I believe we’re progressing backwards.
When a full grown faculty male passes, or ought to I say rolls, by you on what might be referred to as the grownup model of the hoverboard, you understand it’s time to handle the rising, campus-wide epidemic: the electric scooter (and now hoverboard, apparently) invasion.
We’ve had mopeds whiz by us. We’ve moved out of the method for bikers. You may even have encountered a motorized skateboard passing you on your stroll to class. But in case you haven’t already seen, there’s a brand new two-wheeled car on the scene.
It’s like we didn’t be taught something from the e-scooter chaos of 2019. Cities actually banned them when sidewalks appeared to be suffering from the clunky automobiles greater than precise litter. For each 5 college students strolling to class, we are able to now count on to see not less than one or two scooter riders (scootees?) trailing behind, desperately making an attempt to weave round them.
Forget pedaling your bike or God forbid, strolling, up and down campus’ varied hills – scooting college students are actually flying up them at unreasonable speeds, the buzzing hum of every passing motor doubling as a mocking snort that claims to every on-foot observer, “I can see your sweat through your shirt, come and join me.”
This opinion author is taking a stand — I can’t come and be a part of you!
I get it, particularly on UNC’s campus in the late August-early September warmth. You get to class sooner. You don’t enter the room wanting such as you simply ran a 5K. It feeds your superiority complicated to hurry previous the uninspired people who’ve opted to stroll. Okay, that was harsh, however why is it that everybody who owns one in every of these items has grade A posture and the excellent “I don’t look weird, you look weird” using stance, regardless that they’re the ones arriving on a toddler’s toy to their faculty courses?
The major scooter customers appear to be UNC athletes, so perhaps their legs are so drained from no matter athletic actions they’re as much as (don’t ask me) that it bodily pains them to stroll. Maybe I wouldn’t perceive, as a result of I’m a non-athlete to my core. Maybe I’m writing out of unconscious jealousy. We’ll by no means know.
It has additionally come to my consideration that, to nobody’s shock, these e-scooters are very costly. I consulted the Electric Scooter Guide’s web site, they usually’re in the vary of $300 to over $600. And swiftly they’re in all places? The e-scooter viewers appears awfully particular and really small — these two-wheeled automobiles are on no account accessible.
I’m selecting to be critical now, and taking this entire scooter factor with a grain of salt. The electric scooter invasion will not be completely unreasonable, I simply surprise the way it grew so rapidly. They do mix extra conspicuously than the campus bikers of olden days (the place did they go?) and I’ve little question they save college students a number of time. But my different query is, what are they doing with all of that saved time? Can a scootee let me know?
I suppose I’m simply asking the scooter riders amongst us to go simple. I is likely to be strolling slower than you may scoot, so perhaps an occasional “on your left!” could be good as a substitute of virtually getting run over.
I additionally apologize for my cynicism — this is likely to be a great time to confess I used to be by no means amongst the fortunate youngsters that had been gifted electric scooters for Christmas. So with that, scoot on and put on your helmets.
opinion@dailytarheel.com
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