u/FunnyMouse_

Hi Reddit.

About 3 weeks ago now I moved into a tenement flat on Easter Road.

Having moved back to Scotland from a fairly un-picturesque, un-cyclable city, I decided it would be a good idea to invest in a used bike and explore Edinburgh's plentiful cycle paths, and maybe even cycle to work.

The building I'm living in is old, and as such the communal stairwell is full of old bikes - some of which will have been left behind by previous occupants. The only space left is in the nook at the bottom of the stairs, where the railing curls around. Since I bought my bike there has been one other bike down there, seemingly unlocked. A second bike appeared and pinched my spot when I went out for shopping today, and so I moved the unlocked bike out of the way to secure mine (there's no other places on any floor to lock a bike unless I start putting it onto the actual steps - which feels like a fire hazard).

This afternoon the owner of the unlocked bike chapped on my door and rambled away at me, accusing me of "snipping the lock" on his bike, asking me to remove mine, and telling me that there's plenty of space to keep mine so long as I don't take his spot. I didn't really get a chance to get a word in over his talking, other than "I didn't touch your lock" before he stormed off.

I'm looking for advice because I don't really know where to go from here. I don't want to upset the guy further and start beef with my neighbours, but also he was really unreasonable and rude, and if there wasn't a lock on his bike I don't think it's unreasonable to move it.

If there was anywhere else I could move my bike I would, but the only option is outside really and I'd rather not have the bike rusting away. I could maybe lock it over the top of an old looking bike which I think is abandoned but that's going to risk upsetting someone else.

Cheers for any help.

TLDR: moved an unlocked bike to secure mine, neighbour is having a go at me and insisting I move mine even though there's nowhere for it to go