Scooter-bearing LSU students have undergone significant slander due to their choice of transportation in recent years. But many of them say it’s the easiest and most efficient way to navigate an increasingly unwalkable campus as close parking becomes a rarity.
Philosophy sophomore Evan Guth noticed many students riding scooters this semester, and wanted to try it for himself. He spent $200 on an electric scooter and hasn’t looked back since.
“When the school year first started, sometimes I had to park [and make] a 30-minute walk,” Guth said. “It hasn’t been so bad now. It still saves me like 20 minutes having the scooter.”
LSU commuting students have shared frustrations with limited parking this semester that often forces them to make hikes across campus. There are currently 8,200 commuter spaces across campus, down from 2019-2020 when there were 9,184 commuter spaces, and LSU sold 12,381 commuter permits this semester.
Guth’s favorite place to ride his scooter for fun is the PMAC ramp. His friends used to make fun of him, but when they rode his scooter down the ramp, they realized how fun it was.
He understands why people often think lowly of students on scooters, since many of them go too fast on the sidewalk, maneuvering around pedestrians, which he agrees isn’t safe.
“It’s important to be safe, not stupid, and be considerate of other people and watch for cars,” Guth said.
Psychology freshman Avery Natal uses her scooter because she tore her ACL. The $180 discounted scooter that she bought from Walmart comes in handy because she can avoid putting pressure on her leg from walking long distances between her classes.
“I found it convenient to not have to walk, stress out and have to put pressure by going to and from classes,” Natal said. “The scooter made it very accessible and easy to get places that were far apart. It was easier on me, I feel like.”
When she gets to class, Natal folds up her scooter and puts it at her feet. She hears negative experiences of running into people are more so associated with people riding bikes.
“I have never run into anyone,” Natal said. “I slow down or get off of it if there is a congested area.”
Business freshman Walker Hosford doesn’t own a scooter, but he owns a skateboard. He notices scooter people constantly, and it catches his eye every time. Seeing them zoom past him on campus has brought him envy.
Hosford believes there is a hierarchy system when it comes to navigating campus. Scooters, in his eyes, are by far the most superior: students don’t have to exert any energy as they would on a skateboard or bike, and scooters are “silent, yet furiously fast machines,” he said.
“It definitely goes scooter, bike, skateboard, rollerblades and ice skates,” Hosford said.
Finance freshman Grant Taylor is part of the LSU baseball team, and even though he is an athlete, he was not issued a scooter like many people believe. After seeing football players on scooters, he collectively decided with his team to buy scooters from Amazon.
Taylor is aware of how he uses his scooter, because he witnessed a crash between someone riding a longboard and another student.
“I try to stay off the sidewalks as much as I can because I don’t want to run into people,” Taylor said. “That’s something I’m super self-conscious about.”
An LSU student rides her scooter on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, through the LSU Quad as it rains in Baton Rouge, La.
