College life is about getting by on as little cash as possible. Other than eating one Ramen a day, transportation expenses are an easy way to stretch cash reserves. One way to lower transportation expenses is to ride a scooter instead of drive a car.
Maintaining a car payment, parking fees, repairs, and insurance are beyond the financial abilities of many students, but the need to get around doesn’t go away. A scooter addresses all of these. You can buy a new scooter for less than $2,000, parking fees are usually nil, repairs are much cheaper, and scooter insurance is negligible compared to auto insurance. In many states, you do not even have to register a vehicle if it is 50cc or less, saving a student even more cash.
One downside is that scooters emit more hydrocarbons than a car. The main reasons is the lack of a catalytic converter. That is offset by the 90 mpg that some scooters get. The reduction fossil fuel use more than compensates for the emissions issue.
Scooter dealerships close to college campuses recognize the huge potential market, with many offering discounts with a college id. Beyond the cost effective, scooters are just plain fun to ride. It is hard to resist the open air and money in your pocket.