This regards the Jan. 29 column detailing Lucky’s experience with University Police. Jayna Ronayne referred to Officer Lovell as Officer Weak. I’ll have her know that he is the same officer who on a ten-degree October morning stood in the cold with me for twenty minutes until my next class. He answered the call to help me help myself learn to completely stop a bicycle at a vacant pedestrian crosswalk stop sign via a ticket which wound up costing me $123.

The court would not drop what they thought was a ridiculous ticket because “the officer would get pissed.” What this means is that someone who is lucky if he can read this letter, much less handle the responsibility of law enforcement, has with his actions and childlike attitude discouraged me from something as fruitful as bicycle commuting.

I think I’ll take my car from now on. Do you think they’ll build another parking lot? Forget sensible alternatives, let’s all drive! With our combined efforts, we can make DeKalb a miniature L.A.! With no bicyclists, there will be no perceived little man for babies like Officer Lovell to take their frustrations out on. No, he didn’t appreciate my rationale, he just wanted to play Mr. Tough Guy by nitpicking at a college student on a bicycle. How cool is that? His mind needs to be opened.

Gene Dougherty

Senior

Physics