OPINION: PSA to e-scooter users at USF, watch where you are going.
Walking to my USF classes shouldn’t feel like I’m on a hazardous mission.
At the speed scooters and bikes are going on campus, I feel like I’m on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.
Everytime I am walking to class, I can’t help but feel my hair whipped by the whizz of an e-scooter and the blank stare of some careless driver.
Related: OPINION: USF students, don’t forget driving etiquette when on campus
I’m all for cutting down on the walking time with e-scooters, but not at my expense.
If you are planning on using a bike, e-scooter or skateboard, it’s important that you incorporate some common sense driving skills.
Meaning, at the bare minimum, watch where you are going.
At USF e-scooter drivers are “responsible for observing the same traffic regulations as those governing vehicles,” according to the USF E-Scooter Safety webpage.
The webpage outlines how e-scooters should ride with the flow of traffic and most importantly, they need to yield to pedestrians.
Students should not be seen as an obstacle course. This isn’t Grand Theft Auto, you won’t get points if you hit me.
I’ll never forget the time my friend saved my life, pushing me out of the pathway of a flying e-scooter.
Related: OPINION: Commuting to USF can be lonely, but it has its upsides
The ironic part is, the driver had the audacity to tell me to “watch it.”
Turns out, another student also has a similar tale to share.
“I actually had a run-in with an e-scooter where I almost got into an altercation,” Jayden Johnson, a sophomore in psychology, said.
“I was walking to Cooper Hall when someone on their e-scooter fell off and proceeded to say I was the reason I fell off,” Johnson said.
If you do need to book it to class, maybe choose a route that is not populated with students.
But I get it, this is a very populated campus.
Phrases “on your left” or “on your right” should be used to help prevent accidents.
Some basic common courtesy is all I’m asking for from e-scooter drivers.
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