Second, there is another sliding door entrance only about 11/2 metres away from the swing glass doors which I had chained and that I was at all times standing near the glass doors in full view of the manager and his other security staff, one of whom was standing on the inside of the chained glass doors directing library users to the sliding door.

Third, no NLB staff spoke to me after I had chained the swing glass door although I was in full view of them. Before I went into the library, I had written my name and shown my identity card to one NLB security officer who had approached me when I was chaining my bicycle.

I had explained to him that I had debunked the explanation given by the NLB regarding its policy on bicycle parking, and that by its silence thereafter, I took it that the NLB's senior management had consented to me parking my bicycle chained to the railing.

After I finished reading, I returned to collect my bicycle and saw a laminated notice affix to it informing me that 'Parking of bicycles is not allowed on NLB premises' although, at that time, the NLB had not put its own chain on my bicycle.

I then returned to the security front desk in the library asking for the manager/supervisor. Mr Gokulanathan, the manager, invited me to talk it over in an office behind the front desk.

I told him, as I had told the NLB security staff during the previous few evenings when I had chained my bicycle onto the railing, that if it was definitely the NLB's policy, then I requested that the CEO himself send me the e-mail to state so and to explain its rationale.

Any inconvenience caused to any other library user is regretted but the responsibility for such an unpleasant situation, which I had forewarned the NLB CEO, rests squarely with the CEO for refusing to take ownership of its policy, if indeed this bicycle parking policy has been sanctioned.

Bin Hee Heng