Have you noticed something on campus? Something – or things – particularly vehicular that have been seen in unconventional spaces on campus?
Yes, we are talking about the electric scooter surge. At the beginning of the semester, the Dean of Students sent out an email regarding the significant increase in them. Electric scooters are by no means a new phenomenon on school campuses.
Universities such as Villanova and UPenn have openly discussed safety concerns. For example, The Villanovan, a student-run publication, has expressed how scooter bans make campuses safer. Even overseas, this has become an issue with e-scooters catching fire in Korea or limiting access to e-scooters in Spain being hijacked using specialized apps.
What’s wrong with people riding them? It doesn’t affect me … right? Well, thankfully, I have not been a victim of a near hit-and-run (yet), but I have witnessed the inconsideration of scooter drivers. I’ve seen them get way too close to people on sidewalks just trying to walk to their class without getting totally wiped out. I’ve also seen them brush out exasperated students or straight-up jeer at them.
I understand that it may not always be practical to drive a scooter on a busy road where cars, construction vehicles, and shuttles are always around. Still, you have to have some regard for people walking to their class who most likely don’t want to jump out of the way so that someone can get to class two minutes faster.
Not to mention, I have seen them INSIDE of buildings … you know where people are. Some have been spotted in Reeves Library late at night and others in PPHAC outside of lecture halls. Unless there’s a disability and accommodation purpose, why do you need to be riding one indoors?
I have seen some individuals bringing their scooters up to the third floor of Comenius Hall. Yes, Comenius Hall: the face of Moravian and also a building with no elevator. You can imagine my disbelief at seeing someone just show up to one of my classes with one.
Students have been outspoken about how this is increasingly becoming a problem. “I think that the amount of scooters is too much for people and administrators to maintain control over. Even though the university has made a statement on them, no one can really regulate how they’re used,” said Jon Walsh, ‘27, math and computer science major.
In a similar vein, I would like to mention that this is a fairly small campus. I don’t think electric scooters are as practical here as on a campus like Lehigh, for instance. I like our cozy campus, and with all the construction, I personally think that having so many electric scooters like this makes it feel more congested.
As a commuter, I don’t want this to come from a holier-than-thou perspective. I know people who bike or skateboard to school, and I know not everyone can access a car.
Recently, Moravian has been stricter on its scooter policy. The Moravian chief of police, Harrison Dillard, released a statement on enforcing scooter regulations and requiring them to be registered through a permit portal. Additionally, scooters inside buildings have been prohibited; I am glad this has been addressed and that our campus police are emphasizing safety for students. Also, I appreciate them being fair to scooter users by encouraging them to register for a permit.
I’m not calling for a campuswide ban on electric scooters. I know that there are people with disabilities and accommodations who need them, and I can respect that. I just wish that there was more consideration from the users themselves when it comes to utilizing them.
