Anna Bednarski:
I just noticed the footage of B riding his bike in IU's Jordan Hall in ROX #34, in clear violation of the “No Pets or Bicycles” sign. Life is really circular at times, and as such, I actually now work in Jordan Hall and pass by that sign a lot.
It's the type of thing I would have liked to test when I was an undergrad, and I was pondering why they'd have such a policy. I've come to 2 conclusions:
1. It's the biology building. And, from the smell of this place, they are CLEARLY dealing with some biohazardous material in here. I'm usually pretty careful about staying out of the labs under the best of circumstances. (For instance, I learned quickly never, ever to assume that an ice bucket contains ice that's fit to drink.) So, would you want to knock over a vile of ebola by accident while riding your bike? What about crashing into the glass display case full o' dead creatures that's just around the atrium? Formaldehyde is NOT a pleasant high.
2. The halls around here are EXTREMELY crowded. I'm assuming most people here don't want to run over students with their bikes during a passing period (with some exceptions).
3. The more you walk, the more time you have to gaze at Alfred Kinsey's picture while going down the hall. And, as we all know, he is hott!
As for the pet policy, see the biohazard comment above. Some of the animals here have weird-ass parasites that could kill fluffy in a jiffy. So while I'd love to take my dogs to work, the lizards next door to my office make me think twice.