No bike parking, no sale

I was commuting home along the A-Line, which passes a few blocks to the west of the shopping center at Westport and the Southwest Trafficway when it struck me that I needed several items for a project. I diverted to Westlake Hardware, one of my favorite hardware stores in the city, only to find there was no place to secure my bike.

Not only were there no bike racks at Westlake, there were none anywhere on the property. Nor were there any light poles or rails to use. E-bikes being expensive, I had no choice but to go home empty handed.

Bike racks–even the high-quality, attractive designs– are inexpensive, especially when procured through BikeWalkKC. The money I was about to spend at Westlake would have put a big dent in the cost of one.

I imagine the problem here is that these businesses just haven’t thought about the need for bike racks.

So here’s a reminder: KC businesses, if you don’t have a bike rack, you won’t get my business. It’s not that I’m trying to punish you, it’s just that I’m usually on my bike these days and I need a place to secure it to patronize you.