The Telescope

Issue Date: 11/16/09

Skaters need to put the brakes on

By Melina Fickas

Media Credit: Zach Marcus

Think of how often you see students riding their bicycles or skateboards on campus at Palomar. Now think of how often you see those students getting cited for it. I never have.

The Palomar Community College District Procedure states, "No person shall use a roller device upon any District Property."
These students should get warnings and then tickets for their offense of the District Procedure, and not be able to get away with it every day like they do now.

There have been many times when people riding their bicycles or skateboards through the walkways have almost run into students walking to or from classes. This is a serious problem being addressed light-heartedly.

The current procedures for violations are set in three stages. The first time a student is caught violating procedure their names are supposed to be taken and put into a master file. A second violation results in a student conduct violation being written up and sent to the Office of Student Affairs. The third time a student is caught they will be cited, according to the San Marcos Municipal Code Section 12.24.020.

This last penalty means that if a person is convicted of having made the same violation three times within a one-year period they can be fined, put in San Diego County Jail for no longer than six months, or both.
None of this is ever seen, though. Students ride freely through the campus without a worry that they could serve jail time for this infraction.

When Palomar Campus Police see a student violating this District Procedure, they tell the student to get off of their skateboard or bicycle, according to Elijah Gobel, community service officer. Then their names through are run through the Computer Aided Dispatch (C.A.D.), which tells officers if there is a warrant out for the student.

Palomar's main walkways are wide enough for the constant flow of students going through the campus, but when you have someone on wheels weaving through pedestrians, a major accident is bound to happen.

In theory, special bike paths would be a good idea for Palomar, but in practice it wouldn't work. There is no real place that such pathways could be made. Also, in the 2022 Master Plan, there are no special pathways for people riding bicycles or skateboards.

Students riding their bicycles or skateboards on campus are an issue on Palomar's campuses that needs to be resolved. Campus Police should station an officer in the main hallway by the B building and near the SU building, because this is where most of the violations occur.

This may be an ongoing struggle for the first semester or two, but once students realize what consequences their actions have there will be more peace on campus.

Students walking around campus will be able to walk through the halls without having to worry that someone on their bicycle or skateboard could crash into them at any possible moment.

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