A Recent Rise in Electric Scooters on Campus: Why?

Electric scooters outside the Marist Rotunda. Photo by Ezekiel Acosta '27

If you've spent any time walking across campus, you have likely noticed the abundance of scooters. They glide silently across sidewalks, cut corners a little too sharply and occasionally force pedestrians into evasive maneuvers. The complaints are common; there are too many, they are in the way and they are unsafe. 

The question is, where are these e-scooters coming from, and what are people’s thoughts on this new mode of transportation?

Scarlett Hidalgo ‘27 said that she likes the scooters and finds them entertaining. When asked what they liked about the E-scooters, Hidalgo recounted a memorable moment she saw when walking to class.

“There were two guys on one scooter creating the iconic scene out of the Titanic, I couldn’t believe neither of them fell off,” said Hidalgo.

However, not everyone had such a positive take on the e-scooters. Ashlyn Lavaway ‘29 expressed her discontent with the scooter. 

“The scooters don’t make their presence known and are very unaware of where people are walking,” Lavaway said. “I’ve almost been run over multiple times.”

Lavaway conveyed her desire to have a designated path for the scooters to take so they are not riding on the sidewalks with the people walking to class. 

“If the people on the scooters rode in the streets with the bikes, it wouldn’t create so much discord,” she said. “But as it stands, they are really silent when they pass you and you don't register their presence till you're almost run over.”

If so many people dislike the scooters, why are there still so many around? When asking people if they owned a scooter, the response was almost always no. Despite this, the number of scooters around seems to continue to grow. 

Sebastian Koehler ‘29 said, “The scooter was a gift from my parents before I started college. It's a super convenient way to get to my classes that are far away.”

Similarly, Zek Wierzynski ‘29 said, "I thought the scooters were cool and just wanted one. My family got it for me before school started.”

While the scooters may be easy to spot, their charging stations are not. University policy states that electric scooters using lithium-ion batteries may not be charged in dorm buildings as they pose a large fire hazard. 

Sabrina Mincero ‘26, an on-campus Resident Assistant, said, “You can’t have lithium batteries inside the dorms, so charging the scooters has been an issue.”

This begs the question: where are the electric scooters being charged? Some speculate that scooters are being charged in off-campus housing. 

Two upperclassmen, who wish to remain anonymous, were stopped mid-scooter ride. When asked where they charge their scooters, they said, “We live right off campus, and we can charge them there. They are really useful for getting around quickly. They are super fun and we like to race each other on them.”

So does this mean all scooter owners live off campus? Unlikely. 

While ownership may be disputed, usage is obvious. Scooters are fast, efficient and particularly popular for traversing long distances. Hills that may take 15 minutes to climb on foot are conquered in seconds. Scooters offer an undeniable advantage. 

Whether you love them, hate them or secretly ride them at night and deny it in daylight, they have become a defining feature of campus life. They are efficient, slightly chaotic and always fully charged from… somewhere? So keep your eyes open and your ankles safe, because on this campus, you are never more than three seconds away from the silent scooter appearing behind you.