MUPD impounds improperly parked Bird scooters

The Miami University Police Department (MUPD) impounded 22 improperly parked Bird scooters last week. The confiscations came days before the launch of 150 more e-scooters from Lime, a second company moving into Oxford.

According to new university policy, the scooters must be parked in bike racks when they are left on campus.

Officers found the scooters parked on campus in locations not designated for personal transportation devices and bikes. MUPD stored the scooters until Bird recovered them Friday at a cost of $35 each.

MUPD's communications office did not return request for comment.

Charles Kennick, Associated Student Government (ASG) secretary for off-campus affairs, said Bird is working with the university to stress that e-scooters must be parked in bike racks.

"Bird and Lime could potentially pull out of the market if the issue prevails," Kennick said. "We need to operate under the current rules until we can change the rules."

Kennick spoke with a Bird representative on Monday, Oct. 8 to discuss the future of e-scooters on Miami's campus.

Kennick said ASG will continue to work on publicizing current school policies regarding scooters and that Bird plans on doing multiple events to promote safety and proper scooter use.

The impoundments received attention from students on social media. In a Facebook post, Jannie Kamara, a Miami student and ASG senator, stressed that students should properly park the scooters or face the possibility of not having e-scooters in the future.

"The moral of the story is that if you take a Bird on campus, park them at the bike racks and then they won't get taken," Kamara said in the post. "That's literally all you have to do."

finncm@miamioh.edu