By John D. Harden, Staff Writer

Published Sep. 24, 2014

There are many options for transportation facing students on campus, but it seems that the most popular is always the bike.

The obvious advantages to cycling on or off campus, however, should not take away from the unfortunate outliers that set negative stereotypes in motion.

Of course, the majority of student cyclists are courteous, and some even manage to remember the directional hand signals that they learned in elementary school.

Yet, what really chafes me is the minority, riding on sidewalks with their headphones in, showing no regard for their surroundings and the rest of the student body.

Now I know that all of us have probably got up late because your alarm didn’t go off, or you had to stay up late “studying” the night before and you really needed to get to sociology before you get another tardy, which will probably add up to another absence.

But the reality is, you still need to show respect to your fellow cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike.

Some of my most uncomfortable experiences living around campus are the sudden interactions between myself and a cyclist whizzing past me on the sidewalk.

So, here’s a basic rule of thumb: don’t ride on the sidewalk.

I understand that the street lanes are only so wide and that most have designated parking spaces for cars that are usually filled, but that doesn’t give you the right to merge your pedestrian right of way with your current mode of transportation.

Although, in many cases, there are no local ordinances that prohibit cyclists from riding on the sidewalk, there is statewide law stating that cyclists must in all cases yield to pedestrians and avoid, if at all possible, collisions with pedestrians.

It should also be known to all cyclists and commuters alike that a bicycle is under N.C. state law considered to be a vehicle, albeit not a motorized one, and must obey all traffic signs, signals and laws.

You’ve more than likely been sitting in your car, or waiting at a red light when a cyclist pedaled past you blissfully unaware of the fact that they also needed to observe other people at an intersection and respect the procedure expected of somebody operating a vehicle.The same thing applies to motorcyclists and moped riders. Bicyclists are no exception.

My final gripe is towards those silly cycling “fashionistas” who can’t seem to get enough of their “vintage” Schwinn.

It doesn’t matter if your bike was given to you by your family, you should have sold it and tried to buy a newer bike.

There is no excuse for the clunky, cumbersome nature of these outdated metal contraptions.

There are carbon-fiber bikes for a reason and an innumerable amount of other options that can get you to class on time while still making you look as lame as if you were riding that Fleet or Hornet Deluxe.

Let’s be realistic: the most probable option for you to get to class on time would be to walk, since you more than likely live on campus.

But if you decide to ride a bike, please forego the sidewalk-riding and pedestrian-dodging, because these things only do more to illustrate your true nature as a capital “D-bag.”