Lift the Ban: Why MSMU Should Regulate Scooters, Not Remove Them

Jasmin Sorrell

No one wants to walk in the freezing cold or the blazing heat from their room to the ARCC. It’s not about being lazy; it’s useful. 

In case you didn’t know, Mount St. Mary’s University first placed its ban on e-scooters and other privately owned electric micro-mobility devices on Oct. 12, 2025. There was a follow-up email stating that the ban will continue to be in place on Jan. 16, 2026.  

The reasons for this stated by the university were because of a rise in thefts of these devices, improper use, fire safety risks and reports of pedestrian near-collisions. 

Before and when the ban was put into place, YikYak was in an uproar. YikYak is like a school Twitter where students can post messages for anyone with the app to see.  

One day, I kept seeing constant posts about the scooters on campus with mixed emotions. Some users hated scooters. They thought there was improper use, that the owners would be going too fast on such a small walkway and running into pedestrians walking.  

The negative posts varied from someone just simply stating that they weren’t a fan of e-scooters to some people expressing their frustration in all caps to get their point across. You, then, had those defending the micro-mobility devices, understanding the benefits they provided to the owners and feeling empathy for their property being stolen. 

Obviously, nobody wants to be walking on the sidewalk and get their legs swiped by a 15 mph e-scooter that’s coming by. The quick thought of getting run over in front of everyone by a scooter on the way to class can genuinely ruin your day, maybe so much that you just head back to your room.  

However, I think the ban should be lifted and instead add guidelines and rules. Most students own scooters because of the benefits they provide if they don’t have a car on campus. It’s a means of transportation and it gets you places much faster than walking.  

Imagine wanting to go to the gym, but it’s super-hot out. Having to walk from your on-campus residence to the ARCC and by the time you get there, you’re drenched in sweat. Or having to walk back after three sets of 15 squats, your quads are on fire, you’re tired, and instead of getting back to your room in five minutes, it takes 10 to 15 minutes. E-scooters are also useful for student athletes coming from a class and needing to head over to the ARCC or Waldron for lift or practice. 

I agree with the risk of scooters going too fast on the sidewalk with the potential of hitting other students while walking, which is where guidelines and rules can come into play.  

Number one, there can be a restriction of where the scooters are allowed to go and when they can be used. Deny the right for students to use scooters to go from class to class or to Patriot during breakfast and lunch times Monday through Friday. Those are the busiest hours during the weekday, and this can prevent any potential collisions.  

Secondly, advise all students to use locks on their scooters. It may be harder to enforce this rule upon riders, but it would be beneficial for the safety of their own property, limiting the possibility of it getting stolen.  

A third rule could be where the scooters should be placed when not in use. For fire safety risk, the university could provide a charging station and a designated outdoor parking area for all e-scooters. Lastly, to make sure students are abiding by the rules, just like the university tickets vehicles if they are in the wrong lot, you can do the same for e-scooters. 

I don’t think the University should continue its ban on e-scooters and other privately owned electric micro-mobility devices because of the benefits they provide to those without a car. There is a way to please both parties of students with guidelines and rules.