Cheap Thrill: Bird scooters arrive in the AUC

The story behind the newest transportation method on campus

Since 2014, Uber and Lyft have dominated the ride-hailing industry. The once-popular taxi cabs have become obsolete with the rise of the new ride-sharing innovations. The two transportation giants have minimized the troubles of ride-hailing by incorporating technology. For many students, Uber and Lyft have been crucial to the college experience. They have made it increasingly easier for people without cars to be mobile. Now there’s a new competitor in the AUC.

Earlier this year a new ride-hailing company arrived on the scene. Bird is a ride-hailing startup that created electric dockless scooters that work much like Uber and Lyft. Interestingly enough, Bird’s CEO Travis VanderZanden has worked at both of the transportation companies. He used what he learned with Bird and reimagined transportation, adding an adventurous angle to travel in metropolitan cities. Not the first of its kind though, cities have seen the rise of rentable bikes. Unfortunately, like Uber and Lyft, bikes have become less popular with the arrival of Bird scooters.

College campuses across the country have seen more and more of the scooters popping up. According to the Bird’s official website, their scooters are located on 20 college campuses. Not mentioned though, was Morehouse, Clark Atlanta University, and Spelman College. The AUC has definitely felt the presence of the scooters. When students returned to school for the fall semester they found the campus spotted with Bird scooters.

The trend caught on quick. Now, it is not uncommon to see multiple students riding down the center of campus on the black and gray Bird scooters. “It’s easy to get to and from class,” Ryan Robinson, a senior at Morehouse, said. Robinson takes classes on both Morehouse and Spelman’s campuses so the scooters have significantly decreased his commute time to class.

“The good part about it is that it doesn’t cost much at all,” Robinson added. To ride a Bird scooter first you have to download the free app. Once you’ve entered your card information, it only cost one dollar to unlock the scooter and 15 cents per mile to continue the ride. For broke college students, these Bird scooters are the most affordable option for moving around the city.

Even though the scooters are extremely popular, they have been met with some resistance. Morehouse Senior, Wesley Thompson, who has had his own adult-sized scooter that he rides around on campus since 2017, is happy to see more people on scooters but have encountered some problems because of them. “I don’t like this new scooter situation because the places I had no problem going in, like the library, say I can’t come in,” Thomson Said.

This is a theme that has arisen on many other college campuses. According to the News & Observer, Bird scooters have been the source of many heated debates. Recently, UNC Chapel Hill removed Bird scooters from their campuses. If you call Bird’s 1–800 number, the operator will tell you that the process of getting Bird scooters on your college campus is simple. A school has to email University@Bird.co and let the company know that they would like Bird scooters on their campus. According to the article, Bird did not coordinate with the town of Chapel Hill or the campus before bringing about 100 scooters to the area. It can’t be confirmed if Bird coordinated with the campuses in the AUC but it seems like the scooters are here to stay.

Emmanuel Johnson is a senior Sociology with a minor in journalism & sport. He is a rising radio journalist and has had his work featured on NPR stations in North Carolina and Georgia.