Toshi, How safe is it to park at the bike rack outside HMC?
- Thread starter aurum
- Start date
Toshi
10 kW
hola.
my bike is there whenever i'm on rotation at HMC (i'm at UWMC about 30% of the time this year). my only problem with the rack has been having a cheap front light stolen off of the bike overnight. i learned my lesson and take the light inside now -- apparently even $12 front lights are attractive to Harborview's "clientele"
. as you've no doubt noticed i lock the front wheel and frame to the bike rack with a reasonably secure u-lock and secure the rear wheel to the u-lock with a ~3/4" cable. the wheels and seatpost do not have quick releases. my battery lives in my panniers, which i'd never even consider leaving on the bike. they come inside with me.
the other parking option is the bike cage within the parking garage (on the other side of the building). i don't use it since it's farther away from where i am most of the time, in the east hospital, and because i don't trust security to adequately patrol the cage. without patrolling it becomes a secluded haven where bike thieves can do their business away from the public eye. taking your bike inside the building is technically not allowed at hmc or at uwmc, and there's not really any good place to put it once inside, either, besides the hassles you would inevitably run into with building security.
does your schedule allow for taking a commuter bus for part of your journey or will your hours be early/late enough that the bus wouldn't work? i'd strongly recommending putting the bike on the commuter bus for as much of your journey as you could. i'd recommend riding to the northgate transit center, taking an express to downtown (loading at the last ride free stop -- recall that you can only unload at the first and last), and then riding up the hill to harborview some way or other.
my bike is there whenever i'm on rotation at HMC (i'm at UWMC about 30% of the time this year). my only problem with the rack has been having a cheap front light stolen off of the bike overnight. i learned my lesson and take the light inside now -- apparently even $12 front lights are attractive to Harborview's "clientele"
. as you've no doubt noticed i lock the front wheel and frame to the bike rack with a reasonably secure u-lock and secure the rear wheel to the u-lock with a ~3/4" cable. the wheels and seatpost do not have quick releases. my battery lives in my panniers, which i'd never even consider leaving on the bike. they come inside with me.the other parking option is the bike cage within the parking garage (on the other side of the building). i don't use it since it's farther away from where i am most of the time, in the east hospital, and because i don't trust security to adequately patrol the cage. without patrolling it becomes a secluded haven where bike thieves can do their business away from the public eye. taking your bike inside the building is technically not allowed at hmc or at uwmc, and there's not really any good place to put it once inside, either, besides the hassles you would inevitably run into with building security.
does your schedule allow for taking a commuter bus for part of your journey or will your hours be early/late enough that the bus wouldn't work? i'd strongly recommending putting the bike on the commuter bus for as much of your journey as you could. i'd recommend riding to the northgate transit center, taking an express to downtown (loading at the last ride free stop -- recall that you can only unload at the first and last), and then riding up the hill to harborview some way or other.
