Scooters and mopeds "flocking" outside the Fine Arts building on the University of Georgia campus. 
Pablo Argucia, an advertising major from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, parks his moped near the designated area for parking at the Fine Arts Building on Thursday, January 28,2010.
By: Charles-Ryan Barber
“To scoot or not to scoot.” That is the question that the University of Georgia is currently dealing with in regards to its intra-campus transportation issues.
What is intra-campus transportation? For students and faculty, it’s simply how we get from one building to the next during a normal day of classes. For most people, walking or catching a bus will usually suffice. However, many others have discovered alternative means to cover more distance in a shorter time.
Among these “alternative” means, are bicycles, motorcycles, and what seems to be the greatest issue amongst intra-campus transportation these days: scooters and mopeds.
These little guys are small, cheap, and currently very convenient for zipping from one end of campus to the other. Some might say too convenient even.
According to Don Walter, manager of Parking Services, scooters have become more and more of a recent problem on campus.
“We get complaints about scooters all the time,” Walter said. “It would be better for people to ride the bus or walk.”
Walter explained that the “flocking” of scooters in and around designated scooter parking areas causes problems for pedestrians on sidewalks, often blocking access for people with disabilities and causing problems for the university’s grounds maintenance.
“It doesn’t benefit anybody except for the scooter rider,” Walter said.
University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson also sees problems with these vehicles.
“I receive numerous complaints on scooters weekly,” Williamson said. “The biggest problem is that they drive their scooters like they would a bicycle. They are not very courteous to other drivers and pedestrians. If they rode their scooter like they drive their car, there would be no problems.”
It may be interesting to note that these problems and complaints seem to relate exclusively to scooters and mopeds, as opposed to motorcycles, bicycles, and other forms of intra-campus transportation. Walter said that Parking Services wants to encourage bicycle and motorcycle use as much as possible. Motorcycles and scooters are similar in numbers on campus; however, motorcycles are not operated by drivers in the same way, according to Parking Services.
“We haven’t really had a problem with motorcycles,” Walter said. “They seem to act much more like a car driver. Roughly we’ve written four to five times more tickets for scooters than we have motorcycles.”
Walter said that Parking Services is trying to move toward a system where scooters and mopeds would have to park further away from campus. This would effectively limit the use of scooters for intra-campus transportation.
Yet for the students and faculty who own these scooters, this sort of policy may turn their wheels into a waste of money.
“Intra-campus transportation is the only reason that I even own a scooter,” says a student who wished to remain unidentified for reasons associated with his illegal actions.
What is intra-campus transportation? For students and faculty, it’s simply how we get from one building to the next during a normal day of classes. For most people, walking or catching a bus will usually suffice. However, many others have discovered alternative means to cover more distance in a shorter time.
Among these “alternative” means, are bicycles, motorcycles, and what seems to be the greatest issue amongst intra-campus transportation these days: scooters and mopeds.
These little guys are small, cheap, and currently very convenient for zipping from one end of campus to the other. Some might say too convenient even.
According to Don Walter, manager of Parking Services, scooters have become more and more of a recent problem on campus.
“We get complaints about scooters all the time,” Walter said. “It would be better for people to ride the bus or walk.”
Walter explained that the “flocking” of scooters in and around designated scooter parking areas causes problems for pedestrians on sidewalks, often blocking access for people with disabilities and causing problems for the university’s grounds maintenance.
“It doesn’t benefit anybody except for the scooter rider,” Walter said.
University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson also sees problems with these vehicles.
“I receive numerous complaints on scooters weekly,” Williamson said. “The biggest problem is that they drive their scooters like they would a bicycle. They are not very courteous to other drivers and pedestrians. If they rode their scooter like they drive their car, there would be no problems.”
It may be interesting to note that these problems and complaints seem to relate exclusively to scooters and mopeds, as opposed to motorcycles, bicycles, and other forms of intra-campus transportation. Walter said that Parking Services wants to encourage bicycle and motorcycle use as much as possible. Motorcycles and scooters are similar in numbers on campus; however, motorcycles are not operated by drivers in the same way, according to Parking Services.
“We haven’t really had a problem with motorcycles,” Walter said. “They seem to act much more like a car driver. Roughly we’ve written four to five times more tickets for scooters than we have motorcycles.”
Walter said that Parking Services is trying to move toward a system where scooters and mopeds would have to park further away from campus. This would effectively limit the use of scooters for intra-campus transportation.
Yet for the students and faculty who own these scooters, this sort of policy may turn their wheels into a waste of money.
