Once popular among 10-year-olds on playgrounds, razor scooters have become much more common on Belmont’s campus this semester.
While the outbreak is mostly made up of younger undergraduate students, especially in the freshman class, a few upperclassmen have been using this mode of transportation for more than a year.
Senior Levi Gordon started riding a scooter after trying out his friends’ and realized that it would be a cheap and quick way to get to class.
“I try not to think about whether it’s in vogue or not,” Gordon said. “If I cared what people thought of me riding a scooter, I wouldn’t be doing it.”
While Gordon is unfazed by the coolness factor, junior Ryan Rose, another scooter owner, feels the scooter boom has another reason.
“I feel like there’s a mix between people who are just getting scooters to look cool and some who need it for convenience,” said Rose. “A lot of the freshmen are looking at styles of people on campus and being influenced by them.”
Both Gordon and Rose cite the scooter as a major aid in getting to class on time but that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect mode of transportation.
While recently trying to avoid pedestrians, Gordon was cut off by another scooter rider and nearly crashed.
“It sounds funny or stupid when we’re talking about scooters, but with people walking around, it really is dangerous to be reckless,” Gordon said. “Those people ruin it for everybody, and I guess that’s why a lot of people make jokes about wanting to see us wipe out on scooters.”
Rose agrees that there is dangers to having a scooter but also said that the problems extend beyond some people not following the rules of the road. Cars not paying attention and a hilly campus can “burn up the wheels and can also heat up the brake which then melts your shoes.”
But those minor issues haven’t kept Rose and Gordon off their wheel, especially their favorite brand.
“Razor Black Label Pro all the way!” said Gordon. “I could give you the sales pitch.”