When a football injury put me on the sidelines for a few months of my senior year, I thought it was the end of the world. Not only would I have to sit out the rest of the season, but I could no longer get to school and work from my home out in the country with any reliability. Knowing that it would take months before my leg fully recovered from surgery, I made a decision: I wouldn’t rely on friends and family to pick me up and drive me around anymore.

I pooled some of my savings from odd jobs performed during the summer and bought an electric mobility scooter online. When it arrived outside my house, I was eager to take the scooter out for a spin. I had been expecting a rather pedestrian, laid-back speed, but the vehicle was full of vim and vigor. It’s definitely not your grandparents’ mobility aid. Now that my leg is fully functional once again, I like to take the scooter to town just for old times’ sake.