Inside Kean Student Life: Electric Scooters

By Adaora Nnakwe | Published November 18, 2023

Kean students who own electric scooters have an easier and more convenient way of getting around campus. Electric scooters have been seen all throughout campus, but nobody can really get a hold of the students who actually own one since they’re always on the go.

Teagan Powell, a junior communications major owns a Segway F30 electric kick scooter that she uses to get to class every week. The ninebot Segway maxes out at 25 km/hr, which is about 15.5 miles per hour. It features a sport and eco-friendly mode and comes with an app for Android and iPhone. Electric scooters can vary in price from as low as $200 to $1,200, depending on the brand.

“This scooter is very convenient to me and makes my life so much easier,” Powell said. She said with her tight schedule that has back to back classes and practice twice a day, it makes traveling from building to building a lot quicker and more efficient.

“Overall, this scooter has been a life saver for my day to day routine,” Powell said. 

Students can rely on electric scooters to take them all around campus as long as they’re charged properly and out of the way of student traffic. There’s been instances where students have been told that they weren’t allowed to bring their scooter inside buildings like the Nancy Thompson Library and Hynes Hall.

“I actually had an officer on campus warn me about getting banned due to charging,” Powell said. “I make sure to have my scooter charged everyday before going to school.”

Due to fire safety concerns, all battery powered types of transportations (scooters, skateboards, hoverboards and battery powered bicycles) are strictly prohibited in all campus buildings. If any of these are found in campus buildings, they may be confiscated. 

“Any lithium battery powered device should not be charged in any part of a building used for residential purposes due the potential case of a fire,” said Leonard Dolan, managing assistant director for fire safety.

Students who own battery powered transportation should know that certain buildings on campus won’t allow it due to the fire hazard restrictions and it’s for the safety of everyone.

“Only use the charger and battery that comes with the scooter,” Dolan said. “Do not buy after market batteries or chargers not approved for that particular piece of equipment.”

Dolan said students who own electric scooters shouldn’t attempt to modify or mix the chargers or use a larger capacity battery to extend riding time before recharging. 

“This will greatly increase the risk of a fire,” Dolan said. 

It’s important to be mindful that there’s a responsibility apart from just owning an electric scooter, it’s the safety of yourself and others. More recently, scooters have been on the scene from students, especially commuters and it’s getting more attention aside from hoverboards, which became popular in 2015. Electric scooters are the new hoverboards of the 2020’s.

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