My wife discovered a new sign today at our local library, Rogers Free Library. Posted next to the entrance near the bike rack was a sign reading, “No Lock? Come to the children’s circulation desk and we’ll lend you one”. How cool is that? She asked one of the librarians about it and found out that the kids had been stashing their bikes in the bushes. Apparently, in the process they were also tramping down some of the plantings. Rather than just post a sign saying bikes must be parked at bike rack, someone thought outside the box and decided to actually solve the real problem. Lend the kids locks so their bikes will be safe and at the same time, keep their plantings from getting trampled. Kudos to whomever came up with this solution!
It made me wonder how many other situations there were like this? Could schools implement a similar program and would that encourage more kids to ride? I know, locks don’t cost a whole lot, but they are a pain to haul around. What if you could be confident there was a lock waiting for you at your destination, would you carry one with you?