BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I saw this a little while ago. Bleh. The comments on the article are pretty much all in support of the kids, though, so that's a plus.

Wow, if that principle keeps any of the kids from walking at their graduation over this, then she needs to be kept from being principle of the school any longer. What a dumbass.

These kids were obviously standing in the way of progress.

Principal Vernon.

The comments are outstanding.

When will these kids get it through their heads that conformity is a requisite. If it is Senior Prank Day, then do a prank, dammit. Spray paint some graffitti and super-glue some door locks. Do as we expect, or we will punish you.

Gotta get these d*mn kids in line while they're young, or else, who knows what crazy schemes they might come up with. Next thing ya know, they'll be riding those bikes all over town.

In Mount Lebanon schools, when I went, not only did they forbid biking to school, they forbid mixed mode that involved biking to a church a quarter mile from school and walking.

I imagine they still do.

@ALMKLM Maybe they could superglue the principal's mouth shut. It would match his brain.

May 1975: WKBW TV-7 Buffalo sent a cameraman and a reporter to East Aurora HS to do a story on the kid who unicycled to school on a fairly regular basis.

I always left the wheel in the bike rack near the Phys Ed wing. Never had a problem, nobody ever gave me any flack for riding whatever-count of wheels to school.

4 miles from home to school, btw, all two-lane tar-and-chip roads posted 40 or better, might even have been unposted so 55 mph.

I do *not* see what the big deal is about riding a bike to school.

Me either. I semi-regularly biked the 5 rural miles to school starting in 4th or 5th grade (I really can't remember which).

Always beat the school bus, one time by well over an hour. (I rode the 'late' bus which left school at 3:30, but beat the early bus which left at 2:30...)

Never had an issue, except for dodging the manure spreaders....

wow. Police escorted and sanctioned by the Mayor, but still a "prank" (and somehow "unsafe"?).

I've never understood either the draconian responses from school officials, or the "punishment" of not being able to walk in graduation. "You're not allowed to rent an overpriced, hot, plastic gown in an ugly color, sit through unending and pointless speeches by people you don't know, then wait in line for two hours to receive a piece of paper, so there!" Though if most of the class were not allowed, that would shorten the line a bit.

As for not being allowed to ride a bike to school, I'm not sure how they could possibly regulate that. Especially if you rode to somewhere else, parked your bike, and walked the rest of the way. Not like Mt Lebanon ever had a reputation for being "progressive" or even "logical", but this is just ridiculous.

edited to clarify - if the only speech at graduations was Mr Roger's commencement address, even if telecast, missing that would be "punishment". Luckily, the interwebs has it preserved for personal edutainment for all time.

@Myddrin Never had an issue, except for dodging the manure spreaders

In Kenowa Hills, that's code for "high school administrators."

@ejwme As for not being allowed to ride a bike to school, I'm not sure how they could possibly regulate that. Especially if you rode to somewhere else, parked your bike, and walked the rest of the way.

Serious manure spreaders in Lebo.

Manure speaders. A modern hazard for both bicyclists and high school students. Sometimes you don't even see them coming.

For "safety" my school district did not permit students to walk to school. It did, however, expand and upgrade the student parking lot and also add a second one during my time there. This may have changed since then but I can't say for sure.

Edit: Just checked with a current teacher and walking is now permitted for students in the "walker radius". Bicycles are prohibited due to "hazardous road conditions".

I used to ride (ok push) my bike up the hill to school and park it behind a small store/home. I dont think my school district cared how we got there...

I do remember friends going to the local catholic elementary school being allowed to bike to school, but they had to have their bikes inspected by the school yearly.

Im guessing that perceived safety is the issue with schools not allowing it. I know my son is not "allowed" to walk to school because there are not sidewalks on some sections on the route or something like that.

wait...

What happens on school property, that's school business, and I fully expect them to regulate that. There, no bike parking and riding could be used to deter people. But what happens off school property, provided it breaks no laws, should be between student and parent and the owners of THAT property.

This sounds about as enforceable as "no watching tv" or "no eating candy" at home as a "school rule". Though far healthier as rules than a biking ban. I'd have ridden to prove a point, and would ride with my kid to prove a point (ok, don't have one, but I still don't see how schools could possibly enforce such a rule, legally).

But I'm uppity like that.

though I do think it's funny that speeding parents hauling their children around in SUVs are considered hazardous road conditions.

I've had a speech prepared to go before the North Allegheny school board for a couple of months now, arguing for better bike infrastructure, i.e. a couple of racks per building. What I haven't done is find out what current policy is on biking at all.

It wouldn't surprise me that NA is as stupid about this as MtLebo or Kenowa Hills. Sure, the McCandless police strictly enforce a 15 mph speed limit on Cumberland Rd in front of two NA schools; meanwhile cars are screaming down McKnight a quarter mile away at 60+.

But there are all manner of little residential streets and even a trail connecting school property to hundreds of nearby residences at just these schools.

All I'd be asking for is a couple of bike racks, but I might be up against this bigger problem first.

If you want to read a (mostly depressing) story about how much fun it is to fight a school on this: http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/why-johnny-cant-ride

The principal in question has apologized for overreacting:

"WALKER, Mich. (WZZM) -- The principal of Kenowa Hills High School is offering her apologies for suspending graduating seniors for riding bikes to school on their final day of classes, saying she overreacted."

http://walker.wzzm13.com/news/education/69965-principal-bikers-did-i-overreact-course-i-did

There is certainly no dearth of overbearing school administrators as of late.

Well, it's certainly better than no apology but I still don't like the tone of "they were riding BICYCLES on the ROAD so i was naturally in a frenzy with concern for their safety", and "good thing they called the cops to keep them safe". Wrong message. x2

followign up with ejwme:

I think that it takes some people to challenge these rules before they are realized to be unenforceable. I would guess that most people see the rule, then just take it as what it is and dont even think that they could challenge it.

Yeah, it takes a few students to get hauled into the principal's office and then say, "Y'know what? I'm going to defy your rule and bike to school anyway because it's none of your business how I travel between property lines, even if you don't allow the bike on the school property." It also helps if the student is a relatively trouble-free student with good grades.

the beast - if only it worked that way for speed limits!