What I've been doing for the past three weeks

[lph]

well, almost.

My workplace has moved (temporarily, near the ocean, wahoo! I can kayak every day if I want!) and bike commuting to work has *exploded*. Which is great, of course, but our changing rooms and shower facilities are small and cramped, and I was told there was only a few (8-10) lockers available and "could I please share them out to those who needed them the most", seeing as I have been administrating bike-to-work campaigns both winter and summer for several years now. We have ~300 employees.

I sent out a general message that I would do this when I was back from vacation, a week after the move. I got 25 personal emails asking for/begging for/demanding lockers. And when I got to work almost all the lockers were taken anyway.

Ok. So now what? I tried to think of reasonable criteria, like year-round commuters, or those with the longest commute. I got pissy emails from people who hardly ever bike, but feel that as this, that or the other they are entitled to a locker. We found more lockers in a back room. They were empty but locked, but can be drilled open. I was told I could use a "little" money to buy more lockers. So I sent out a message on our intranet asking who felt that they needed a locker, and got 70 answers. The Head of Administration took down my message without asking me.

I've found a locksmith who could open the locked ones. I've manhandled lockers from one room to another. I've constructed an democratic system by which everybody who needs one gets a locker, but most of us have to share. I've bought 12 small new lockers, nagging the seller to lower the price, and spent almost 3 hours today fetching them and lugging them into place. Every fix-it person in the building is now avoiding me like the plague.

What I don't do to keep bike commuting on the roll here...

Maybe, just maybe, am I getting a little overzealous.

-lph, fulltime locker coordinator

[Cataboo]

Could you maybe have people use cubby holes instead of lockers?

[aeiea]

what a great thing you are coordinating -- and how awful that some people feel so entitled, particularly those that don't have a far bike commute or do it much.

At my desk/cubicle, I have four office drawers with locks, and I cleared one out specifically for my clothes. Is there a reason why some people can't do that? Or is there a way the office could order more locking office drawers for people to have at their desks, specifically for their clothes?

[lph]

Ah, but you didn't get to hear it all. I was thinking of some kind of cubby hole instead, but had trouble finding something fast, then I got this good deal on some used lockers. Which turned out not to be so good, because the seller, after I'd kept these on hold for 2 weeks, had fixed financing and was ready to come pick them up, discovered he had no keys. And they were locked. And the keys had to be ordered in from Germany (!) and cost as much as the lockers. I toyed with the idea of buying jsut the lockers and drilling out the locks, but they're in pristine condition and ruining them seemd plain stupid. So I haggled instead. By which point I was so frustrated that I was ready to pay for them myself and carry them home on my bike...

We're only here for 2 years so everything is supposed to be temporary and "not cost anything", but dammit, I spend more time in my workplace changing room than I do in my own bathroom, and I really want it to work smoothly.

Plus, I'm too easily distracted, and this is (marginally) more fun than hydropower licensing.

[malkin]

You make me laugh!

[maryellen]

give locker preference to those who assist in coordinating!

[Tri Girl]

way to go, lph!!!! What an exciting "problem" to have. I wish my work had to fight over commuter lockers (I'm the only one to ride to work).
Congrats Ms. Locker Locator.