Last winter when Mary Esposito came out of the library after a late-night study session, she would consider calling Safety and Security for a transport back to her dorm room. While the study sessions were paramount to Esposito’s education, she knew that she also needed to be safe when by herself at night. If Esposito ever felt unsafe walking back alone, she’d call (716)-375-2525 and ask for a ride back to her dorm, which she was normally able to get.
Esposito, a sophomore biochemistry major, said that she used to call Safety and Security about once or twice a month in a scenario like this, when she felt unsafe.
Now, however, this option isn’t available to Esposito and her peers. Safety and Security will no longer be offering students transports unless they have a medical excuse.
Gary Segrue, director of Safety and Security, said that although all students were able to use the transports to get around campus over the course of the past several years, Safety and Security’s policy has always been that only students with medical reasons would receive transports. He said that this year, Safety and Security officers will be enforcing that policy, since students began “abusing the transport system.”
Segrue said that in the 2016-17 school year, Safety and Security made 1,181 transport trips. In the 2017-18 school year, that number increased to 2,300 transports. By the 2018-19 school year, St. Bonaventure students had received 6,320 transports.
Alexa Shahine, a sophomore biochemistry major, said that most students she knows didn’t abuse Safety and Security rides last year. She said she understood how some students may have abused it but noted that most students do not.
“I don’t think it is reason enough to punish the entire student body. If abuse is the problem, then a max number for rides should be put in place,” Shahine said.
Segrue said that one student requested 93 rides in one semester, and said “We had many students with over 50 transports.”
Segrue said the growth in the number of rides students requested became too hard to handle.
“We are not equipped to give that many rides,” Segrue said. “We are not an Uber; we are not a taxi service.”
Segrue said that during the week, two Safety and Security officers are on patrol with one dispatcher in the office in Robinson Hall throughout the week, with increased patrol presence on weekends. For that reason, Segrue said that patrol officers need to be able to respond to any emergency that may arise.
Although students without a medical issue may not be able to receive a ride anymore, Segrue said that students are still able to call Safety and Security and ask for a walking escort from any location on campus.
By Meghan Hall, Associate Editor
hallml18@bonaventure.edu
