Column: These scooters are accidents waiting to happen
While some see the new Spin scooters as wonderful, others may not be as happy about them.
On the surface, they are great. They give students a quicker way to get to classes, provide a fun past time and draw people to campus. But what happens when we dive deeper into their safety issues?
The user agreement leads me to believe that they should not be used on college campuses. According to the agreement in section 1.9: “You will not place anything on the Spin Scooter or use the Spin Scooter while holding anything that impedes your ability to safely use it...objects include, without limitation, backpacks, bags, briefcases, and/or any other item that can alter the balance of the Spin Scooter...”
With this policy, it is impractical for them to be used to go to class.
Last week I witnessed an incident with two individuals that were riding on the scooter together. This is also a violation of the user agreement. Section 1.1 states: “you will not permit another person, either alone, or together with you, to use any Spin Scooter rented by you or through your account...”
This section is supposed to keep people from riding with a companion or purchasing a ride for another person.
A third section that is being violated by all the Spin scooter riders is section 1.10. This section states that “You will wear proper equipment, including a helmet, while using the Spin Scooter.”
Personally, I have not seen a single person wearing a helmet while they are riding a scooter and they all agreed to these terms before they started.
The individuals riding the scooters had to agree to safety terms and conditions and sign a waiver, but the rest of campus did not. It is only a matter of time before someone riding a scooter runs into a person walking. As often as students walk around campus with headphones in, the bell on the scooter is not going to do any good.
For me, the risk of these Spin scooters does not outweigh the benefits of them. They do not improve the campus experience at all.
