Removal of bike at St Pancras Station - anyone else?

Hello,

I'm a newby here, and if there is already a thread discussing this, please let me know!

I parked my bike outside St Pancras today, locking it to a sign post as I have done with million other sign posts, lamp posts and other street furniture where it was not expressively forbidden. When I came back 45 mins later, my bike was gone, and I was told it was removed for "security reasons" and I had to pick it up at Lost Property. Has anyone else had this happening to them?  Please get in touch if you have. Below a few more details. 

There was no sign posting anywhere on the whole stretch of the St Pancras building (the Circle, the road between St Pancras & King's Cross Station) that indicated that parking a bike there was not allowed and that it would be removed. I had to pay £5 to have my bike released, and had to shell out £70 on new locks, as of course mine were cut. I asked to speak to the station manager, who rather patronisingly said that it was my responsibility to ensure that it was okay (I think he even said legal) to park my bike there. My argument that normally, it was clearly highlighted when parking bikes was NOT permitted, was dismissed - he said they could not put up signs anywhere, and that you weren't allowed to park on station property - as if that was common knowledge.  I was so irate that I didn't want to take the conversation further with this man, at this stage, but I am intending to take this further. 

I went back to where I parked my bike - 5 m to one side was another bike locked up at a sign post, which was there when I parked my bike, and 10m to the other side, was a bike that had a notice attached to it that it wasn't allowed to park the bike there, and that it should be removed. And yet, my bike was removed without warning. I took pictures of these two bikes, and of the absence of any indication that bikes were not allowed to be locked there. 

I don't have a problem with bikes not being allowed to park at certain spots, but I would like to have it highlighted. They are tons of signs saying where you can and cannot park a car, but no such signage exists for bikes.

Please get in touch if you had similar experiences, the more, the better. 

 

Thanks,

Veronika

 

 

This post was edited by Vero at 06:20pm 20 Nov 2012.

Replies

Hi Veronika,

 

I had this issue with the Police in Trafalgar square. Exactly the same as you, no signs telling you that it was a no cycle parking area, for security. My bike was cut by Police and I had to collect it. Again, lots of other bikes there when I got back. It's complete 'security' theatre. Not really secure, as they take your bike and put it in their stores. Do they check for explosives? No.

I would ask for a refund on the locks, and if they refuse make a claim for criminal damage,doubt they want to go to court to fight for it. I got my £50 back from the Met.

 

Jono

  • By Vero at 08:36am 20 Mar 2012

Hi Jono, thanks for that - gives me hope, the plan is definitively to reclaim the £70, although I suspect I will be batted off with some stupid legales bla.... 

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