Bike Parking: the Latest Victim of the 'War on Terror'?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA 
on 11.19.07
We’ve already heard how getting off oil would help us fight terrorism, and we know that climate change is a security issue, so we are confused, then, why a report over on the BBC claims that bike racks may be sacrificed in the name of keeping us safe. Evidently architects and engineers in the UK have been putting a great deal of thought into ‘terror-proofing’ buildings, undeniably a worthy cause, but this has lead to the decision to axe bike parking facillities at some major venues and railway stations (Bonnie already reported on the protests about this last week):
"There's a sense of panic about this. The truth is that railway stations cannot be protected from people carrying bombs like on 7/7. You can't check everyone coming into railway stations. The numbers involved are far greater than aeroplanes."He [Rail expert Christian Wolmar] fears the penalty will be paid by innocents like cyclists who will no longer have bike facilities, a problem highlighted at St Pancras and the Emirates Stadium.
"We can't let them win by changing our way of life. We need a bit of the Blitz spirit."
We’ve been unable to find an explanation why reducing bike racks would increase security, but if anyone has ideas, we’d be glad to hear them. ::BBC::via site visit::
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If removing parking for bikes is a 'key measure' in anti-terror measures we really need to worry.
Would be amusing but for the fact that, as taxpayers, we pay for this nonsense.
It's too bad, it seems like it could have worked to our advantage too. As you try to create a car-free coridor around a building to protect it, you should have plenty of space for a bike rack, in fact it could be a nice sturdy one that doubles as a barricade.
I would think that after emplacing all the barriers and stand off measures, the only things that you would have space to park would be bicycles. Besides, from another security aspect, bikes are much easier to search and can carry far fewer pounds of explosive. You can turn them into a good sized pipe bomb, but that is nothing compared to a Ryder truck.
Pure idiocy.
Americans do not require their government to guarantee their safety, only to do the best possible without curbing citizens' freedom. I assume that is the same in Britain, even though they don't have the exact same constitutional traditions. Apart from the idea that such government interference is morally repugnant, less importantly, when you curb citizens' freedom, you curb their flexibility and creativity, and that destroys the economy. Then there's no money to pay taxes and the government can't function anyway, like at the end of the Soviet Union.
that's a real bummer
Quoting the article: "‘terror-proofing’ buildings, undeniably a worthy cause"
I'm not so sure. How many public buildings have been the target of a terrorist attack in the last ten years in the US and the UK? That's how many per year? Sure, they make big news, but they're actually pretty rare, and not a major cause of death, even including 9/11.
There will always be terrorism, and while there's nothing wrong with being careful, there's something wrong with taking drastic measures for something so insignificant. Remember, if you can't park your bike near a public place, the terrorists win ;)
Hell, if that's their mindset, why don't we just get rid of public transportation altogether. Then we won't have to worry about terrorists bombing them right?
http://www.guerrillanews.com/headlines/7936/This_Bike_is_a_Pipe_Bomb
This is yet more unnecessary reaction against a very unusual event. In the UK we had terrorist attacks for years from the IRA, yet this didn't make us change our building structures or ban bicycles from parking nearby. It is time we put our foot down as voters and complained about this policy of fear. Something that is allowing our governments to take unreasonable measures and restrict still further our personal freedoms and movement.
re: "this bike is a pipe bomb"
How stupid can people be?!
Any bomb that could hide on a bike could hide in a briefcase or backpack.
anyway, I don;t see the big deal really. The people who drive will have to walk up to the building, so why can't they put a bike rack in the parking lot and the cyclists will walk up to the building like everyone else?
Recently, the Congressional building of the Philippines was bombed. The explosive had been placed on a motorbike. Because the bike rack/motorcycle parking area was right next to the entrance of the building, a lot of people were hurt in the explosion including a few Congressmen. When designing a "bomb-proof" building, you must minimize the possibilities of casualty. While any pedestrian might be able to deliver a bomb to the entrance, only a suicide bomber would be able to set it off inside a protected entrance. Vehicles meanwhile are normally left in an area, and it is impractical to check if the vehicle's owner is still around. Bicyclists can still have their parking area; it'll just be at the back where the cars are. Perhaps we've become a little spoiled by closer parking slots, but it won't kill me to walk as far as the guy who brought a car to work.
Recently, the Congressional building of the Philippines was bombed. The explosive had been placed on a motorbike. Because the bike rack/motorcycle parking area was right next to the entrance of the building, a lot of people were hurt in the explosion including a few Congressmen. When designing a "bomb-proof" building, you must minimize the possibilities of casualty. While any pedestrian might be able to deliver a bomb to the entrance, only a suicide bomber would be able to set it off inside a protected entrance. Vehicles meanwhile are normally left in an area, and it is impractical to check if the vehicle's owner is still around. Bicyclists can still have their parking area; it'll just be at the back where the cars are. Perhaps we've become a little spoiled by closer parking slots, but it won't kill me to walk as far as the guy who brought a car to work.