“Intra-campus transportation is the only reason that I even own a scooter,” says a student who wished to remain unidentified for reasons associated with his illegal actions.
“I already live on campus but I have to park my car over on the other side. I use my scooter to get to all my classes and to my car when I need it. I tried to use the bus but I was late to my classes, late to work, and [expletive] out of luck when they weren’t operating.”
The student admitted to parking not only in “motorcycle only” designated areas but wherever else he could reasonably fit his scooter. He has not purchased a permit from Parking Services.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” the unidentified student said. “I don’t drive dangerously and I don’t park where I’m blocking anything or anybody. I’m always very careful about that. There is plenty of space around campus for scooters if Parking Services would only make them legal.”
The student said that he believes the issue is more about money and the “satisfaction of control” by authorities.
Walter would disagree. “This has absolutely nothing to do with income. It’s 2% of the total people who park on campus. We have more disabled customers than we have motorcycles and scooters put together.”
“I think it’s ridiculous to pay more than $100 to park on campus if you’re on a 49cc moped. You’re not even guaranteed a spot!” said Pablo Agurcia, a senior Advertising student from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. “Technically it’s like a bicycle, legally. You can think of it like a big bicycle. I’ve seen small mopeds parked on bike racks.”
Agurcia says that he rides the bus when it’s raining, but his only other vehicle is his Tomos TT Classic moped. He doesn’t have a motorcycle license, which isn’t required for a vehicle under 50cc’s under Georgia law. He is also very concerned with safety and has taken safety courses back home in the Honduras.
“Half the people who park on campus don’t have parking permits. If it doesn’t say, ‘permit required,’ I’ll park there. Like, at the Library, it says, ‘reserved scooter parking,’ but it doesn’t say, ‘permit required’ under the scooter sign,” Agurcia said. “Yeah, I park in motorcycle parking, just like motorcycles park in scooter parking. It makes sense to me.”
Agurcia has never been booted or ticketed for parking his moped.
“There really isn’t enough parking for mopeds considering how many there are. With the limited amount of parking there is and the price of the permits, it’s no surprise to see them parking all over,” Agurcia said.
Agurcia believes that the biggest reason to own a moped or scooter is the convenience of getting from class to class on it.
“Athens is the perfect town for mopeds/scooters. I don’t think they [Parking Services] should move them further out from campus. If anything I think it would only make people more likely to park illegally,” Agurcia said. “I wish there were more designated scooter spots and a more reasonable price for the parking permits. Also a per semester basis would be more reasonable.”
J.D. Brandon, president of the UGA Motorcycle Club, “Street Dawgs”, and owner of a 250cc Kawasaki Ninja sportbike, differentiates motorcycles from scooters and mopeds.
“Motorcycles have a strong bond and a rich culture. Scooters don’t have a culture. They don’t see their bikes the same way at all,” Brandon said. “Not all of them fit the stereotype of course, but most scooter riders really don’t care to think about anybody else when they’re riding. It’s a completely different way of thinking.”
Brandon, who has a valid motorcycle permit and license, says that the carelessness and disregard for the law that some scooter owners display is often wrongfully associated with motorcycles.
“Scooters give motorcycles a bad reputation. A lot of people don’t know the difference. It’s not just incorrect, it’s insulting,” Brandon said.
“I have never parked in a scooter area, but I am always getting blocked by scooters in our motorcycle parking spaces,” Brandon said. “Sometimes we have to move them out of the way. It’s really annoying.”
Brandon says that scooters need to be regulated and that motorcycles need more parking spots in some areas.
Ultimately, what the university does about these problems is up to its customers. A “scooter task force” has been created and is currently attempting to deal with these issues.
“Right from the start we wanted to involve student government, who represented all students, and they did a wonderful job,” Walter said.
So the question remains, what kind of intra-campus transportation do we demand? Are legs, bikes, and busses enough? Are scooter and moped drivers capable of being safe and responsible while operating on campus? Should they get more parking spots and maybe some better education? Or would it be best to just get them as far away from the heart of campus as possible?
With the new “scooter task force” helping to tackle these issues alongside Parking Services, intra-campus transportation on campus will hopefully become safer and more enjoyable for all students, facilty and staff.
“To scoot or not to scoot.” That is the question.
Edited by Casey Bruce
The student admitted to parking not only in “motorcycle only” designated areas but wherever else he could reasonably fit his scooter. He has not purchased a permit from Parking Services.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” the unidentified student said. “I don’t drive dangerously and I don’t park where I’m blocking anything or anybody. I’m always very careful about that. There is plenty of space around campus for scooters if Parking Services would only make them legal.”
