I recently commented that the bike parking installed in a new [shopping carpark][] was being used for storing shopping trolleys. When I recently returned I found the main bike cage empty of both trolleys and (sadly) bikes. But I also found further evidence of poorly-considered design, with temporary barriers being erected to contain shopping trolleys in a place where it would be logical to have a permanent trolley bay (OK, so they could just be waiting for a premanent trolley bay to be installed).
But the effect of this was that it gave shoppers a different place to leave their trolleys, hopefully leaving the bike parking clear and protecting nearby cars from damage.
The secondary bike storage bay was unlocked and open this time, but was home to a solitary trolley. Why do people do that? Could it be that the only available trolley bays are on a raised area requiring shoppers to bounce their trolleys up a kerb to store them correctly?
When I returned a few days later I was pleased to find a notice hanging by every door to the bike parking cages:
Now I don't know whether centre management had received complaints (I was being wait-and-see about it, so I hadn't contacted them) or if they are being proactive about the bike parking. But I will note in passing that a security guard made a sweep through the bike cage while I was there, which (along with the new signage) suggests that they are taking secure bike parking seriously.
And as long as bike parking remains available and secure, this centre will keep getting my business.