Saturday, 29 December 2012

The Banning of City Bikes in a Park

By Rob Sutter


People who constantly utilize their own bicycles to go from one place to another probably don't take kindly to being told when to stop. You want to keep that sense of flow continuous and when it's halted, you can't help but feel disappointed. As it stands, though, one area in particular has seemingly banned biking entirely. I've read a news story about this and I can safely say, with all certainty, that it is simply unfair to do so.

College Hill Park in Wichita, Kansas has seen a ban in people riding city bikes or otherwise. The reason behind this ban was that riders were seen as too aggressive on the terrain and that people were supposedly getting hurt. Signs were put up around the park, saying that biking of any sort was banned on the grounds. Many people have taken offense to this, and understandably so, and I can see biking authorities such as Linus opposing this movement.

It's a troubling state of affairs since the park served cyclists well. For instance, it allowed them to bike away from the streets, constantly populated by vehicles traveling at high speeds. These cyclists could work at their own paces and not have to worry about the hectic nature that traveling on the streets could offer. Those who opposed the somewhat erratic nature of certain, not all, cyclists did not favor this ban.

Even when people didn't support the ban, some people who either biked heavily or supported bikers acted out in rebellious ways. A series of 7 signs had to be replaced because they were vandalized by people who opposed this rule. It's a troubling manner and so many are hoping that a compromise can be made before further damage is done that cannot be so easily replaced. I am very much in that same boat as well.

I feel as though people should be hired to watch over the park to see what comes about then. Biking shouldn't be totally taken out of the equation, though, because it appears as though this is one area where people can go ride and not worry about anything in. Those few cyclists who ruin things for others are the ones that should be targeted. I just don't agree with punishing the entire group for the wrongdoings of a few.




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