Agree with GuitarSteve.
However, I have seen bikes that *just barely* fit into legal spaces that angered folks - especially at rush hour. If something's locked very near a path that lots of folks follow - from financial district suits to Saturday morning kids at the supermarket - count on the bike nearly tripping *someone* or getting in the way of *someone* ... Folks become even more pissed if they're shoved into something unexpectedly: especially a bike, for some reason...
Solution? None, really. Maybe a security video. Probably just making sure the bike is in a public place but not parked too near any thoroughfare.