Alright so I’ve got a question for all of you well-educated unicyclists. I’m at University currently, and they don’t like my unicycle very much. I’ve gotten my two warnings, and I would rather not push it any further, so I’m wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and managed to come up with a clever way to make them not boot you out of the school for unicycling on campus.
As it is I can go off campus and ride, but it’s just not the same… And no, there are no (currently) waivers that I could sign to get permission.
In B.C. of all places. I presume this is an outdoor issue? Might just depend on how much of a battle you want. What are the rules for bicycles, scooters, and skateboards?
I tried riding at Ottawa University some times, I got kicked out more times than I went there! They really dont want anyone doing anything on the campus… too bad because there’s soo much cool lines there!
You could try to build up some political capital on campus. Start a unicycling club. Get more people to join. Offer classes for newbies. Get a faculty advisor. Try to bring in a few high-profile guest speakers like Kris Holm. Make unicycling popular on campus.
If you have a lot of students involved on and some advocates on the faculty, it may be possible to renegotiate the use of unicycles on campus. There would still be limits, but you might be able ride around and perhaps do street riding in some areas.
Basically they say “No muscle powered vehicles, except for bikes”. I have half a mind to point out that they have inadvertently outlawed wheelchairs just for the fun of it
That’s not really even the problem. I think that unicycling has enough publicity around here (because of Kris Holm) that that wouldn’t really do much.
I suppose that’s really the best I could hope for… Not really sure what it is I wanted, but thanks for the thoughts folks.
On the upside I just found a pretty awesome place just barely off the campus that I can get to without much hassle. Lovely little playground, with all the fun things that come with them.
Bike Sense - the BC bicycles owner’s manual - LINK - has a section on law near the bottom, in which it says that “cycle means a device having any number of wheels that is propelled by human power and on which a person may ride, but does not include a skate board, roller skates or in-line roller skates.”
This seems to mean that a uni is counted as a bike. If they allow bikes on the property, then they can’t stop you riding without a justifiable reason. Clearing 9 sets might be a good enough reason, riding on the bike path to lectures, shouldn’t be.
Do you have a student union? If so, I’d find the member in charge of transport, or campus issues, or anything vaguely relevant really. Pester them to get in touch with the right person to get you permission. It will work a hell of a lot better than moaning at the campus security. Who are A) just trying to do their job, or B) fascist little Hitler’s that enjoy goose-stepping about the place ordering you to have no fun. In either case, you’ll be lucky to get them to stop bothering you. Even if the first guard who sees you is convinced, you’ll have to do the same with the second and so on. A memo from the higher ups would be the best method.
Last minute thought: Try to get a printed copy of the bike sense leaflet, or a similar publication. Seeing the actual law might discourage them. Then again it might not.
I think you should butcher an old 20" bike into a giraffe making sure to leave as many “bicycle” parts intact. Then when you’re asked to stop you can say it is a bicycle but someone stole the front wheel… That way you’re just a poor student making due with a tough situation.
That’s probably not going to work for you. If you present yourself as a uni-for-transportation-only person, you can probably get them to trust you, eventually. But probably not for on-campus recreation.
I still remember the marks I once made in some marble steps during my college “terrain-riding” days. They’re probably still there, 30 years later!
I used to roller skate to university classes, including in the buildings and up/down the stairs. A building maintenance guy stopped me one day and was none too happy. When I pressed him for a reason why I couldn’t skate in the buildings he said rolling created a “wave” in the carpet which loosened the glue holding it to the floor, a consequence that had never occured to me. I promised to stop skating in the buildings and we parted in good company. I always figured it would be a safety issue that got me busted.
My point in your case is to respectfully pursue the issue. If they dig their heals in try to get a reason why. It might surprise you. Student safety and damage to property are usually the highest concern.
kinda agree with john on this one, if you’re using it for recreation, and the rules say not to use campus for recreation, then unicycles are no exception.
It’s dumb for sure. . . but rules are rules I guess.
