The Occidental Weekly

Dear Editor,

When I acquired my bike, I was simply thrilled. I chose not to get a car this year for several reasons - uncertain plans for the future, high gas and insurance prices and, of course, environmental concerns. I was determined to conquer the city of cars and birthplace of drive-throughs. During my semester abroad, I revelled in public transportation.

Unfortunately, that is not the case in Los Angeles. Despite being voted the best bus system in the States, I still find it time consuming and inadequate. The solution was clearly a bicycle.

However, I was flabbergasted to find that my first challenge was not reckless drivers on L.A. streets, but my Alma Mater - Oxy! In the morning, before class, I was hard-pressed to find a place to lock my bicycle. Now, I was under the impression that Oxy was an environmentally minded school. Is that nothing but talk? The bike racks are few to non-existent. There is no encouragement to bike to or around campus and many students prefer to use cars.

I just can't imagine that I'm the only one facing this difficulty. I highly suggest that forces combine between the Environmental Club and the new Sustainability Fund as well as the Administration in promoting the use of bicycles by building more bike racks.

In the long term, I would love Oxy to take after many European cities, and now several American cities, in having some sort of bicycle rent program. It would be such a wise investment; maybe Oxy can find some agreement with Bicycle Doctor, for example, which provides free maintenance for bikes purchased in new condition? Let's do something good for our planet and campus.

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