Friday, September 19, 2008
Cruising around the KU campus on a scooter is an effective and energy-efficient way to get to class, and more students are riding along with the idea.
Mopeds at the University is on the rise. Donna Hultine, director of Parking & Transit, said students had bought many more scooter permits this year than in the past. Within the first few weeks of the semester, the department has issued 158 permits, compared with 122 sold during all of last year.
A KU student rides his moped down Jayhawk Boulevard on Thursday afternoon. Since 2002, the number of moped parking permits issued has risen by 953 percent.
Scooters on campus is a trend that has been on the rise at the University the last several years. In 2002, only 15 students bought permits for their scooters. The number of permits sold has increased by 953 percent during the last six years.
Dan Doherty, De Soto junior, got caught up in the scooter trend two years ago. He said he enjoyed the benefits of good gas mileage. An average gas station fill-up costs him about $4, and he only needs to fill his tank about once a week. He said the best part about having a moped at the University was that he was allowed to ride on campus.
“It’s a huge plus,” Doherty said. “It feels great riding by people who are walking to class — like when it’s raining.”
With the increase in scooter use, wear and tear on the vehicles is inevitable. Doherty said that although he used the scooter constantly, he had only brought the vehicle into the shop once in two years of using it. Mark Lepley, owner and operator of Quick Trick Cycle and Scooter, has been bringing his truck to campus to fix older scooters recently.
Mark Lepley of Quick Trick Cycle Scooter and ATV replaces a front brake caliber on a KU student's scooter at a repair session Wednesday.
He said many moped riders were putting off maintenance on their vehicles because they didn’t have the time. The delayed maintenance often resulted in problems for the rider, Lepley said.
“Students here are invested in making it through these four years,” Lepley said. “They’re busy. They don’t have time to worry about these things. The problem is that it can actually be dangerous.”
Lepley said the most common problems he saw with mopeds on campus were related to extended use without maintenance. He said problems such as worn tires, faulty fuel lines and excessive wear and tear contributed to major safety issues. Lepley said he had seen graphic accidents where worn tires had resulted in blowouts, steering the scooters into oncoming traffic.
Mark Lepley holds a front axle spacer, with a KU student's scooter and Lepley's repair truck in the background, at a repair session Wednesday. He said that he thought keeping scooters safe was important because many students sell their scooters to others after graduating, and that he was willing to repair scooters anytime of the day or night.
Doherty said he wasn’t worried about the condition of his scooter. But, he said, the consequences of not maintaining his vehicle could negatively influence his scholastic motivation.
“If my scooter breaks then I might not go to class anymore,” Doherty said. “It just wouldn’t be the same.”
— — Edited by Kelsey Hayes
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