As I was walking on campus of my alma mater last week I saw a rather perturbing sight - bikes upon bikes were being impounded.

I agree with the premise of this escapade, however, grossly disagree with the methods to which it is carried out. Last summer my bike was impounded because it was not registered. I was told they first put an orange tag on the bike and when they come around for pickup, if the orange tag is still on the bike, it is impounded.

This would definitely take care of the unsightly bikes on campus.

However, I learned that this is not what is being done. The Department of Police and Public Safety is "impounding," or rather stealing bikes.

The bikes that were being taken had no orange tag whatsoever on them and I can almost guarantee at least 50 percent of the bikes they were stealing were of students in class at the time. Thus, leaving these students stranded with no bike.

For those in charge of stealing these bicycles, I have only one question: What about local area residents who aren't students and wish to visit this wonderful campus?

Their bikes would be impounded as well. This would not be leaving a good impression upon the East Lansing and MSU community by stealing their bikes.

It is absurd to tell the public in the paper as they did last year the only bikes that are impounded are the ones with tags when this practice is obviously not being adhered to.

I think we as a community, the students, alumni who are still around and the residents who like to ride their bikes onto campus should stand up and do something against this violation of our rights. A public university can't act like its sidewalks and bike lock places are private property.

I am very disappointed in the system and the way in which they are handling this. One can only hope in the future our rights as bike riders, which save the environment from noxious car fumes, will be respected by the, yes, evil DPPS.

Nicholas DeFauw
2003 MSU graduate