One of the most important goals throughout college is to stay healthy; knowing and following these rules of the road can help keep you safe.
Rule #1: KEEP TO THE RIGHT! But what if you are headed to class? (To the right!) What if you are late to a date? (To the right!) What if you are late to an exam? (Invest in an alarm, then proceed to the right!) Always stay in the bike lane on the right, the only person who rides to the left is Beyoncé and you are not Beyoncé. Oh, but you can merge to the left lane if you want to turn left.
Rule #2: CLEAR THE SIDES! Look out for parked cars as riders may open the door in front of you and accidentally cause a collision. You also would not want to be too close to the parked cars and scratch up someone else’s Ferrari or Lamborghini — unless you are friends with Bill Gates, but in that case why would you even need the bike?
Rule #3: WATCH FOR PEDESTRIANS! If you ever end up in a narrow driveway and there are no bike lanes, chances are you will end up riding on the sidewalk, but remember that wheels yield to heels! Also, never ride with headphones on as they may impair your ability to react to situations around you!
Rule #4: LOCK IT UP! Never leave your bike unlocked! A U-Lock is recommended to prevent theft.
Ride with these golden rules, you will be invincible on the streets, earn respect from fellow bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. As a reminder, ride to the right and clear the side, watch the peeps then lock your bike. You can register your bike with UMPD incase it’s lost or stolen. Go blue and ride on!
Contributed by Eric Gao