The residential students at NSU use the walkways around campus as their main form of transportation, and most students walk. This task can be very challenging when other students are speeding around on skateboards, longboards and penny boards.
Boards provide a faster way of getting around than walking, but they are getting to be a bit of a nuisance. It does not feel safe to use the walkways anymore.
The boarders go about their day riding from class to class, not realizing the fear they inflict. As they speed around and swerve, they make walking a daily challenge.
As a courtesy, the boarders attempt to avoid walking students by swerving out of the way. The problem is that they swerve out of the way at the very last second when the walker is trying to avoid a collision. This turns the situation into a game of Dance Dance Revolution; maneuver out of the way or be run over.
This last-second change in direction is nerve-wracking, especially when the boarder looks you right in the eye as they speed toward you. Not knowing whether you will be narrowly avoided or have to dive into the grass to escape is terrifying.
What is even worse than watching the boarders approach at intense speeds before barely avoiding you is when they appear out of nowhere from behind you.
The sound of rolling wheels and the frequent “thunk” on the sidewalk cracks is suspenseful, as the boards roll toward you. Not knowing where to be or when they will move around you is terrifying. All you can do is walk the edge of the sidewalk as if it is a tightrope and hope they maneuver around you safely.
Even then, the boarders still cut it close and ride right past you. This happens even when the sidewalk has enough room for both board and feet. This takes the age-old game of “I’m not touching you” to the extreme.
Though there have been few or no boarder-pedestrian collisions, it is still off-putting to come so close to one. Walking should not feel like a challenge every day because there is enough sidewalk for everyone. Boarders and walkers alike have somewhere to be and someone to meet.
Boarders need to be aware and consider how pedestrians feel before someone loses a toe or gets run over.
