Many people, oddly, believe that bikes belong outside – like horses and trees. People who think this include receptionists, hotel staff, office managers, landlords, university accommodation officers and spouses.
In general, the best approach is never to ask. As in so many aspects of life, asking permission is an invitation to someone to say no. Often, the most effective tactic is simply to walk in with the bike. If you carry it so it’s not touching the ground, many people won’t really register that it’s a bike at all.
If they challenge you, say, “I’m just bringing it inside.” It’s astonishing how often this works. If this doesn’t, you might have to negotiate – try telling them it’s valuable, that it’s very clean and that you’ll be very careful.
Don’t…
