Picture this: After making it through two back-to-back classes, you are nothing but ecstatic to finally head to Rand and decompress for the few free hours you have in your day. As you practically skip out of the lecture hall building, your excitement is soon interrupted by a towering object speeding toward you from behind. Of course, in your bliss, you are entirely unaware of your impending doom: an offensive lineman on a scooter.
Not only is this image a real scene from a very rough Tuesday of mine, but it also did not end with me standing on my feet, unfortunately. While it was certainly quite embarrassing to have to pick myself up afterward, I have only used this experience as motivation to advocate for the end of Vanderbilt’s scooter epidemic.
As a first-year, transitioning from a small high school to Vanderbilt’s vast, open campus has been no easy feat. Add in the countless rapidly moving obstacles that I am constantly dodging on the sidewalks, and it has been nearly impossible to comfortably adjust to my 20-minute trek to class.
Whether you are a freshman or a senior, it is hard to argue with the sentiment that our lives would be much more carefree if there were regulations on scooter use — which, as described below, can be sanctioned by both Vanderbilt administration and ourselves. While I would advocate for the complete eradication of scooters on campus, I am aware that this rule would be met with quite a bit of backlash from avid scooter riders. Plus, in light of our recent successes across all sports, our athletes certainly deserve a break from using their feet.
Thus, I compromise with the request for scooter riders to abide by the rules already in place. One of the biggest dilemmas I have noticed is the continuous riding of scooters in locations designated for walking. For instance, every day, I pass a large green sign at the entrance to the bridge connecting Main Campus to Commons stating that there shall be no use of wheels while on the walkway. However, considering I nearly replicated the collision I detailed earlier while rounding one of the bridge corners, the sign has not done much to actually stop joyriders from zooming through prohibited areas.
With the bridge being such a tight space to walk through with thousands of us venturing across it each day, I know that I am not the only one affected by these scooter riders’ acts of defiance. Students all around are constantly having to push each other into walls to avoid being flattened by a scooter’s wheels. Considering these no-riding signs are ignored at varying locations all across Vanderbilt — such as in the Medical Center Plaza, the walkway next to Gillette House and along the Bookstore sidewalk — this share-the-road issue is affecting the whole Commodore community, not just me.
Sophomore Funmi Adepegba is a frequent bridge-crosser, as some of her classes are taught on Commons. She, too, has experienced scooter-riding rule breakers and calls them “an inconvenience.”
“Personally, I do not like scooters. I think they are just in the way,” Adepegba said. “When I was on the bridge, there was one coming behind me, and I had to quickly move out of the way, and that happens so often.”
If these riders could at least abide by the sign rules, riding only in the locations where scooters are permitted — such as along the road from Main Campus to The Rec or from Commons to the bridge — perhaps our campus would be much more welcoming to their presence. To enforce this conscientious riding, I suggest that the Vanderbilt administration looks to model how other universities have regulated it on their campuses. For instance, according to United Educators, some universities have worked to temporarily confiscate scooters if their owners violate their riding policies — Vanderbilt can do the same. This punishment from administration can motivate scooter users to abide by the rules of no-riding zones.
The University of Maryland has also made some great progress on its campus by adding designated scooter-riding lanes to its sidewalks and roads so that students can ride freely without worrying about dodging walkers. Similarly, our own Vanderbilt administration has begun to slowly implement a project known as the Greenway Network, which is a plan to connect all of campus and its neighborhoods with new pathways that can accommodate both riders and walkers. Though this has been quite an investment so far, if Vanderbilt continues to mimic the University of Maryland’s work in locations where scooter riding is currently not advised, they will assuredly see happier students who can make their walk to class with little fear of being the next victim of a sign-ignorer.
Despite these possible administrative changes, it is largely up to the student body to prevent our classmates from interrupting what are supposed to be peaceful walks to class. Thus, I urge students to hold their fellows accountable by knocking them off their rides if they are using them in an unwarranted area. Just kidding! Rather, I fully support a campus-wide culture shift that we, as students, should be holding our peers to higher standards when it comes to following the rules of no-riding zones. As it is our right as students to be able to enjoy our time outside without fear that we will be the next victim of a collision, never be afraid to give a friend a tap on the shoulder to remind them that it is time to dismount.
While I implore us pedestrians to work together to make our own lives crash-free, we should be helping scooter users enjoy their rides, as well. Life recently hasn’t been so wonderful for them, either. A few weeks ago, after one of my classes on a regular Monday, I listened to two students describe how their scooters had just been stolen in front of Wilson Hall. While I was there to hear of this crime, who knows how many others I don’t know about who have had their rides stolen from right outside their classrooms? The Annual Security and Safety Report shows an increase in motor vehicle theft in 2023, so this trend could be continuing.
Even if one does not enjoy having to constantly dodge rapidly moving objects, we must remember that we are all united as classmates while at Vanderbilt, and robbing a student of their ride is not only unwarranted but illegal. If you truly are frustrated with a rider’s actions, do not resort to thievery. I would advise you to either turn to administration for assistance for repeated unethical scooter use or, once again, feel free to have a conversation with that rider.
With even the scooter riders themselves being negatively affected by these vehicles at Vanderbilt, I think that it wouldn’t be so crazy to take them off our campus altogether. But, once again, as I am not trying to start a campus-wide civil war, expanding the conversation on what ethical scooter riding looks like can make quite a difference. Remember, we are all Commodores, and if we can all coexist while on the sidewalks, it might just be easier for us to cheer on our lovely athletes while in the stands.
And, to scooter riders, if nothing else, please start using your bell to let me know when it is time to dive out of the way.
