Staff Ed: Repositioned bike racks inconvenience students

Students who bike to school may have noticed a rather large change lately, aside from the the school’s paint job. Without notice, over the weekend of Oct. 8-9, the bike racks were moved from the hallway next to the girls’ locker room to the front of the school next to the entrance of large gym.

This unwelcome change is an inconvenience to the many students who bike to school every day and the bike racks should be moved back to their original location.

In addition to an unwelcome disruption in their routines, the main problem students face is the lack of protection for their bikes. Previously, the bikes were under the hallway’s overhang. Now, however, when exposed to the elements, students’ bikes, helmets and any other equipment will become soaking wet—a major hassle for bikers like sophomore Sanjay Kaliyur and others.

Additionally, it will make their journey home much more uncomfortable if their seat is wet the entire time. Although the rainy season has not yet arrived, California is known to have unpredictable weather, especially considering the winter storms of the coming months. With the bike racks exposed in the open, students have no safeguard against Mother Nature if it takes them by surprise.

According to school administrators, the bike racks were moved because students were harming the plants by putting their bikes on the side of the racks facing the Small Gym wall. Because only one side of the racks was able to be used, bikes were rolling over the plants, which are expensive to maintain. In an attempt to preserve those plants, the bike racks were moved to the front.

Administrators also were concerned about safety, since students would ride in the hallways while others were walking, which could cause potential collisions. But what the administration must realize is not only does the hallway provide little or no aesthetic value, the safety risk that bikers constitute is insignificant.

With the amount of traffic congestion in the morning, and for the environmental benefits, the school should be making every effort to encourage students to avoid driving and bike to school, not placing an additional burden on students by creating unnecessary inconveniences for bikers.

Furthermore, no student input was taken before the move was made. Granted, not all decisions the administration makes should be subject to student approval, but for decisions that affect a sizable portion of the student body and where surveying student opinion requires little or no effort, student voices should be heard.

Fortunately for students, the move may not be permanent. When winter comes, the school is thinking of moving the racks back under the overhang, when students will be most inconvenienced by the rain and weather.

Hopefully, in order not to get this privilege revoked, students will take care not to trample upon the plants.

While not all students who bike to school are affected by the change in placement now, most assuredly, once the weather starts becoming worse and worse, there will be many more complaints. With any luck, the school will move back the bike racks sooner rather than later, a welcome change for our bikers.