E-Scooters Drive Debate at George Fox
Reported by Jaden Forsyth
Illustrated by Mia Baukol
Transportation across campus is a daily necessity for George Fox University students. What was once a mundane, safe task has become a somewhat harrowing experience with the rise of e-scooters. While these devices allow fast transit for riders, they have raised safety concerns for pedestrians.
E-scooters are often a subject of complaint among students, with critics pointing to their high speeds, lack of stability, and perceived driver recklessness. Many fear collisions between riders and pedestrians, and their concerns are not unfounded. Close calls are common, and a few accidents have occurred, especially on the campus bridge. Pedestrians have voiced their frustrations, but scooter riders often remain silent.
E-scooters are used by some football players and other athletes, particularly during "high-traffic" hours before and after practices.
“I just like being able to get across campus a little bit quicker. I play football, so I feel like I’m sore throughout the season,” said an anonymous scooter owner. “I don’t know if that’s a good enough excuse, but I also slow down when I’m going near people. I’m not trying to fly past and hurt or injure anybody.”
This rider acknowledged that while tensions between pedestrians and scooter users are indeed present, not all scooter owners fit the negative stereotypes. “People think that everybody with a scooter is mean or rude or wants to be malicious—it’s not like that. I feel bad if people fly past you on scooters, but that’s not everybody with a scooter,” he said. Despite instances of collisions on campus, George Fox University currently has no rules regulating e-scooters, e-bikes, or e-skateboards, leaving the situation unaddressed.
Another source of disapproval from students concerns how scooters are stored. They are often left haphazardly parked outside buildings like Klages Center, Canyon Commons, and the gyms, leading to perceptions of carelessness among riders. However, many students are unaware that these scooters often come equipped with security features.
“These [scooters] have a little tracker on them, so if I turn it off and it starts moving, I’ll get an alert on my phone that says, ‘Your scooter is moving,’ and I can just walk outside and see what’s going on,” the same anonymous football player explained. “It also has a lock on it, and if someone’s riding it, I can, from my phone, lock it up, and it would stop immediately.”
Even with these security measures, many students remain unimpressed. “I just see all of the scooters lined up outside, not locked up, and it looks a little careless,” one freshman remarked. While the scooters may be safe from theft or tampering, riders could strive to park them more neatly.
Despite widespread disapproval, e-scooters will likely remain a fixture of campus transportation. However, increased mindfulness and courtesy from pedestrians and scooter riders could reduce collisions and improve relations.