I live in a converted working man’s club/lodge type building owned by my landlord, Tom. There is a communal car park at the back for us residents. My bike is always parked in the first bay you see, because it’s the only one with something to chain the bike to. Everyone else in the building is fine with this. However, the landlord is doing some work at the back of the car park, he hasn’t told us what it is he’s doing, despite apparently removing some of the spaces. This morning it seems that a big truck of some sort needed to get into the car park and to the area Tom is working (he’s also a builder as well as a Landlord). This lorry appeared to be too big to get through the gap next to my space, so the landlord and/or builders decided to move my bike, complete with disc lock and chain and the post it’s chained too and concrete the post is attached to. Only a few feet, but they had to carry my bike as well as this heavy pole and concrete (i now feel like chaining my bike to the post was all a bit redundent now).
My bike had dust all on the seat, and the mirrors were moved and ecen the indicator had been turned on (I discovered that after turning on the engine, obviously).
What annoys me is that my landlord knows it’s my bike and didnt call or even knock on my door to ask me to move it or ask if it was ok for him to. When I went to my bike, nobody approached me to explain or apologise.
I don’t want to p*ss off the landlord, obviously, but he’s a bit incompetent anyway (in complete denial that there’s damp in the bedroom). However, I want him to know that it’s not ok for him to touch the most expensive thing I own. You wouldn’t move someone’s car, so why would it be ok to touch my bike?!
Or politely ask where he suggests you move your bike next time a lorry needs to get in. Because if he dropped it and it broke, you’d hate him to have that on his conscience. They’re fragile things and worth a lot of money.
Always start with good positive stuff, then move on to the more negative messages. For example, start the conversation on the fact that he could of knocked on your door and you would have been happy to move the bike if it needed doing. Start with this positive helpful angle, then mention that you wouldn’t want him to be reponsible for any damage. Being confrontational is not going to help make him more sensible in the future.
You could then ask him how easy was it to move as a first step in a discussion about improved security like a ground anchor.
Sounds like a plan Thanks muchly.Not sure how likely it is that he’ll install a ground anchor for me though. Though I don’t think the concrete was broken before, so he has broken it and henceforth made my cosy space less safe for my bike. I shall attempt to guilt trip him into doing something to help fix that. Our flat didn’t even come with a smoke alarm when we moved in so shows how much he cares really!!
He’s a landlord . . . he would eat your limbs in the night if he thought he could save money on his weekly food bill and get away with you not noticing that it was him
Even if he doesn’t want to pay for security, it doesn’t stop you talking to him about better security and whether he would give you permission to do things to improve security.
Thanks muchly.Not sure how likely it is that he’ll install a ground anchor for me though. Though I don’t think the concrete was broken before, so he has broken it and henceforth made my cosy space less safe for my bike. I shall attempt to guilt trip him into doing something to help fix that. Our flat didn’t even come with a smoke alarm when we moved in so shows how much he cares really!!
Nobody is gona be moving her