Walking California State University, Long Beach’s 5,522,402-square-foot campus can be tiring for the average person—not to mention for a full-time student, trekking the whole campus every day of the week.
Skateboarding is a popular and convenient alternative means of transportation for students to get to and from class, yet a huge portion of the campus is off limits. Students should be allowed to use skateboards, as well as other coaster devices, throughout upper campus.
“I feel that [skateboards are] a necessity to many students to get around,” Lieutenant Rick Goodwin of University Police said. “It’s great, but they need to adhere to the regulations to safeguard not only them, but the folks around them.”
Two weeks ago, a student was skating on a mostly empty sidewalk on upper campus when CSULB police officer Rodney Dickerson saw him and yelled for him to stop. The startled student fell off his board, stumbling to regain his balance. The only potential hazard on upper campus seems to be stemming from the authority figures.
The police station located near the University Student Union provides pamphlets for campus policies on skateboards, scooters, rollerblades and roller skates. The pamphlet shows marked areas displaying where students may ride freely on their boards, as well as pedestrian-only marked zones such as the hills on East Campus Drive, West Campus Drive and all of upper campus.
Failures and violations to abide by these rules may result in a citation (California vehicle code 21113(g)) and potentially a fine.
“When I was living in the dorms, it was easier for me to use my skateboard to get to class,” said Soni Khorn, a third year international business major. “I kept in mind that pedestrians have the right of way.”
Khorn isn’t the only considerate skateboarder.
“I feel like they’re usually mindful of other students,” said Cynthia Cao, graduating senior and health care administration major. “However, one time I did see a skateboarder and a bicyclist crash into each other.”
According to Lt. Goodwin, the number of accidents reported to the campus police department has been very minimal. So why can’t skaters get around on upper campus?
“If one individual causes harm to another individual, there would be a legalistic stance like a traffic accident,” Lt. Goodwin said. “If a skateboarder runs over someone and causes physical harm, the person who caused the harm could be held accountable for that.”
The campus coasting device policy states that if a person riding a skateboard strikes anyone, they are liable for all medical expenses of that victim and any damage done to the victim’s property.
Skateboarding is second-nature to many students at CSULB, and according to the handbook, skateboards are permitted because they help to reduce “reliance on motorized transportation and [promote] healthy exercise.”
So take a negative carbon footprint, add several healthy bodies and subtract a very few hematomas, and you come up with the answer to all the CSULB skateboarder woes, free reign on upper campus.
CSULB students have been able to cohabitate peacefully with one another, on and off the skateboard, and should be able to freely ride their boards around the entire campus.