchair wheels).

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