The Razor Scooter, which debuted in 1999, is back – and now, on Emporia State’s campus.

The use of scooters as means of transportation has increased significantly in the last few weeks of the fall semester. Kurt Sloan, freshman biology education major, lives on first Trusler, where many of the residents have taken up scooter riding.

“I was walking to class, well, actually it was the first day of classes, and I decided, ‘Okay, I’ve got to get up this hill, I’m sick of walking everywhere,’” Sloan said. “So I want to get either a bike or a scooter. And I couldn’t afford a bike, so I got a scooter.”

At Target.com, you can purchase a scooter for $28, whereas the cheapest road bikes you can find a superstore begin at $100.

“(They’re popular because of) the price. The price has a big thing to do with it,” Sloan said. “Like when I first got it, all these guys made fun of me because of it. And then they all decided to get one after I got it and I think that was one thing.”

Sloan’s floormate William Arth, freshman physical and special education major, also rides a scooter. He decided to also use a scooter after remembering he had an old one at home.

“I think it’s more of an exercise than bikes, honestly,” Arth said. “It’s a little harder getting up the hills than bikes are, so I like it for a workout sometimes, too. And it was just so much faster getting around than walking.”

On campus, certain “vehicles” like rollerblades and skateboards are prohibited. While there is no specific place in the student handbook that states that scooters are prohibited (see pg. 60), director of Police and Safety Chris Hoover has some opinions on how scooters should be handled on campus.

“My opinion is that bicycles are not supposed to be ridden on sidewalks,” Hoover said.  “We don’t like when bicycles are ridden on sidewalks. I would suggest that we would not be supportive of a scooter being ridden on a sidewalk, either. In my opinion, and this is my opinion only, sidewalks are for pedestrians.”

Though he thinks there are several distinct differences between a skateboard and a scooter – “a scooter is kind of like a skateboard only it’s got handlebars and it’s foldable” – he does believe that they can pose the same types of safety issues.

“I think when you get a person on a piece of equipment that has you know wheels and goes faster than a pedestrian, I think there could be a potential safety issue,” said Hoover. “Not only with the person riding it, but pedestrians. I would say to the pedestrians (as well), pay attention to what’s going on around you. In my mind, the pedestrian is probably minding their own business, and the scooter, the bicyclists, the rollerblader, whatever – they’re kind of up a level. They have a responsibility to the people they’re passing to do it safely.”

Hoover also said that he has seen an increase of use of the scooter on campus by students. Arth and Sloan believe this is because they give an easier form of travel while also being easy to transport.

“They’re cheap, easy to carry. Everyone’s going to have them soon,” Arth said.

Tianna Todd, junior nursing major, also rides a scooter. She said that she began riding a scooter during PanHellenic Recruitment and it really helped her ‘de-stress’ during the week.

“The women loved it and it got them really excited for the day. It also is a lot more fun,” Todd said.