Alex Kite, junior in psychology, doesn’t drive his car to campus.

Instead, he uses a moped, which he said gets him around town just as fast as his car, even if it only goes about 35 miles per hour.

“It probably takes a minute or two longer depending on where I’m going,” Kite said. “I figured [a moped] would be cool to ride to class.”

Kite purchased his moped from a neighbor for $100 and said the purchase has saved him “quite a bit” of gas money.

He also bought a parking permit for $35, which allows him to park on campus.

Although the moped has helped from an economical standpoint, Kite said the ride can be dangerous.

Kite was traveling at top speed down Campus Avenue when his front brake locked up.

“I was up on the front tire and finally wrecked,” Kite said. “I couldn’t feel my leg for a while after that.”

Bryan Batey, junior in industrial technology, had a similar experience the first time he rode his “pocket bike.”

“I popped a wheelie and wrecked it,” Batey said. “They can get up and scoot.”

Batey said he was not injured in the accident.

A pocket bike looks like a normal motorcycle but is much smaller. They are typically about three feet long, two feet tall and weigh between 40 and 50 pounds.

“It’s something to play around with,” Batey said. “It’s something different.”

Batey rode his bike to class only once because it is not street legal. He bought the bike on eBay for about $250 and said he wants to start a club at Iowa State.

Batey also owns a motorcycle that he rides to class because it is easier to maneuver.

“Most of them get permits,” said Doug Houghton, program manager for the Department of Public Safety Parking Division.

Near the beginning of each semester, “courtesy tickets” are given to parking violators to encourage them to get a permit, Houghton said. These tickets do not incur a fine.

Three-hundred and twenty permits have been issued for motorcycles and mopeds by the Department of Public Safety Parking Division this semester.