30 Days of biking - Day 10 utility bike parking

Today provided another opportunity for 'utility biking.' I consider this to be using a bike for trips I would have almost certainly done with a car in the past. You know the type of trip, one where the destination is a mile or two away, and, if you timed it, would take just as long on a bike as with a car. The other characteristic I think applies is the ingenuity required to find a spot to lock my bike.

True 'utility biking' in today's world usually involves finding a bench, stop sign (I am not the only one), large sleeping animal, whatever to use to lock up my bike. Facilities in St Paul are gradually improving but improvisation rules. I take my child to a music class that is held in a nearby strip mall where bike parking is a trick:

I run the cable lock through the bike and Burley frame, making sure to pass it through the steel guy wire. I had to try this a few different ways to make sure it was secure.