So, I totally caved and got an electric scooter. After seeing countless guys riding around on their electric skateboards and hoverboards for months, I admit that I had become extremely jealous. I, too, wanted to be like one of the boys and zoom past passersby on my way to class. I yearned to hear the electric “zyoom” as I swerve between groups of students. Yet, I felt this strange pull. A societal denial of my scooter. I had felt that I could never be one of the boys. That because of my gender, I was disallowed from scooting my way to class.
But then, I decided that’s bullsh*t. Was I really not going to get a scooter, simply because I’m a girl? Now, I’m rarely one to conform to conventional rules and tradition. So, in spite of my months-long mental debate with myself, I impulsively decided to go and buy a scooter. I got up, ran to Target, and didn’t look back. Then I found myself in a dilemma, what scooter am I actually going to get? I almost settled on a basic, electric Razor scooter. But then I realized, I’m definitely better than an $80 scooter that is meant to carry the weight of children. So naturally, I went to Best Buy and got myself the baddest scooter they had.
I’ve had this thing for several weeks now, and have definitely noticed the looks I get for being a girl on an electronic transportation device. For instance, the dude bros who ride their electric skateboards towards me refuse to make eye contact whatsoever. It’s odd how the nuances of gender roles and expression manifest themselves in such small ways, in this case via my scooter usage on campus. But honestly, I could care less. I get to class on time, I’ve made several friends because of my scooter, and now some people know me as “Scooter Girl” (yes, seriously). I also now know that there’s another “Scooter Girl,” and I have yet to have an actual conversation with her. But she seems dope.
I’ve had a fun time experimenting with a few things via my scooter purchase and continuous use. First, I’ve had fun attempting to understand myself in the confines of the gender binary. Tapping into more “masculine” things, such as actually using my scooter, has made me question more of what I consider to be masculine versus feminine. After all, it is somewhat ridiculous to assign gender roles to things as small as an electric scooter. Second, this scooter has honestly changed my life. With an inability to ever wake up on time, which I attribute to my sleeping disorder and my persistent procrastination for everything, this scooter has literally saved me from being late to so many of my classes.
How could I not be thriving with this thing in my life? It goes 15 miles per hour! And all it has to do is sit on a charger for four hours for maximum speed. Of course I’m not going to let something so fun be affected by social expectations and overall menial gender expectations.