Help Us Park

With the expansion of almost every large Supermarket and Retail Park throughout Northern Ireland, MAG is calling on retail giants to follow the lead taken by J Sainsbury’s in Ballymena and offer designated (and preferably secure) parking for motorcycles.

Some of these retail parks have doubled in size, incorporating hundreds of new parking spaces and concrete sandwich parking - catering for everyone from the disabled to single mothers, all new handy pick up points and drop off zones, yet disappointingly, there often is nowhere even remotely practical to leave your motorcycle without risk of it being, at best, knocked over by a reversing and oblivious carefree shopper. 

One MAG member explained his torment at having his bike knocked over not once but twice, in the same car park at a retail complex in Ballymena within a matter of weeks.

And when you do find that nook to slide your bike in out of the way its usually at the risk of some security guard’s pent up aggression, the risk that out of reach sometimes means out of sight and a temptation to thieves, and on occasion some hi visibility vested trolley boy will decide he can manhandle your bike out of the way in a bid to offload 150 wobbly shopping carts.

Junction One, the factory outlet complex near Antrim has excelled itself in providing facilities for two wheeled shoppers. Segregation, Ground Anchors and the offer of storing helmets and accessories whilst you shop almost seem too good to be true. However this is what the staff at Junction One provides for motorcyclists and we can only assume that somebody somewhere within the management or control of the centre layout is sympathetic to those on two wheels, if not a keen motorcycle rider themselves. Once again we congratulate Junction One.

Lets face it. We are always looking for that ideal parking spot. Look at our government buildings, our hospitals and County Halls, Libraries and Health Centres to name a few. All state of the art buildings with ample off street parking. Not a motorcycle bay in site. Dare we label ourselves a minority now, and if so, are we the only minority that its ok to persecute or forget about? MAG thinks not.

Alongside the Bikers are Voters Campaign MAG here is writing to all the political parties in a bid to compile information about which of them will make a positive pledge about the future of motorcycling in the province. This will allow us to see which of our local politicians really care about you as a biker in Northern Ireland. With this information at hand we know whom to call on as we tackle the issue of secure parking and who is willing to put their money where their manifesto is!

MAG will be contacting your political party’s head office this week and the first batch of letters will be going out soon asking National Retail Stores and Government Agencies to help us park!

Issued 13 April 05