Ask Mr. Answer Person: "Why don't the bike racks in Decorah have curb stops on the sides?"

Gerald e-mails: "Why  are there not curb stops installed to protect the bicycle racks from automobiles backing into them?  Some people stop backing when they bump the car behind them, so it is not a question of if a car will back into the bicycle rack, but when."

Mr. Answer Person says, "Curb stops could be purchased at a surprisingly low cost.  The U-Line catalogue will sell curb stops for around $105--a price that includes shipping.  Two curb stops--enough to handle both bike racks--would cost $210. 

The bike racks were purchased by the downtown SSMID board--maybe they have additional money to keep both cars and bike racks safe!"