Separate but Equal?

Years ago I went to a bicycle legal clinic where I first heard cyclists called an “embattled minority”. Since that time I have ridden many thousands of miles in many cities and found it to be true in a variety of minor ways. One of them is parking. The condo complex where I live has such a policy. Let’s review… here’s what car drivers get:

Here’s what bicylists get:

I don’t know about you, but that looks like a second-class situation.

My wife, who is on the condo board, made an attempt to change this, but it became clear that residents here are neither willing to allow bikes to be parked on decks, nor give up a single uncovered parking space for a bike rack.  What’s truly sad about this is that we live in a downtown area, and most necessities of life are within a mile or two.  Most everyone here could use a bike for much of their transportation, but few will because they don’t want to have their bikes in their living room or undertake the effort (as I do) of shoving their bike into a small closet.