How do I raise hallway e-bike charging without dismissing my neighbour's work?
Neighbours“That bike pays my rent,” my neighbour said when I asked about the cable across our hallway.
He does deliveries in New York City and has started charging his e-bike outside his apartment. The charger is connected through an extension cord to a hallway outlet beside the stair door. I had to step over the cable carrying groceries. When I mentioned it, he pushed the bike closer to the wall and said there was plenty of room now.
I am concerned about the charging location as well as the cable. The [FDNY's lithium-ion safety booklet](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/fdny/downloads/pdf/codes/lithium-ion-batteries-safety.pdf) says to charge away from exits and hallways, directly into a wall outlet, without extension cords. The [US Fire Administration gives the same direct-outlet advice](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/lithium-ion-battery-safety-handout.pdf).
Our superintendent's first reply was, “I'll discuss bike storage at the next residents' meeting.” That is two weeks away. Storage seems to be the question he heard; charging beside the stair door is the question I raised.
I want to ask for a prompt response about the current setup and a suitable charging arrangement. How do I do that without making this a public complaint about the neighbour earning his living? I don't want my sympathy for his work to leave the hallway question unanswered.