And ain’t it funny how the exact opposite is true in Taiwan. We could say that you are now “in a place where it’s customary for the person who doesn’t pay for something to still do what the hell he pleases, even if he does hurt someone else.” Maybe that’s the problem: you’re not following local custom. Maybe they’d be completely tolerant if you stopped paying for the space (but of course continued to use it) and started damaging other people or other people’s property. Of course that’s it! You just need to adapt. 
Your sales manager is the best person to handle this for you, trust me 
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You could always take a Taiwanese style tack–“I’m buying a car in the near future. Let me park my motorcycle there temporarily.” Buy a car in a few years, if you deem it necessary.
I too go nuts with this blind adherence to the rules. Your sales manager and I went to look at homes in the hills a few weeks ago. It was a huge complex, and people were walking in and out. We made the mistake of asking persmission to walk around from the guard at the gate. He refused us, citing the rules. If we had simply strolled on in like everyone else, it wouldn’t have been an issue.
I thought I’d seen you write elsewhere that you’re one of the relatively hairless ones.
Perhaps the best compromise would be to ask them to provide you with a motorbike-sized parking space in some corner of the car park (there are usually plenty of those) and give the car space to someone else.
Tomas, the sales manager is the next line of defense if the nice person fails to get it resolved. I would rather have her concentrating on something a little less petty in the meantime.
Omni, they don’t have m/c sized spaces or tolerance of anything on two wheels. I’m expected to have a mercedes so that when I’m in the lift down from street level I’m not in any danger. At least, the potential danger to me (or anyone copying me) was the primary excuse they gave. I think the real issue is that a moto doesn’t look good, in their opinion.
And yes, I’m smooth-skinned. But the stuff on my head goes down to my shoulder-blades and people have funny ideas about that too. And really, that’s the whole point. Once you start trying to conform to other people’s ideas of what’s acceptable there’s no end to it. You can either accept me as I am, or have a valid reason for objecting to something. ‘Not looking good’, is not a valid reason because it’s purely subjective.
I’d have to swing with stragbasher. Either they let ya keep the space or ya stop paying for it.
Another idea is if you are SURE you won’t be buying a car in the near future is to turn your spot into a scooter/motorcycle set of spots. You know partition it off… what maybe 4 total? They reduce your rate to 1/4 of the cost and then let them rent the other 3 spots to other people in the bldg.
You get your spot and they get some extra cash and it looks better (persay). Not so big of a spot wasted on just “one” m/c.
Just make sure the partitions are wide enough. They don’t have to be the so-tight-I-can’t-see-daylight-between-those-scooters spots on the street.
You should be the one to recommend the number of spots. Start 1 lower than would be feasible cuz if they like the idea I can see them trying to squeeze in more. 
Good luck dude.
If worse comes to the worst, try breaking down in front of the boss and everyone you can find (do this at the same time because it is only good once) and start to cry, a lot. Keep doing it until they relent. Nothing like a grown man sobbing to totally flummox the natives.
a. Put wings on your scooter and call it an airplane. Then you will really give your neighbors face as they can brag to their friends at the local KTV that their foreigner neighbor has an airplane parked next to their Benz. Put a BMW sticker on it for bonus face points. Don’t forget your “for competition purposes only” sticker.
b. Put a photo of a car on the front of your scooter. Locals here aren’t very observant and it will be months before your security guard realizes its only a photo - not a real car. When he pipes up again, distract him by complementing his mole hair - then change the photo and start the cycle again.
You must know that the easiest way to distract a Chinese person is with a mirror. They can spend hours entertaining themselves primping, preening, and popping zits… oh, and don’t forget the HAIR.
Much as I hate smilies, there’s a time and a place for everything. And today is a smiley day!
Somebody has talked to somebody and somebody has decided that it’s not worth picking a fight over this, so I apparently won’t be getting any more grief. The one caveat is that they want me to write a little disclaimer accepting that I’m doing this at my own risk.
Fair enough I suppose, but it’s a disclaimer with chinese characteristics. You see, the new (last week) floor paint is only designed for car tyres. They want me to agree to pay for any damage I might do with my nasty motorbike wheels. Can you believe I actually started to argue that one? I really am stupid sometimes.
They must have seen that movie where my father (James Bond) was tooling around on a motorbike with spikes growing out of the wheels*. So now I have a floor tile to rest the stand on, and relative peace.
This all took place without anyone telling the guard that was here on Saturday, who was strangely aggressive. The first guy was clearly embarassed at being asked to pass on the message last week. This one left a pissy note on the bike which I found when I popped out to buy some food in the evening. I came back to find him standing in my way with his hands on his hips, and he started the conversation by bellowing “Hey, laowei!” 
I guess that’s why he has a crap job! He nearly lost it too, after I complained to the management company.
Still, all’s well that ends well. Now all I need is a thousand more students.
- “For You Eyes Only” - Moderator’s note
Good to hear that it was solved.
My suggestion would have been to by an old crap of a blue truck, park it permanently in the spot, and park your bike on the truck.
Cars only, no trucks. But I guess a pick-up would have been ok …
So, Stragbasher, you’ve made an enemy of the security guard and you’ve signed a disclaimer on damage to the floor? I hope the guard doesn’t find out about that little snippet of information.
Be careful.
Nah, he’s a bit surly but I’m an eternal optimist. Remember?
It’ll be fine.
Damage has to be provable, after all. Show me how my tyres gouged a groove in the floor, and I’ll show you a scotsman that can hold his drink. It’s just not going to happen.
