Editor,
This letter is to comment on the March 5 Daily Lobo article "Physical Plant to begin enforcing bicycle lock rules."
First, I want to compliment my facility maintenance manager, Ralph Alires, for aggressively lobbying the Campus Safety Committee on the bike issue. Ralph's campus area of responsibility is dotted with railings and other handy devices for securing one's bicycle.
As Ralph reported, bicycles attached to handrails often pose a hazard to the handicapped. When one witnesses a handicapped person/chained bike encounter, the urge to act decisively and to punish the careless offender is overwhelming.
The problem is determining who should be the "enforcer" of behavioral norms and how severe the punishment should be.
Let me make it perfectly clear at this point that the Physical Plant Department employees will not under any circumstances cut a bicycle lock or physically remove anyone's personal property.
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The mission of the Physical Plant is to create and preserve an environment that is favorable to learning and research. Our goal is to ensure that every encounter between plant employers and students, faculty and staff is positive and amicable. We do not intend to take part in any activity that may lead to a physical confrontation or unfavorable outcome.
Some would argue that the role of enforcing bike policy should be left to the campus police.
But, we have to realize that the campus police's first priority is the control of immediate threats to public safety. Their second priority is protecting property.
These duties generally consume all their resources. Complaints about inappropriately chained bicycles will always take a back seat to more urgent police work.
So what's the answer? I suggest that common sense and concern for the handicapped cannot be effectively enforced by police or other behavioral monitors.
It is really up to student government, the Greeks, Faculty Senate and others who profess to exercise a community leadership role to begin to promote the notion that none of us is free to live his or her campus life without concern for others.
As soon as it is no longer considered "cool" to chain your bike to a building handrail, it will stop. But not before.
Harvey D. Chace
Associate director for construction and maintenance
UNM Physical Plant Department
