Health and Safety Concerns ?

[chinchyesek]

I visited a VERY LARGE oriental supermaket in London with considerable
number of parking spaces for cars but nothing for pedal bikes at all.

I parked my bike secured to a used shopping trolley with my U lock but this
was objected to the first time on apparent health and safety concerns which is
absolute rubbish.

Have done so w/out objections for years.

Could you advise and confirm if there is LEGAL requirment to provide
cycle racks like Sheffield stands in the circumstances I set so that I can report
to the local authority or management in question.

Security was very rude, was disgusted with attitude.
.

 

[StuartG]

A folded Brommie is a H&S risk on an empty bus according to one TfL bus driver.
As soon as you hear those words you know you are most likely in the presence of someone with authority and no clue.
Its a lot simple to not argue, take your business elsewhere and send the MD a quick very short polite note explaining why.

You can't reason with the unreasonable.

 

[vernon]

There is no legal obligation to provide cycle racks unless cycle parking was an integral part of planning consent.

There are legitimate health and safety concerns such as when a bike is chained something and causes an unexpected obstruction to someone that might be blind or partially sighted.

Past custom and practise does not legitimise your bike parking.

You might get more satisfaction by writing a polite letter to the owner of the supermarket asking them to consider installing one just for you.

A couple of years of your continued shopping with the company might yield enough profit to pay for one.

 

[chinchyesek]

Perhaps tried to bluff a bit as to email sent below but erecting of bike stands
might be made a subject of retrospective planning consent?

Quiite new, built only in the early 2000s.
............................................................................
Will you pass matter to senior management
for their attention.

Securing my bike by a U Lock to a shopping
trolley outside that I've done so for years,
it was objected today on health and safety
grounds which is absolutely preposterous
and in bad faith.

Had finished my shopping of a just few
items and the thoroughly unpleasant
security guy will not allow me to pay for
my purchases, be done with and begone.
Insisted I remove my bike immediately
or else no purchase allowed.

It is a legal requirement in the case of very
large supermarkets like yours to provide bicycle
parking facilities for customers such as
erected Sheffield stands. Hope you
shall see to that.

You should also see to employing less
objectionable staff.

Await your considered response avsap.

Disgustedly,

 

[chinchyesek]

A folded Brommie is a H&S risk on an empty bus according to one TfL bus driver.
As soon as you hear those words you know you are most likely in the presence of someone with authority and no clue.
Its a lot simple to not argue, take your business elsewhere and send the MD a quick very short polite note explaining why.

You can't reason with the unreasonable.

 

[chinchyesek]

I think large supermarket chains including Waitrose are NOT in the least concerned
as to losing the custom of a single individual in respect of wrongdoings on their
part that's admitted.

People will simply throw H & S issues at you as a matter of
arbitrariness or excuse AND including matters the subject
of a court consent order they ignored, regret to say matter
shall have to be relitigated to my cost. But there you go...
that's life!

 

[vernon]

Perhaps tried to bluff a bit as to email sent below but erecting of bike stands
might be made a subject of retrospective planning consent?

Quiite new, built only in the early 2000s.
............................................................................
Will you pass matter to senior management
for their attention.

Securing my bike by a U Lock to a shopping
trolley outside that I've done so for years,
it was objected today on health and safety
grounds which is absolutely preposterous
and in bad faith.

Had finished my shopping of a just few
items and the thoroughly unpleasant
security guy will not allow me to pay for
my purchases, be done with and begone.
Insisted I remove my bike immediately
or else no purchase allowed.

It is a legal requirement in the case of very
large supermarkets like yours to provide bicycle
parking facilities for customers such as
erected Sheffield stands. Hope you
shall see to that.

You should also see to employing less
objectionable staff.

Await your considered response avsap.