The student said that he believes the issue is more about money and the “satisfaction of control” by authorities.
Walter would disagree. “This has absolutely nothing to do with income. It’s 2% of the total people who park on campus. We have more disabled customers than we have motorcycles and scooters put together.”
“I think it’s ridiculous to pay more than $100 to park on campus if you’re on a 49cc moped. You’re not even guaranteed a spot!” said Pablo Agurcia, a senior Advertising student from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. “Technically it’s like a bicycle, legally. You can think of it like a big bicycle. I’ve seen small mopeds parked on bike racks.”
Agurcia says that he rides the bus when it’s raining, but his only other vehicle is his Tomos TT Classic moped. He doesn’t have a motorcycle license, which isn’t required for a vehicle under 50cc’s under Georgia law. He is also very concerned with safety and has taken safety courses back home in the Honduras.
“Half the people who park on campus don’t have parking permits. If it doesn’t say, ‘permit required,’ I’ll park there. Like, at the Library, it says, ‘reserved scooter parking,’ but it doesn’t say, ‘permit required’ under the scooter sign,” Agurcia said. “Yeah, I park in motorcycle parking, just like motorcycles park in scooter parking. It makes sense to me.”
Agurcia has never been booted or ticketed for parking his moped.
“There really isn’t enough parking for mopeds considering how many there are. With the limited amount of parking there is and the price of the permits, it’s no surprise to see them parking all over,” Agurcia said.
Agurcia believes that the biggest reason to own a moped or scooter is the convenience of getting from class to class on it.
“Athens is the perfect town for mopeds/scooters. I don’t think they [Parking Services] should move them further out from campus. If anything I think it would only make people more likely to park illegally,” Agurcia said. “I wish there were more designated scooter spots and a more reasonable price for the parking permits. Also a per semester basis would be more reasonable.”
J.D. Brandon, president of the UGA Motorcycle Club, “Street Dawgs”, and owner of a 250cc Kawasaki Ninja sportbike, differentiates motorcycles from scooters and mopeds.
“Motorcycles have a strong bond and a rich culture. Scooters don’t have a culture. They don’t see their bikes the same way at all,” Brandon said. “Not all of them fit the stereotype of course, but most scooter riders really don’t care to think about anybody else when they’re riding. It’s a completely different way of thinking.”
Brandon, who has a valid motorcycle permit and license, says that the carelessness and disregard for the law that some scooter owners display is often wrongfully associated with motorcycles.
“Scooters give motorcycles a bad reputation. A lot of people don’t know the difference. It’s not just incorrect, it’s insulting,” Brandon said.
“I have never parked in a scooter area, but I am always getting blocked by scooters in our motorcycle parking spaces,” Brandon said. “Sometimes we have to move them out of the way. It’s really annoying.”
Brandon says that scooters need to be regulated and that motorcycles need more parking spots in some areas.
Ultimately, what the university does about these problems is up to its customers. A “scooter task force” has been created and is currently attempting to deal with these issues.
“Right from the start we wanted to involve student government, who represented all students, and they did a wonderful job,” Walter said.
So the question remains, what kind of intra-campus transportation do we demand? Are legs, bikes, and busses enough? Are scooter and moped drivers capable of being safe and responsible while operating on campus? Should they get more parking spots and maybe some better education? Or would it be best to just get them as far away from the heart of campus as possible?
With the new “scooter task force” helping to tackle these issues alongside Parking Services, intra-campus transportation on campus will hopefully become safer and more enjoyable for all students, facilty and staff.
“To scoot or not to scoot.” That is the question.
Edited by Casey Bruce
This is an interesting and engaging story with a lot of good information. It could stand to be tightened, both at the paragraph and sentence level. There are a lot of good pros and cons about scooter use on campus, but the story could benefit from a summary paragraph near the top that lays out the major issues. Scooter riders say this, this and this; but campus officials say this, this and this. Then go into individual quotes and details. The kind of permitting required for scooters isn't laid out in a clear and direct way, nor is the proposal (formal or informal?) to limit scooter parking on campus. So readers have to absorb what's going on through osmosis as they work through the story. Do more of that work for them.
ReplyDeleteAlso, now that I've read the story, I don't think your anonymous student adds much that the identified scooter driver doesn't already say. The tone and content of the comments is similar. You can shorten and simplify the story by taking the unnamed student out.