To all the students who ride bikes around campus,
As a walker around campus and after almost being T-boned by one of you a few days ago, while (legally) crossing the street at a crosswalk, I felt this was necessary to inform you all what walkers think about you. Yes, we understand the U is a big campus along with many other universities. College is all about efficiency, but some of the things you all do are just unnecessary and downright rude. Almost running into us, not following the rules of the road, speeding past us out of nowhere, and cutting us off are just a few examples of the most common encounters I have with you all throughout a school day. If you have ever gotten looks from walkers that scream "We don't like you," it's probably because you did something ignorant that you might not have even noticed, but we did.
Yes, we understand that having a bike means you don't need to take double the time it takes us to get to class, which means an extra 10 more minutes of sleep or finishing up on your homework that you didn't do. We understand you love biking right past us and grin with satisfaction. But, if you start to be more of an aggressive biker than the actual drivers on campus and almost hit one of your fellow students on your way to class, you might make more enemies than you would think.
Do I agree with you that more often than not the actions of walkers on campus coincide with those I am calling you all out for? Yes, I do agree. We jaywalk almost constantly, making your job as a biker to not run us over a little bit more difficult. We come out of nowhere sometimes, walking through hidden streets and acting as complete hazards. But all in all, taking on the responsibility of being a biker comes with the obligation to watch out for us as pedestrians.
A simple suggestion, from us walkers to you bikers, is to be considerate of your classmates who aren't as fortunate to have the luxury of a bike on campus. Just because you are riding on two wheels instead of four, a red light is a red light. With the insane amount of people walking around campus and crossing streets all day long, you're bound to hit someone eventually. That wouldn't be good for anyone. Although biking is such a simple task as we have all been riding bikes since our early childhood, there are many things that can go wrong. Winter bringing icy roads, a few thousand students always walking to class, and inconsiderate bikers does not sound like an equation with a favorable outcome. With more consideration and simple biking etiquette, the University of Minnesota's campus along with many other college campuses will not only be more manageable, but safer as well.
Sincerely,
The walkers on campus
