Can we ride bikes to school in Florida?

If you would tell me what community you live in, perhaps I could look it up. However, these things are covered by local ordinance. I don’t know how old you are, but I know that in my community, kids can ride bikes on sidewalks, but adults can’t.

There may be weird regulations in your town that say kids can’t ride bikes. However, as long as you are not prohibited from riding a bike, I think you can ride it to school, and I think it is very unlikely that there is an ordinance forbidding you from riding a bike.

Looks like you need to wear a helmet, but otherwise, I looked through the ordinances and couldn’t find anything about bike riding. If it isn’t regulated, then it is permitted.

@wundayatta That’s good. Thanks!

Is riding bikes banned anywhere? That would be sad.

I bike 12 miles to work and 12 miles home most days

There’s a saying that will make your life a whole lot easier and less stressful (and potentially more fun, too) if you will learn it and internalize it. In the case of something like this, which will certainly not hurt anyone else (I wouldn’t give you advice that could get someone else hurt or in trouble):

It’s easier to beg forgiveness than it is to ask permission.

You’re not going to hurt anyone. Go ahead and ride your bike to school. If it’s against some stupid rule, someone will give you the stupid reason, and you can beg forgiveness if you think you need to and then find a way around the stupid rule.

Enjoy your ride. Be safe. Be sure to find a place where you can lock the bike when you get it to school (if there isn’t a bike rack) where it will be secure and out of others’ way (like, don’t park in or near a fire escape or anything).

@gailcalled I can’t quite remember and I don’t see anyone else riding bikes.

@CWOTUS I’m not all that good with talking to people at all. I get all nervous and advert my eyes. And most of the teachers at my school are extremely strict about rules to “prepare you for highschool”. So if I’m not allowed to ride a bike and I do anyway, they might take the chance to write me up and cause a whole lot of unneeded complications with parents and stuff. Heck, they would most likely throw around their authority like it’s confetti.

@BBawlight: Cannot you have your parents call the school and ask? It sounds like an alarming place.

@jaytkay South Bay school district in San Diego County had, and may still have, a bike ban. Figures it would be in Cali.

@BBawlight try to avoid living your life in fear of “all the things that might be against the [unwritten] rules.” (And a lot of the written ones, too.) It’s a bicycle, for gosh sakes. If there hasn’t been a rule published that you should know about, then just assume that it’s okay. It’s a bicycle!

Really, if you think you need to ask permission to do everything, then you’ll never get anywhere, never get anything done, and never live your own life.

Ride the bike. Don’t ask a soul if you may, as long as you’re capable of riding, navigating the traffic, putting the bike out of the way and secure when you get there. You know, as long as you can be safe, confident and orderly about things.

If someone has a real heartache with it, then I’m sure they’ll tell you – and I doubt very much that they’ll punish you. For riding a bicycle? Really? How absurd! especially if the rule hasn’t been published clearly and broadly.

The reason that people “throw their authority around like confetti” is… you’re going to love this… because you’re always asking permission. (That’s “you”, plural. I assume that others are probably as cowed by this bunch of “what if and maybe” rules and the idea that you need to ask permission for simple transportation, which you can provide yourself.)

Just do it.

If you start to “just do it” in more and more areas of your life then you’ll find that people are less apt to “throw their authority around” because it will be obvious that you can already take care of yourself. It’s part of the process of maturing.

Just do it. There’s a reason why that’s such a great motto. It’s a way to live.

[mod says] Personal location information has been removed.