Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, the CSU Police Department cut the locks of all the bikes that remained near the Clark building in preparation for President Obama’s visit to the Monfort Quad.
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The bikes were moved to the police station, where they will remain until after the presidential address.
“All (students) have to do is come and get their bikes, and there’s no fee for that,” said Lieutenant Frank Johnson, who was helping with the removal process Monday evening.
Bikes and bike racks were removed to insure crowd safety during President Obama’s visit to campus on Tuesday, according to Johnson.
The police had posted notices of the removal on Sunday afternoon and had originally intended to begin moving bikes at 5 p.m. Since many bikes remained when the police arrived, they waited until 6 p.m. before cutting locks.
“Some folks didn’t have their bikes moved so we gave them an extra hour, and it worked out for some folks,” said Johnson, who noted that about 20 students arrived in time to move their bikes before removal began. “It would have been nice if everybody had.”
In spite of the leeway, some students arrived just late enough to find their bikes already gone.
Graduate student Nick Johnson’s Schwinn road bike was removed before he got out of class. Nick Johnson, who is not related to Lt. Johnson, had forgotten the keys to his bike lock and left his bike unlocked while he went to class.
The mistake had a hidden benefit since the CSUPD removed his bike without cutting his lock, he said; even though he will have to walk to class, he won’t have to buy a new lock.
“It was kind of ironic because that worked out in my favor today,” he said.
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Owners of impounded bikes can pick them up at 750 Meridian Ave. on Wednesday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Anyone looking for a bike must provide proof of ownership, such as bike registration or purchase receipts.
Nick Johnson hadn’t registered his bike and wasn’t sure if he had kept his receipt, but he still had a sense of humor about the situation.
“I just find the whole thing really funny,” he said. “It’s the one day I forgot the keys to my lock and they’re removing all the bikes.”
News editor Elisabeth Willner can be reached at news@collegian.com
