Aliana Thompson | Staff Illustrator

As I walk to class, I feel a presence behind me. Within seconds, a girl on a 40-pound motorized death machine whizzes past me at 20 mph. Before I can catch my breath, a boy rips by at a similarly terrifying speed on his mountain bike.

I can’t help but notice that neither of them gave any indication that those could have been my final moments. Anyone navigating campus in any way that isn’t walking should be required to warn the people in front of them as they approach. 

What happened to, “On your left!” or ringing a bell? Why didn’t they feel the need to notify me that they were hurtling toward me? Are they not scared of being charged with vehicular manslaughter? 

“Anyone navigating campus in any way that isn’t walking should be required to warn the people in front of them as they approach.”

And I get it: A lot of people wear headphones, so maybe they wouldn’t hear someone approaching from behind. I know that I’ve definitely shoulder-checked an unaware pedestrian while riding my bike. However, this was only a last resort after I rang my bell at least three times. Bikers shouldn’t assume that people wouldn’t be aware of the chime that can save their life.

I’m not here to defend the unaware; I am here to say that we should give people the chance to be aware. A quick alert would drastically decrease incidents of “I just got hit by an electric scooter” posts on Sidechat and make our campus a less fearful environment. I also think bells are cute, and I like hearing them. So do me a favor and ring that bell.