Los Angeles City College Banning Bicycles on Campus?

So earlier today, I rolled by the bicycle store Orange 20 to fix my bicycle's new-old front wheel.

On the way out with my newly re-birthed bicycle, I cut through Los Angeles City College as I had done about 20 times.

Missing my first turn through a parking lot, I made the mistake of passing directly in front of the Sherriff's office. Two sherriffs in shorts just walking by. I'm entering LACC, expecting nothing when one of them barks:

"Hey, get off the bicycle, read the sign."

My gut reaction is to strongly dislike this symbolic show of institutionally-backed power.

I say "I didn't see it [dumbass]."

And it's true, I missed it.

OK, fine. People want to be assholes today, fine.

Reluctantly, I get off my bicycle. I walk for a few meters. I see very few people around on a mid-day Election afternoon and this walking shit is taking way too long. With the coast clear, I get back on the bike.

50 Meters later, some other Sherriff in shorts motions me to come towards him. He asserts more of his state-and-institutionally backed authority "No bicycling on campus."

What the flying eff-knock?

I used to be able to bicycle all over campus. What changed? Or has it always been like that, have I just been yet another unruly miscreeant bicyclist, and they just now have public safety personnel to enforce it at all times?

From what I know, the reasons that bicycles would be banned on at least parts of a campus have to do with steep inclines with steep drops as at UCLA and high pedestrian volume. At LACC, there is neither a steep downhill, there might be peak periods of pedestrians, but at my time, this wasn't one of them. It seems like the entire campus was just closed to bicycles.

Had there been a spate of bicycle-pedestrian incidents at LACC? Is this some type of economic development for the Sherriff's department?

Anyone know what is up with LACC?

2 comments:

narinda said...

Not sure what the story is at LACC, but UCI banned biking on campus between high pedestrian traffic times. So Irvine Ridazz rode all over campus after 6pm. And Irvine is very, very hilly.

B.J. said...

Strange, it would be good to know what's triggered these policies? Complaints or actual incidents