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Help I lost my bike today

hiverloon

先輩
23 Aug 2015
159
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Today I lost my bike when I parked it near Narimasu station in Saitama. I am not sure though whether a bad guy stole it or it was taken by the police due to violation of certain parking law. The only clue I have is the below information board attached at that parking space. I am sorry if my shot was not clear enough to capture the important information there but I would be grateful if somebody can just tell me the possible message in that board.
DSC_0439.JPG
 
Notice today's date on the board? The board that very clearly tells people they can't leave their bicycles there? That's the date they hauled bicycles away. The smaller sign near the bottom tells where you can go to get it back.

Take 4,300 yen with you as a Japanese Illiteracy Tax. You will also need ID and the key to the bicycle. If you leave it over a month, they'll figure you don't want it and may dispose of it.
 
Oh really, I thought that was legal parking space since they put parking stand there and there are also other bikes. But why were there still some bikes escaping the haul, as you can see that green bike was there.
Also, by the small sign do you mean that portion where there is a small map in it? Would you please tell me the address as shown there?
 
But why were there still some bikes escaping the haul, as you can see that green bike was there.

Maybe they parked after the haul. Maybe the truck was full. Maybe it was just quitting time and the crew went home. Doesn't really matter; they got your bike.

Would you please tell me the address as shown there?

Itabashi-ku Yotsuba 1-21-2

The very first Japanese you should learn to read is 禁止 (kinshi). It will save you time, trouble, and money.
 
I think it's here Google マップ
right?

That's it. Notice the sign with the hours of operation. You might want to telephone to make sure that information is still accurate. Apparently the ward has contracted out the actual operation of the place to a senior citizens' group, so you're going to be dealing with a bunch of old men who work there just to get away from their wives for a few hours.
 
With my limited Japanese I can only tell the last part of the working hours, seems like they are on duty until 6 pm only? So, I can't just go there and find a police station nearby to inquire about my bike and instead I should make an appointment with the one in charge of the park which is possibly an old man?
 
Looks like I have found another important piece of information regarding the recovery of my bike. In this site I find more detail about recovery process
放置自転車・原動機付自転車等の撤去、保管所 | 板橋区
Especially in the last row and 4th column in the table, I can actually go to these designated stations to retrieve my bike rather than going directly to the storage park, am I right?

If you mean "train stations", no.

Your bike is at the storage facility indicated and if you want it that's where you have to go get it. Why do you think you can pick it up at a station?

You don't need an appointment. I'm just saying if you show up outside of their hours, you won't get your bicycle. Do you not have any Japanese acquaintances who can call and confirm the hours for you? The police have nothing to do with your bicycle so there's no point bothering them about it.

The sign says from 1 ~ 6 p.m.
 
No, what I mean is probably I can just claim my bike in one of those designated places (I know they are not train stations) to have them deliver it to me, wherever it might be depending on the regulation. I use google translate to get the meaning of that article though.
 
No, what I mean is probably I can just claim my bike in one of those designated places (I know they are not train stations) to have them deliver it to me, wherever it might be depending on the regulation. I use google translate to get the meaning of that article though.

Are you talking about this?

IMG_1070.JPG


I can't find anything on that page anywhere about them being such nice folks that they will deliver it to some place more convenient for you. Your bicycle is at the place on the sign. You either go to where your bicycle is and claim it within thirty days or you kiss it goodbye and go buy another one.

Japan is full of some very nice people and has a great reputation for customer service, but they're not going to go out of their way to offer a free delivery service for people who illegally parked their bicycles and had them hauled away. They're not that nice.
 
I recently forgot my bag at a Yoshinoya. They delivered it to the 交番 who then delivered it to the 警察. They were extremely nice, but they certainly didn't deliver it.

They also wanted both my ID card and my passport, along with wanting me to put the passcode into my iPad to verify my identity. You might want to bring multiple forms of ID just in case.
 
Thank you for all your intention to help me.
I may have mistaken the information in the table in the previous link I shared. It seems like the 4th column is the list of the parking places from which the problem bikes are transported to the corresponding bike storage in the first column, I mistaken this as the point where I can claim my bike and ask for a delivery (using Google translate the word "delivery" shows up several times). Just call the number of the retrieval point, they said I need to bring the bike key, residence ID and some money. Someone I know told me that my bike was taken because it has no sticker indicating that I had paid for the parking space there. So, this is the main point I think, can someone tell me how I can tell if I need to pay for a parking space before use and where to pay it? In my previous residential area in Minato ward in Tokyo I parked my bike in a communal parking space just next to a train station and I never got my bike transported for not paying any parking fee.
 
how I can tell if I need to pay for a parking space before use and where to pay it? In my previous residential area in Minato ward in Tokyo I parked my bike in a communal parking space just next to a train station and I never got my bike transported for not paying any parking fee.

Not every place is the same. You have to read the signs or ask somebody.
 
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