Which is a better choice to have for Santa Barbara since I am a freshmen who is going to stay on campus. I can ride both, but what are the cons and pros?
For bike I’d say
Pros: Easy access to bike racks, roads are easy to navigate, less worry about where you’re going to store it during class
Cons: Bike lanes tend to be very congested during the first few weeks of Fall quarter and there’s a lot of bike accidents (usually between Freshmen), some bike racks tend to fill up quickly (the area next to Campbell hall is the worst), and you have to worry about bringing it upstairs or finding storage during school breaks
For a long board:
Pros: Easy to skate through areas where you’re not aloud to bike (i.e. the Arbor, but I’d be careful since you’re not technically allowed to skateboard there either I think), you have your own skateboard path that’s way less congested, and it’s easy to store it anywhere
Cons: I know a lot of people at UCSB who absolutely hate people who skateboard or longboard just because they try to cut across sidewalks and it can get really annoying, so if you choose to longboard just be careful for the people around you and for yourself since a lot of skateboarders faceplant from not watching the road
Either way, wear a helmet.
^^ I actually brought a helmet my first year and soon realized that bike/skateboard culture at UCSB kind of looks down upon it. I didn’t end up wearing a helmet just like everyone else and never really got into an accident, but I guess it just depends on your ability to fight against peer pressure.
I know a girl who fell off her longboard and got a brain injury senior year of HS. She couldn’t go to college, and 10 years later still lives at home with her parents. A kid at D2’s college had a bike accident recently and had to be evacuated via helicopter to the hospital – injuries included a concussion, she missed a lot of class. No helmet in both cases. Be smart – wear a helmet.