I’ve been a student at Tech for more than three years and since my first year as a student, I’ve experimented with different ways of getting around campus.
While many students find the medium for getting from point A to point B to be trivial and simply walk, some people, myself included, tend to be more productive when we have alternative ways to get around.
Let’s start with the skateboard. When it comes to skateboards, the first thing comes to people’s minds are light, cool, convenient or impressive, but after using a skateboard to get around my freshman year, I can honestly say that it is the least practical way to get around this campus.
Tech’s campus is not skateboard friendly and even if Peterson decreed Tech sidewalk rut or concrete hole free, most people, who choose to take them out the door, end up carrying them more than they ride them between classes. In addition, I’ve noticed that most students who use them are not that adept at going downhill through walking pedestrians, overcoming unsmooth pavement or let alone stopping.
Public transportation, like the stinger buses, tech trolley and the Stingerette, are generally acceptable, but I believe that you should never strongly depend on them because they will eventually let you down. In my past experiences, the stinger bus or tech trollies have often skipped stops due to overloaded capacities, shown up later than expected or stopped due to restroom breaks.
The Stingerette has the worst service under Parking and Transportation. At times, it can come in handy if you’re expecting to travel somewhere within or around the general Tech area, but Stingerette has a reputation for having extremely long wait times, lacking patience or respect for students and never picking students up in general.
On a serious note, bicycles are a common way to get around campus as well. I do not have much to complain about using bikes on campus, and I’ve actually used one to drive to around Atlanta to the chagrin of some drivers.
As long as you don’t leave your bike at a rack for months or speed down campus sidewalks, bikes are my commonly favorite way to get around campus, but I should warn that helmets and driving signals on the road are important measures to take when getting around.
Students weigh different mediums of transport around campus due to convenience and time and often, the weather impacts how they want to get somewhere. I would clearly want to ride a bus during heavy rain or ride a bike during the agonizing heat of summer.
Students have the right to choose their own way to get around, but choose something that is beneficial to you and safe for others around you. What you choose could impact your performance at school and safety on campus.