Final Draft of Commentary assignment

Being a student at UCF and walking around campus, there is one thing in particular that frustrates and concerns me. This frustration involves people using other modes of transportation other than their feet to make their way through and around campus. Not only is this dangerous to themselves, but it is dangerous to the other students as well as pedestrians around them. My first few weeks being at UCF it didn’t aggravate me, but the longer I have been attending school and the more incidents I have had, the more it begins to frustrate me on a daily basis. From my standpoint, every student needs to get from class to class; why don’t we take proper precaution in being safe and use our feet in the way they were intended to be used. Unless we as a University choose to do something about it, I believe that this situation is only going to get worse as UCF becomes more crowded. This inclination not only puts innocent pedestrians at risk, but shows the evolving fast – paced lifestyles of the American culture. The first mode of transportation that frustrates me on campus is the bicycle. While the rest of the students are walking casually at 5 to 6 miles per hour {around 10 if we’re late}, the students riding bikes can easily hit 20 miles per hour. Besides the fact that they’re whizzing by students and pedestrians at an alarming speed, they are also causing even more congestion then we already have on campus. As bicycles may be a very enjoyable, healthy and fun activity or exercise to do, I don’t believe that there is a large amount of room for them on campus. For example, last week while I was walking to class along the breeze way, I was almost crushed by a two companion bicyclist speeding down the walkway. I was fortunate to be paying close attention and quickly move out the way. For the students who are listening to their iPods while walking around campus, this can make them more prone to getting into an accident. Students using bicycles can be hazardous even though it is probably one of the most maneuverable modes of transportation there is. Following the bike in a very close second, are the students who use skateboards or long boards around UCF. Even though they do not take up as much room as a bicycle, they can hit very high speeds and can easily injure an innocent student if they lose their balance. Without stereotyping, it seems that the “free spirits” with the care – free mind-set are the ones riding these contraptions. With this attitude and blatant disrespect for the students and pedestrians walking around campus, there are numerous incidents just waiting to happen. Unlike the bicycle, which can easily be locked to a tree or bike rack; skateboards are forced to be carried around campus blocking the already congested classrooms and hallways. Another fad about the skateboard is the fact that most of the riders are inexperienced and can easily hurt themselves as well as others. Considering the danger of this transportation to a pedestrian or student around an experienced rider, the numbers must increase drastically around an inexperienced one. The campus is already extremely over crowded as it is, but with the skateboards and even longer, less maneuverable long boards, it is only increasing congestion and putting everyone in danger. As a student I have had to walk in a 500 person classroom trying to climb over peoples laps with skateboards / long boards in front of them, which it is neither easy nor pleasant to do. The most understandable and less dangerous mode of transportation is rollerblades. Even though you can hit an extremely high rate of speed, they seem to be the most maneuverable. Due to the fact that they could be a lot more of a burden to take off and on, I can see why they are less likely to be used; which could be why I find them less of a nuisance. However, it is still dangerous to travel using this mode of transportation. An explanation to why it could be even more endangering to themselves and others students is because of the freedom they might feel on while on them. Instead of lugging around a 40 pound bicycle or a clumsy skateboard; rollerbladers are traveling using the relative same motion as a person walking. Students given this freedom of using rollerblades might be more opportune to take more risks such as flying by students and pedestrians or head into close knit quarters. The more I reflect about it this matter the more I think that having a more agile way of transportation could in the wrong hands, be more hazardous or harmful to the pedestrians surrounding the UCF campus. Comparable to the people on long boards, the people that I do see traveling around on campus wearing roller blades also seem to be for the most part inexperienced. Traveling at such a high rate of speed like they are; you would assume that the students using rollerblades would be more comfortable and cautious of knowing how to stop but that is not the case. According to what I’ve seen as a student at UCF, traveling along campus on something other than your feet is ludicrous. Putting the students at risk traveling through crowded walkways and sidewalks at a high rate speed is unnecessary assuming we are young healthy adults and capable of using our feet for transportation. Having seen some careless people around campus I would strongly suggest some regulations, as far as transportation is concerned. As an everyday spectator and student at UCF I’ve preached my opinion on the risks of how these modes of transportation could affect our peers, and that these students need to realize what issues they could face if anything were to happen. Not just pertaining to a self afflicted injury, but the possibility of anything from a lawsuit or death could occur. I strongly believe that as students, if we gave ourselves a little more time to get where we need to be, and proceed in an organized manner; then our campus at UCF can be and will be much safer as well as less congested.
Nicholas Byers