Dear Editor,
An open letter to Mr. Calvin Gene Cooper, director of parking services: Dear Mr. Cooper, During your next legislation meeting, I have a request. You have already rid us innocent pedestrians of evil motorbikes on campus, and I thank you. (Even though I’m intelligent enough to get out of the way of a motorcycle that I can hear approaching from behind me.)
However, the REAL danger on campus is not the motorcycles, but the silent bicycles and electric carts! Too many times have I been walking between classes and go to step around a slower-moving pedestrian, only to be practically plowed under by some nitwit on a bicycle who came silently flying down the sidewalk, not watching where he was going, but in a desperate hurry to get there, no matter the consequence to anyone else.
Some people think that motorbikes/mopeds are dangerous on the sidewalks, but at least an intelligent student can hear one slowly approaching, even from behind them. Bicycles and the little electric carts you guys drive, on the other hand, are silent and cannot be heard when they are quickly approaching from behind you.
Three times in the past week I have been practically hit by a cart or a bicycle since I cannot hear them. I guess I need to report each and every incident, but they are too numerous and I just don’t have that kind of time on my hands.
Anyway, all I ask is that at your next meeting please make sure that neither your little electric carts nor bicycles are allowed to be operated on the sidewalks anymore and that both must be operated on the streets only. If you think motorcycles are dangerous, obviously, you have not been hit by these kids on bicycles or hassled by your people in their little electric carts because you are walking too slow for their tastes.
Pedestrians must be protected! Please stop this dangerous wheeled traffic flow on the sidewalks! Thank you very much for your attention to this dangerous situation.
Another suggestion would be moving bicycles and electric carts out to the same lots you designated for “Motorcycle Parking Only.”
Maybe this will put an end to this horrendous problem of wheeled traffic on the sidewalks!
– Marjorie Gyles

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