Anti Cycling High School Principal
 

Students at the Bridgewater-Raritan NJ High School raised money and offered to purchase and install a bicycle rack. Their offer was declined by Principal James Riccobono. In an effort to protest this decision, 50 students cycled to school and locked their bikes to signs, trees and other posts surrounding the circular driveway at the school. The principal was presented with a letter describing the environmental clubs intent with the donation of the bicycle rack to the school. The response was a letter in response with one line in bold that stated "in as much as the district provides courtesy busing to students who live within walking distance of the high school, because of the danger on Garretson Road, it does (not) make sense, in my opinion, to promote the riding of bicycles to school".

This was printed in the local paper.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/union/...210.xml&coll=1

Another example of life in the Peoples Republic of New Jersey

They're just pissed cus my HS (Pingry) always kicks their ass in sports!

Interesting, though, since my HS has a bike rack (i used it when i rode there) and its on a much busier road then Bridgewater-Raritan HS. Oh well.

Nothing in the Principal's Message beyond how great the school is in promoting student-centered learning. Makes it sound a bit like a factory.

He'll probably be getting a few emails.

Sounds like the school consulted with their attorney before making the decision on the rack- if we install the rack, we are seen as promoting biking and if a student is hit by a car, we'll get sued because we supported biking.

Shoot. Perhaps I should have sued the library for having bike racks when I hurt myself riding to the library. After all, it is their fault. Couldn't be mine.

OK, they got nowhere with the Principal. Next stop, the Superintendent of schools, and after that, the school board. Chances are, that's where the Principal got his direction about this matter...

I've got mixed feelings...

I mean, where were these 50 kids up to now? It seems as if absolutely no one has previously been riding to school.

On one hand, the school isn't obligated to provide anything. On the other... I'm sure they do have a parking lot twice the size of the school... as if driving were a safe activity for high school kids.

The easiest thing to do would have been accept the rack - sounds like no one would have been using it.


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Why is it that car traffic is always the reasons kids can't walk or ride to school? The kids and parents are the ones causing all this traffic (danger) in the first place. If you cared about the safety of the area, you'd restrict the driving and force everyone back onto the buses. That's the last thing the school boards want, because that would mean bigger bills for them.

What? You don't think about CHILDREN? Of course bikes, football, soccer and everything that is healthy and fun, but somewhat risky should be BANNED! Ideal school is one where children are locked up until graduation, their regime is scientifically planned, and everybody is regullary searched for anything that might harm themselves or others... Wait... Siomething's wrong... No, no it's not imprisoning them, I swear! Ity's just rational, welcome-to-the-real-world approach to safetly raising Future Good Citizens. And no one's going to sue us for lack of due diligence, that's the icing on the cake.

Where are kids going to meet to get beat up?

Very disheartening.

By the way, I was born and raised in Fanwood, and I currently live in Watchung.

But someone(s) among them did raise the funds, and they did convince few dosen more kids to participate in the protest. Not that bad for HS students. So, things might have changed.

What a dumbass, in so many ways.

I was surprised reading an article in our local paper about the cuts the schoolboard is looking into making, P/E, art, music, then way down at the end 'and also considering curtailing bus service to students within 1 mile of their school'. I can't believe that wouldn't be the first thing to go.

Yeah, the school might get sued if a kid gets hit while riding his bike to school, but couldn't the school get sued if the bus the kids are riding is involved in an accident? Are there seat belts on buses? If so, is it enforced by the driver/school?

Let the kids have their rack and let them choose to ride or not.

Oh definitely parents rushing their kids around in the minivan while juggling their lattes and cell phones are even more distracted and rushed than the usual cager, they're late for school and work. Nonetheless, that doesn't mean they shouldn't be held to a *higher* standard of awareness of other people's kids outside their own little transport-pod.

yep. there is simply nothing more dangerous than teenagers driving. and most highschools (mine did) provided ample parking for their students old enough to drive.

this measure makes no sense. it's a cowardly act to protect themselves by limiting the freedom of their students.

:lol:

As a former susbstitute teacher it's been my misfortune to observe that both teachers and staff at our local schools often think and behave more immature that the students they teach. Typically, the higher up on the hiarchy and senority the more immature and incompetent they are. This principal sounds no different. He also suffers from a form the hidebound buerucratic mentality called Not-at-my-organization and also known as Not-Invented-Here-Syndrome.

exactly right. the focus is only on "not causing any problems" then promoting anything healthy, interesting, or fun.

I wonder if the kids could find somewhere down or across the street to get the bike rack installed so it won't be on school property? I have no idea if it's business/residential directly surrounding the school, but it's an idea. :)

I'm still baffling over the policy of bussing kids who live within a mile of campus. That's walking distance.

buses are probably provided because the parents would raise hell if there children had to walk if it was raining or snowing.

People are lazy.
My sister in-law lived with my wife and I for 6 months. She had to walk her 7 year old to school and complained about the half mile walk.... to the cyclist that was riding almost 60 miles a day at the time. Um?

Kudos to the 50 students who stepped up and asserted themselves. Kinda warms my curmudgeonly heart.

yeah, the kids did a good job. this is a great life lesson for them... that you gotta fight idiots to get what you want. hopefully they keep pushing.