more articles like this

Roadside School
updated: Sep 04, 2012, 12:14 PM

By Mesa Jim

I just came upon this scene on Cabrillo Blvd. at 11:45 AM on Tuesday Sept. 4th. It seemed the group was studying the geology of the cliff underneath the SBCC campus, directly across from the harbor. I suspect this is for a class of some sort--most likely SBCC, although I did not ask for confirmation. There were no cones, no warning signs posted on the street prior to the large group of young people standing in the bike lane, many right on the white line marking the lane of traffic. Occasionally one of the group would even walk out into the road to circle around from one side of the group to the other.

With vehicles passing within, in some cases inches of the group, the liability issues here are boundless. All it would take would be one distracted driver--someone not looking at the road while texting and driving (something seen all too frequently around campus), and there would be a terrible tragedy. What possible class lesson learned here would be worth the risk of life or limb?

If I were the parent of one of these youths, I would be infuriated at the lack of common sense displayed here on the part of whomever organized this gathering, for whatever purpose. Does anyone else see the disconnect here?

Send this picture as a postcard

# # # #

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 315961P	2012-09-04 12:23 PM
I agree that is lame. Not a smart gathering at all.
COMMENT 315964	2012-09-04 12:28 PM
Agreed it's pretty dumb...but I hate to break it to you, those are young *adults*, not youths with parents who should be infuriorated! All perfectly capable of and legally able to making their own stupid decision to stand in the street. Seems my generation lacks much too much common sense sometimes...
COMMENT 315966	2012-09-04 12:31 PM
Is that road cut Santa Barbara formation? If so, should have some marine fossils from the Pleistocene epoch.
COMMENT 315967	2012-09-04 12:33 PM
Oh the horror. Or maybe you can focus on a real problem, or something positive *gasp*.
COMMENT 315981	2012-09-04 01:01 PM
I don't see MY son in this photo, and he is not in the street, but bet he is part of that group SBCC geology classes are great, and yes they study the SBCC Area. I note that there is no paved side walk and no bikes in the lane. I suppose if you were speeding and driving in the bike lane this would be a tragic situation. Maybe a letter to the city requesting a sidewalk there would be a better use of time and the photo? It is likely they are not the only ones to have ever had to walk on that dirt strip. But they are adults, if they can not follow teachers instructions or common sense then maybe it is the parents of these young people that spent more time protecting them from danger than teaching them what is dangerous and how to avoid the situation that should be upset with themselves. One of the things that made the class room instruction "click" for my son, was walking around and observing the concepts with the teachers.
COMMENT 315983	2012-09-04 01:04 PM
I just don't know how this photo and post qualify for community news. The rattlesnake photo gets my vote for picture of the week!
COMMENT 315985P	2012-09-04 01:05 PM
Oh for heaven's sake, get a grip. These "young people" are old enough to make their own decisions about where to stand, and the group is large enough that cars on the road can easily see them. They are standing, as you can see if you take a look at your photo again, in the bike lane and cars should not be in the bake lane. Distracted drivers can just as easily run up on a sidewalk and have. The only disconnect I see is yours.
COMMENT 315992	2012-09-04 01:12 PM
It's a school zone, you need to drive carefully because there may be students in the road.... it's the law!
COMMENT 315995	2012-09-04 01:18 PM
Clearly these students were forming a human shield to protect a Snowy Plover nest they stumbled upon. If it wasn't for them, we'd have lost another species in this fragile environment.
COMMENT 316000	2012-09-04 01:29 PM
Cool that the geology course takes students out of the classroom and into the environment that they are studying. Thanks for bringing this important aspect of higher education to our attention.
COMMENT 316002	2012-09-04 01:40 PM
I remember doing that. Good times, good classes, and I agree with everyone else, the geology dept (and biology dept!) is really amazing at SBCC. So thanks to the OP (& 966) for rekindling fond memories. Glad my mom & dad aren't the type to be driving around town taking pictures of potentially litigious situations...
COMMENT 316006	2012-09-04 01:50 PM
fiona was breakdancing in the huddle.
COMMENT 316015	2012-09-04 02:12 PM
They do this every year. The geology department at SBCC is great. Slow down for the researchers!
COMMENT 316017	2012-09-04 02:15 PM
I wonder if the professor or the students were concerned that an anonymous person was randomly photographing their normal daily activities. It would concern me.
COMMENT 316023	2012-09-04 02:40 PM
Maybe you shouldn't be driving and taking pictures at the same time.
COMMENT 316034	2012-09-04 03:15 PM
You want to learn geology? You have to go to the rocks; they don't come to you. You should see the things you get to do in upper division geology courses. Scree-skiing, traversing 50d slopes in worn boots, overhangs, trundling boulders, climbing through lava tubes... this? This is nothing.
COMMENT 316043	2012-09-04 03:22 PM
@Mesa Jim. I agree with you. This would be a foolish way to die (or become paralyzed for life). When these class trips are held, it is so easy to become careless and not pay attention to traffic. @981. This doesn't require concreting of the dirt, it only requires a good set of rules about traffic safety before leaving the classroom.
COMMENT 316049P	2012-09-04 03:27 PM
The only "disconnect" I see is the OP's lack of reality. I biked by there at about that time, heading across Cabrillo and up to City College, relatively few cars or bikes. Great to see what I assume was a geology class there. In case no one has noticed, that hillside area frequently has runoff in one specific spot and perhaps they were studying that. Or perhaps the interesting sandstone. I have taken a couple of geology classes at SBCC and loved them; wonderful thoughtful (and caring, too) department!
COMMENT 316055	2012-09-04 03:35 PM
Bicycles in that lane ride within inches of cars on an hourly basis every day! Not sure this is something to get all worked up about. Were you driving when you took the picture?
COMMENT 316062P	2012-09-04 03:47 PM
It may not be a geology class at all. It could be a class titled "Thinning the Herd".
COMMENT 316063P	2012-09-04 03:48 PM
I have totally loved all of the geology, biology and botany classes I've taken at SBCC. I'm tired of "Why isn't everybody looking out for me?" Why not stop complaining and start driving with attention to your surrounds? SBCC is a jewel in our community.
FLICKA	2012-09-05 07:08 AM
006 gets the award for best comment. Fiona rocks!

27% of comments on this page were made by Edhat Community Members.

*** 3 comments were deleted from this thread by the Edhat Board Nanny for violating Edhat Comments Board policy. Click Here to see them.

Comments on this thread are only open to Community Members.

# # # #