Disgustedly,

If you has written in a gentle and hurt tone you might make have got somewhere such as:

Start with is how much you have enjoyed the shopping experiences at the supermarket particularly since you could secure your cycle by chaining to a trolley.. How great the goods are. How helpful the staff usually are and now, on what you hope is an isolated incident, you were turned away by a very unhelpful security guard. You could then appeal to be allowed to continue with your existing cycle parking practise and then develop the pitch into an appeal for some permanent cycle security features pointing out tha it could well attract other cycle shoppers to fine establishment.

Shame you've burned your bridges with your belligerent rant.

To be honest I'd have binned any letters like that that landed on my desk in my previous life as a large retail warehouse manager. I'd wait for the sequel on letter headed paper from a planning department or legal company before stirring slowly into action.

More politely written letters would get a more considered response.

I'd be very surprised if you get anything positive from your email. A hand written letter, remember them?, is a better medium for opening negotiations. Trying to call their bluff is clutching at straws.

 

[chinchyesek]

Rather high-handed this ill-educated (what else?) black security guy, the fact that store manager interceded in my favour does not excuse the very unpleasant experience I had.... have to make clear to those at top which I doubt my email gets passed to, how I really felt.

The bluff refers only to it being a legal requirement as to cycle
provision that the business just might fall for.

Had to get it off my chest, a wrong having been perpetrated
quite unjustifiably..... I don't see why I 'd to interfere with my
shopping so that this guy's orders get obeyed INSTANTLY much
like you'd tell yr child if he has done something grossly wrong or
unacceptable needing immediate rectification! Who the hell does
he think he is to order me around? At risk of the things I'd selected
not being allowed to be paid for at checkout.

 

[chinchyesek]

I'd wait for the sequel on letter headed paper from
a planning department or legal company before
stirring slowly into action. (vernon)

Self was wrongly detained at the hands of
the police, handcuffed for some duration AND searched
in an incident of my cycling over the pavement to get to
a bank cash machine. Believe me, it really did
happen.

Damages sought for false imprisonment, assault
and battery, personal injury ecetera, offered to settle
out of court, nothing stirred, not even after service of
form N1. It is only after service of Particulars of Claim
that things started to get stirred in earnest from
solicitor acting on their behalf seeking a settlement.

Raise the matter only in response to subject of
possible civil litigation raised; sorry if off-topic.

Cyclists are a vulnerable lot in more ways than one
....only that some are more so than others.

 

[vernon]

Ooo look at you.

Get off your high chihuahua and get a grip on reality.

 

[dellzeqq]

Could you advise and confirm if there is LEGAL requirment to provide
cycle racks like Sheffield stands in the circumstances I set so that I can report
to the local authority or management in question.
.........
.

it depends. If planning permission has been granted in the last fifteen years or so, then cycle parking might be shown on the planning application, and, if that is the case, enforcement action might be taken by the planning department. It's a long shot, but if you're sufficiently upset about it, you might want to spend the time finding out.

Here's a tip though........it's best to approach the planning department in a friendly way. In fact it's almost always best to approach everybody in a friendly way.

 

[chinchyesek]

Thanks for the info, dellzeqq, shall try find out from local planning dept.

My experience of council is that they're generally unhelpful in
the case of local trading standards when they didn't even bother to
respond in the two separate cases of trading standards breach
by local businesses that I reported.

Where there is a wrong, there is a remedy, shall not hesitate
to issue court proceedings if things were sufficiently serious
and BTW it's the only language other side will listen... boycotting big
businesses shall not make the slightest bit of difference on any
obdurate stand they may have taken. Must understand who the
aggrieved or wronged party is no less in respect of any incident
that shd NOT have arisen like in the police case that I'd sued on.

Detaining me in the supermarket w/out just cause amounts
to false imprisonment at the very least and actionable at law.

 

[chinchyesek]

It is permissible to take a folding bike if folded on both Tube and bus under regulations
.... make a complaint to TfL if challenged noting all relevant facts. H & S excuse is
rubbish!

 

[Bromptonaut]

Under what regulation is it permitted to take a folded bike on the bus?

They're explicitly permitted on the tube provided kept folded but even then I suspect H&S could be invoked in times of severe overcrowding.

 

[rusky]

Ask to see the risk assessment