An influx of mopeds are crowding Hillsdale’s sidewalks. More students are choosing them over cars, bicycles, or scooters, and several have been sighted parked outside the Grewcock Student Union and the Roche Sports Complex.
While the security office would not release the number of mopeds or the owners’ names, Director of Campus Security Bill Whorley confirmed there was an increase.
“There are a few more mopeds on campus this semester than last, but [they are] still a minority transportation to bicycles and automobiles,” he said.
Whorley said that he had not received news of any crashes or injuries involving mopeds. The vehicles offer little protection to operators, but so far no one has been seriously hurt or had an accident worth noting.
The mopeds on campus typically bear a slight resemblance to motorcycles from the front, but have bodies of scooters. Headlights and two seats are common features, allowing students with similar schedules to easily zip around campus. They are small enough to be parked at a building’s entrance and fast enough to provide a reasonable alternative to non-motorized vehicles.
Students use mopeds because they are convenient.
“I only drive it because I don’t feel like walking and I can ride double with my boy Brian Newman,” freshman Tom Gabower said.
Gabower owns a red Beamer III, which is valued at less than $2,000 on Motorcycle.com. He keeps it parked behind Simpson Residence when he’s not at the sports complex.
Senior James Defontes managed to bring a moped on campus after buying it cheap from a disinterested owner.
“Besides [getting 85 miles per gallon] and the sick nasty red paint job, my 50 cc’s of raw horsepower can sit two people comfortably -— but not legally, according to the officer [who] pulled my girlfriend and I over last week,” Defontes said. “As you can imagine, only hardened criminals and hooligans dare mount the Tatau 769, and you bet they look good doing it.”
The downside of using a moped in Hillsdale is that riders only get a short period of access during the school year before winter comes. Given the almanac predictions for this year, mopeds may see little use despite their growth in popularity.
