Dear Queen’s Students,

As an old fogey who graduated from Queen’s and who has many friends and family — including my daughter — who graduated from Queen’s, I am moved to write this letter, strictly out of caring
and concern.

On Monday, Sept. 8, I hit a couple of Queen’s students on bikes with my car. I was devastated, particularly at one point when I thought I had seriously injured them, or even worse. By the grace of God no one was seriously injured, although one girl with a bad cut was ambulanced to KGH.

I felt terrible about this incident and was concerned for the victims as if they were my own kids. I thought to myself that it could easily have been me over 50 years ago, or it could have been my daughter.

That being said, I also thought about something which has concerned me for some time, namely the lack of safety awareness of many students when they’re on the streets, something compounded by current technology.

I can’t tell you how many times in recent years I have witnessed, and told by others who have witnessed, students crossing streets and intersections with cell phones in their ears’ totally oblivious to what is going on around them. And yes, in my most cynical moments I have been tempted with thoughts of “wow, here’s our future leaders who are privileged high academic achievers, whose common sense intelligence is zero!”

I realize it is wrong to ‘tar all students with the same brush’ but I appeal to all of you to be alert and safety conscious on the streets. Back to my accident on Monday: these students were riding the wrong way on a one-way street and not watching where they were going.
I had been stopped at the stop sign awaiting my safe chance to turn onto that one-way street. The moment I started to make my turn they were across my path with no chance for me to avoid crashing into them.

For one thing they were going the wrong way ­— the rule for cyclists is the same as for
cars — but clearly they were not attending their minds to what they were doing on the road.
In conclusion, I appeal to all students to be alert and safety conscious, including knowing the rules when on the roads. For the sake of yourselves, your parents, your alma mater and others, this is as much a responsibility for you
as anyone.

Hal Holt
ArSci ’62