What if someone moves your ride?

[mayorofnow]

I'm live in SF. There's street cleaning on my block today, but I couldn't ride to work, so I parked on a different street for the first time. I parked how you're supposed to: back wheel near the curb, nose facing uphill (at probably a 75° angle to the sidewalk), not obstructing any driveways or a red curb. I parked between a bulb-out and a driveway, near an intersection.

As I was walking to the bus today, I noticed someone had moved my ride. Now, it's facing the intersection, parallel to the bulb-out. I doubt the rear wheel is still near the curb, and it could be facing downhill now (I don't know if the camber of the road overcomes the slope of the hill).

I had to catch the bus, but my flatmate also rides: he's gonna check on it.

If I got a ticket because someone moved my moto, would I have any recourse? Is the SFMTA amenable to a "that's not how I had it parked" defense? Do I need to snap a photo every time I park it somewhere I don't park regularly?

I'm not even sure what tickets I'd be likely to get - what the actual laws are or how strictly they're enforced on motorcycles, but it would really suck to get a ticket for something you didn't do, and have no way of disproving it.

 

[NorCalBusa]

In esseff, I'd just be delighted my bike wasn't stolen...

 

[295566]

SFMTA doesn't give a single fuck. They wouldn't dismiss a parking ticket a mate of mine got from a vehicle he had reported stolen over a month PRIOR to the citation being issued, even after going to the office and showing them the vehicle theft report. :laughing

 

[orbframe]

Why aren’t you using the fork lock and a disc lock?

 

[bunnygoat]

Why aren’t you using the fork lock and a disc lock?

Good question!

 

[mayorofnow]

If I set the handlebars all-the-way left and pull the key out, the steering column is locked. Scuderia told me this was all I needed to do to be safe from theft in SF - that nobody bothers to attack motos that are steering locked.

My flatmate left it parked where I had it, but straightened it out. When I went to move it this morning, I could see it had been moved again - whoever dragged my moto etched a trail into the pavers with the centerstand. Nice that there's not body damage, but still violating to know somebody with no understanding of motorcycle parking felt comfortable manhandling my legally-parked ride.

I have no interest in starting a conflict with a passive-aggressive asshat who thinks it's OK to touch somebody else's wheels, so I parked on a different block, and will likely avoid using that spot again.

 

[orbframe]

If I set the handlebars all-the-way left and pull the key out, the steering column is locked. Scuderia told me this was all I needed to do to be safe from theft in SF - that nobody bothers to attack motos that are steering locked.

dude no.

You’ve Been Tricked, You’ve Been Backstabbed and You’ve Been Quite Possibly, Bamboozled

In SF and everywhere your stuff will be messed with no matter what. You need to lock the forks AND use a disc lock, AND/OR a chain, and an alarm helps... and a cover if you’re gonna park outside like that.

Thieves and assholes are everywhere.

 

[dravnx]

Fork locks can be snapped in less then 2 seconds. Grab the handle bars and give them a good yank and you've broken the lock.

 

[295566]

Scuderia told me this was all I needed to do to be safe from theft in SF - that nobody bothers to attack motos that are steering locked.

lol no

 

[orbframe]

lol no

Exactly what was playing in my head when I replied :laughing:laughing:laughing

 

[gixxerjeff]

The OP signature says otherwise but this thing has to be a Buell.
It would've been gone otherwise.

 

[afm199]

Technically someone stole your moto. The fact that they gave it back doesn't change that.

 

[bojangle]

10852 CVC
No person shall either individually or in association with one or more other persons, wilfully injure or tamper with any vehicle or the contents thereof or break or remove any part of a vehicle without the consent of the owner.

.

 

[Shaggy]

Technically someone stole your moto. The fact that they gave it back doesn't change that.

No.

Moving a motorcycle within a parking space does not meet the elements of 10851(a) VC. The correct violation would be 10852 VC, but with no suspect information or damage to the vehicle nothing will be done.

§ 10851. (a) Any person who drives or takes a vehicle not his or her own, without the consent of the owner thereof, and with intent either to permanently or temporarily deprive the owner thereof of his or her title to or possession of the vehicle, whether with or without intent to steal the vehicle, or any person who is a party or an accessory to or an accomplice in the driving or unauthorized taking or stealing, is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.

 

[Beanzy]

.

Too bad so many non-motorcycle folks see motorcycles as nuisances. They'd not so cavalierly mess with someone's car simply because it occupied a parking spot.

 

[Cabrito]

I think someone is trying to send you a message that that's their space.. Like the own it (they don't) :thumbdown They might parallel park their car across their driveway and with your bike there they can't. We all know how hard it is to find parking spaces. Maybe they have a hard time getting into or out of their garage with your bike there. They must be strong enough to move your locked bike so they probably think they can also kick your ass... Personally I would avoid that spot unless you want to develop a negative relationship with your neighbor..

Someone dragged my CB750 a few feet leaving center stand scrape marks in the street so they could park their car. I was being a ass-hat and trying to save my parking space in front of my house by taking up the whole spot. I was pissed that someone moved my bike, but also felt like I deserved it in a way.

Sucks to have your ride messed with like that.

 

[mayorofnow]

I think someone is trying to send you a message that that's their space.. Like the own it (they don't) :thumbdown They might parallel park their car across their driveway and with your bike there they can't. We all know how hard it is to find parking spaces. Maybe they have a hard time getting into or out of their garage with your bike there. They must be strong enough to move your locked bike so they probably think they can also kick your ass... Personally I would avoid that spot unless you want to develop a negative relationship with your neighbor..

Sucks to have your ride messed with like that.

Yeah, definitely avoiding that spot. If someone feels comfortable fucking with my ride, it's not worth the risk.

I'm fairly sure both these scrape marks are from my Vespa:

I had my flatmate check on it while I was at work. He straightened it out, but it had been dragged away again when I went to move it.

(What an entitled dick to do that though.)

 

[berth]

berth digs in to his anecdote drawer, yes...here it is
Zillion years ago, Friday or Saturday night in Westwood in So Cal.

Heading home for the night, someone in a VW basically completely boxed in my friends car. No way we could get it out.

Thankfully, a group a 4 semi-inebriate football players were nearby.

"Need a hand?"

They then proceeded to pick up and move the VW for us so we could get out.

 

[Terek]

I had a guy in a Honda CR-V try to move my KTM 1190. I had it on the center stand, and I watch him on the security camera struggle for 10 minutes before he gave up. I should have transferred it to my PC, fun to watch.