Why Scooters are the Best Way to Get Around USC

By: Antonia Le ‘22

I never thought I’d be kind of person to ride around USC on a scooter. In fact, during my first semester at USC, I walked to every class. I was a transportation purist, intent on achieving my daily 10,000 steps.

Everything changed when I registered for classes for the spring semester. Against my best intentions, I found myself having a class in Taper Hall ten minutes after my class in Kaprielian Hall ended. According to Google Maps, it takes 11-13 minutes to make the trek, and that’s without anything going wrong. How was I supposed to get from KAP to THH in ten minutes?

So, not wanting to be late for class every day, I decided to get a scooter. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made since coming to USC. In fact, I believe that scooters are the best way to get around campus.

Why it’s better than walking:

Walking is slow. I don’t know about you, but nothing is more painful than walking from one side of campus to the other under the hot Los Angeles sun. With a scooter, you can get anywhere you want in a matter of minutes. As a result, you’ll spend less time in the sun and more time in a nice, cool air-conditioned room.

Even if you like walking in the hot sun, you can’t deny all the other benefits a scooter’s speed can give you. You can get to dining halls quickly, before a long line forms. You can sleep in a little later and save time traveling to your first class. Overall, having a scooter just makes your life better.

Why it’s better than biking:

I’ll admit it, bikes are pretty cool. In fact, I have a lot of respect for USC’s biking community. However, in some situations, bikes can become pretty cumbersome.

For example, it seems that bike racks at USC are always going missing. I feel like everywhere I look, there’s a bike rack that’s scheduled to be removed. Finding a place to park your bike can be difficult, and it’s not like you can bring your bike into any building. When there’s no bike rack to be found, you’ve got to leave your bike outside, unsafe, but you don’t have to do that with a scooter.

Scooters are small enough to bring into the classroom. You don’t need to spend precious time looking for a bike rack and locking up your bike. All you have to do is walk your scooter into the building.

Moreover, many scooters are foldable. As a result, when you enter your classroom, you can set you folded scooter against the wall or tuck it under your seat. That’s much more convenient than trying to look for a bike rack. 

Why it’s better than skateboarding:

I’m an extremely uncoordinated person, and I’ve never been able to skateboard properly. However, with a little bit of practice, I was able to learn how to use a scooter fine. The handles on a scooter help me steer and maintain my balance, whereas I would have much more difficulty with a skateboard.

Also, some scooters have built in brakes. So, if you’re as much of a klutz as me, a scooter is a good way to get around without all the risks of a skateboard.

Though some could argue that skateboards are more portable, I’d argue that where it matters, scooters and skateboards are comparable. You can bring a skateboard into the classroom, just like you can bring your scooter. You can also carry a skateboard, just like you can carry a folded scooter. Many things you can do with a skateboard, you can do on a scooter, and scooters are a lot easier to master.

Overall, scooters are a near-perfect way to get around USC. My life has gotten so much better since I’ve gotten a scooter. If you’ve been spending all your time walking around campus, I recommend you look into getting a scooter. You won’t regret it.

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