GVSU Warns Students to Stop Riding E-Scooters Recklessly

If you’ve walked across Grand Valley’s campus lately, you’ve probably had at least one near-death experience courtesy of a student flying past on an e-scooter at 22 miles per hour. The driver's eyes glued to their phone, AirPods in, completely unaware they almost clipped you on their way to wherever they’re going.

So this week, GVSU finally said what the rest of us have been thinking: y’all need to slow down.

On November 19, the university posted a reminder on social media letting students know that scooters, bikes, one-wheels, and the rest of those fast little gadgets are “a privilege,” not a right.

Which is a polite university way of saying: please stop acting like the sidewalk is your personal Mario Kart track.

The post linked to GVSU’s official Personal Transportation Device (PTD) Policy, which outlines the rules for everything from scooters to skateboards to rollerblades (yes, apparently that’s still a thing). The university makes it clear: people walk on sidewalks, vehicles belong on roads, and PTD users need to operate somewhere in between without mowing anyone down.

The whole point of the policy is pretty reasonable. PTDs help reduce the carbon footprint, give students mobility options, and make campus easier to navigate. Fine. Great. Love that.

But the policy also warns that operators must avoid personal injury, property damage, and, you know… running directly into a crowd because they’re TikTok-scrolling behind the handlebars. GVSU specifically calls out distracted riding as a major no-go. Which is slightly hilarious, given the Facebook reminder was posted because some riders are clearly doing exactly that.

The policy also clarifies that this doesn’t apply to mobility assistive devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and anything else people genuinely need. This is about scooters, bikes, hoverboards, Segways (apparently still alive), and those one-wheel boards that look like they were invented by someone who hates dentists.

In short: If you’re riding a PTD on campus, GVSU wants you to treat it like an actual vehicle. Pay attention. Don’t ride through crowds. Don’t plow into pedestrians. Don’t haul down the sidewalk like you’re late to the X Games.

And honestly? As someone who’s been nearly taken out by a rogue e-scooter more times than I can count, I support the university on this one. Walkers deserve to get across campus without fearing for their ankles. Thank you, GVSU, for the reminder. Now if we could just get the scooter riders to actually follow it… We’d all get to class (or work, or lunch) a whole lot safer.