Senior Andy Brown said he hates wasting money – especially on gas. So to save some cash, he bought a scooter.

“Primarily, it was a gas mileage thing,” said Brown, who bought a scooter following the gas hike caused by Hurricane Katrina. “It costs me 50 bucks to fill up my (Chevrolet) Z71, compared to like $2.75 to fill up my (Moto)mojo.”

As gas prices continue to climb, some students are turning to scooters as a cheaper mode of transportation.

Scooters provide economic alternatives to cars by getting better gas mileage and necessitating less maintenance and fewer legal requirements.

Micah Morlock, manager of Georgia Cycle Sport on Baxter Street, said he has seen an increase in scooter sales, predominantly because of these economic and convenience factors.

“They sell themselves,” Morlock said.

He attributed the dramatic rise in scooter sales to the post-Katrina gas increase but also said more people are realizing the benefits of being fuel-efficient.

“Scooters will eventually pay for themselves,” Morlock said. “And I think people are starting to understand that.”

The financial advantages of scooters don’t stop at the gas pump. Scooters that are fewer than 50 cc – the measurement of engine power – like Brown’s Motomojo Uptown, require no title, no insurance, no state registration, not even a motorcycle license.

“It’s just a fun and cheap way to get around town,” Brown said.

Parking on campus also falls into the scooter’s favor. It costs $360 for a parking permit in a University core lot for a year, but it only costs $60 to park a scooter on campus for the same timespan.

Diane Hale, the parking manager at Parking Services, said the University is starting to build “scooter corrals” in response to the oncoming scooter boom.

“Overall, it will be good for the University,” Hale said. “It’s the simple economics of supply and demand.”

However, Hale did point out the challenge of getting all scooter owners to register for a permit with parking services.

In addition to the financial aspect, scooters are convenient and more environmentally friendly than cars or sport utility vehicles.

For all the positives of scooter ownership, there are some significant disadvantages.

Many scooter owners consider bad weather the biggest drawback, though carrying capacity and safety are also concerns.

“You can’t carry too many groceries on them,” Morlock said.

As for safety, many scooter riders said they take it upon themselves to be extra cautious.

“It’s up to you to predict what will happen ahead of you,” Brown said. “Basically, it’s defensive driving. If you’re going to be Evel Knievel, then you’re not going to last very long.”

Kelly Choate, a scooter-owning senior from Macon, said scooters are more than just those silly things you see people riding around town.

“In a way, scooters provide their own sort of style,” Choate said.

Brown agreed, he said he doesn’t care if others think he looks stupid.

“I’m laughing all they way to the bank,” he said.