LIFE ON CAMPUS
It used to be that any self-respecting jock would refuse to be caught dead on a mo-ped, the little putt-putt contraptions that lacked the “cool” quotient of a motorcycle or SUV.
But rising gas prices and shrinking parking spaces on USC’s campus have made scooters the vehicle of choice among a growing number of Gamecock football players, who love the gas savings and hassle-free parking the motorized bikes provide.
“You pull it up right in the motorcycle or the bike racks. You get some weird looks, but it saves you money,” said receiver Scott Spurrier, son of USC coach Steve Spurrier. “I think parking passes are like 300 bucks now per semester.”
At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, tight end Jared Cook admits he gets some stares when he rides his mo-ped to class or football practice. But the Georgia native laughs all the way to the gas pump.
“I really don’t care what other people think. I mean, they’re fun,” Cook said. “Three dollars to fill up (and) you don’t have to worry about nothing.”
With about 30 players riding their scooters to Williams-Brice Stadium most days, Steve Spurrier said there are safety considerations. Few, if any, wear helmets, and several have taken the exhaust systems off the bikes to allow them to go faster than 30 mph, the maximum speed for mo-peds in South Carolina and most other states.
Under South Carolina law, anyone under 21 is required to wear a helmet when operating or riding a mo-ped.
“They’ve just got to be safe,”Steve Spurrier said. “I guess they ought to (wear helmets). But if they’re not going real fast — of course, they go from here to campus, so they’re not just on campus. So they need to really be safe. That’s the key.”
Scott Spurrier said USC players “aren’t doing anything stupid” on the scooters.
“If we’re going downtown or (when) people go to Five Points, they usually take a car or a taxi,” he said.
Former Gamecocks basketball player Renaldo Balkman, in his second year with the New York Knicks, drove a mo-ped when he was a student. Scott Spurrier said a couple of special-teams players, including former holder Ike Crofoot, started the scooter fad on the football team.
Most new mo-peds cost between $1,100 and $2,000. Long snapper Charles Turner sold his old bike to place-kicker/punter Ryan Succop for $600 when Turner upgraded to a newer model.
“They’re real convenient. Driving to class, you don’t have to worry about parking your car,” Succop said. “Before, I was getting parking tickets every week. These, you can just pull straight up to classes and not have to worry about it.”
USC spokesman Russ McKinney said the university treats mo-peds as motorcycles, which are not allowed on sidewalks, grassy areas or at bicycle racks. There are areas in campus parking lots designated for mo-peds.
Students parking scooters elsewhere could face $25 fines and possible towing charges.
“The more of the bikes that are on campus, the more I think you’ll see it being enforced strongly,” McKinney said.
Athletes who choose scooters over cars are more visible on campus, which has its drawbacks.
Freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia initially purchased a used scooter without a muffler. But Gary Garcia thought it was unwise for his son, who was arrested twice in a two-week period last winter, to draw attention to himself with a loud engine. (One of the charges stemmed from a car-keying incident that followed a dispute over a parking space.)
So Stephen Garcia bought a new Yamaha Zuma, along with a helmet, which does not get used as much.
“I’m not sure I’ve got him wearing the helmet,” Gary Garcia said. “It’s like playing football without a helmet.”
While scooters are popular at other SEC schools, not everyone is enamored with them.
Gamecocks cornerback Captain Munnerlyn rode a teammate’s mo-ped but has no plans to buy one.
“Everybody around campus has them — like regular students, not just athletes,” Munnerlyn said. “I guess they’re kind of cool right now. But it gets pretty cold out here. So I don’t want to be on the scooter. I’d rather be in the car.”
And what about picking up a date on a scooter?
“You can get two-seaters,” Scott Spurrier said.
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