Don’t bike on sidewalks, and always, always, always wear a helmet. Also, ring your bell or say “on your left” when you need to pass people, and dismount your bike whenever you’re in areas with a lot of pedestrians. Follow traffic laws, too! Wait for the light to change green, like you would in a car, and definitely don’t just use the crosswalk to get across the street when it’s convenient. There are other rules too, all simple and easy to follow, dictating proper (and dare I say, mostly self-evident) etiquette for riding a bike — etiquette that is notably absent from the Oberlin campus.
I can’t count the number of times I have been walking on campus and a bicyclist has come up from behind me with nearly no warning, only indicating their presence a second before they’re about to hit me. This happens in North Quad and Wilder Bowl; all the time in Tappan Square; and frustratingly, incredibly frequently when I’m walking on the sidewalk along the side of the road. This happens everywhere — even in downtown Oberlin, where it is technically illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. I will say that, although it frustrates me to no end, I do understand that it can be convenient to bike on the sidewalks, especially through campus, and it’s not against the school’s policy.
Although I’m annoyed by people biking on campus sidewalks, I know I may be in the minority here. It’s not inherently a problem; the problem with campus bicyclists is how they ride more so than where. Many bicyclists seem to have a complete disregard for their surroundings, often displaying a lack of common sense. A few weeks ago, I found myself among a group of students all walking south toward King Building for 10 a.m. classes. Despite the fact that we were right next to a parking lot, a student decided to bike in the opposite direction against traffic, forcing us out of the way and onto the grass in order to make room. This wasn’t just rude and inconsiderate, it was outright dangerous — and completely unnecessary.
This may be an extreme example, but I think it is exemplary of my experiences as a pedestrian interacting with bicyclists on campus. Often, bicyclists are just annoying, but sometimes, they act in ways that are simply unsafe — and not just to themselves. It’s one thing to not wear a helmet while biking through campus and an altogether worse thing to bike in ways that endanger others. Oberlin students seem to understand that drivers respect pedestrians crossing the road, as the plethora of jaywalkers crossing Lorain Street without looking either way indicates. Still, the student body seems to lack understanding of how, just as cars are urged to “share the road” with bicyclists, it is the responsibility of bicyclists to share the sidewalks with pedestrians.
Bicyclists continue to travel without any regard for their friends walking next to them. It’s not surprising given students’ general entitlement when traversing the town and campus as pedestrians, taking up sidewalks, walking slowly, and jaywalking like they have a death wish. This is an issue that has been brought up before, but isn’t nearly as problematic as how students bike. Whereas walking badly rarely poses a safety risk, biking poorly is a risk to others. It is scary to be ambushed by a bicyclist on the sidewalk and have to jump away before being hit.
Bicyclists are also a danger to themselves and others on the road. This doesn’t bother me as much — I don’t have a car — but it is disrespectful and a prevalent problem. Most noticeable is the willingness of bicyclists to completely ignore traffic lights and cut in front of cars at a whim. Although this isn’t nearly as frequent as the disregard for pedestrians on sidewalks, it is much more dangerous, and exemplary of the same issue. Bicyclists don’t seem to care for those around them.
Although I am concerned about safety — of myself, fellow walkers, and irresponsible bicyclists — on campus, what bothers me most is the sheer entitlement from bicyclists who expect me to get on the grass when they’re on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are made for walking, but bicyclists act like the opposite is true. I think everyone on campus who bikes is capable of choosing to put a bit more time into alerting others on sidewalks of their presence and biking on the grass if someone’s in front of them. Student bicyclists are all able to choose to use the street and follow traffic laws. They’re able to get off their bikes when sidewalks are congested at high traffic times. But in many instances, they don’t. Although most of this is manners, I know not everyone has had the fortune to learn how to bike politely, and although my suggestions are all good rules of thumb, the Ohio Department of Transportation website has a useful summary on how to ride a bicycle in pedestrian areas. The resources on biking are easily accessible; there’s no excuse for being inconsiderate to the body of students traversing campus on foot.
