Parking on campus

Parking on campus is absolutely ridiculous. Students pay $200 a year for a parking sticker to be able to gain access to their classes.

The $200 parking sticker may be fair but how rational is the fact there aren’t enough parking spaces for students purchasing these stickers? There are ticketing patriots just waiting for students to give up on looking for a space to that he or she can charge them for parking once again. This time the charge is in the form of a parking violation tariff. No matter how you cut it, it’s double dipping. I mean just what do they do with all the extra cash from parking tickets and iron clad boots.

Okay, I should stop using imaginary students and use myself for the example.

My car has been towed twice by towing services that say they were hired to patrol parking lots for the businesses on Hillcrest. All of my classes are in Umphrey Lee so clearly the dilemma leaves me no choice but to park on the streets and parking lots on Hillcrest Avenue, which by the way should actually be rename Money Maker Avenue.

My car was towed deep into south Dallas for parking in the Smoothie King parking lot. I had the pleasure of hitching a ride to retrieve my vehicle and paid $230 even though my vehicle had been in their possession for less than three hours. I was informed by one of the employee’s that works at a business on Hillcrest that students should know that the tow gentleman is waiting for you to park your vehicle in front of the businesses on Hillcrest. He watches you cross the street and enter the building on campus then he’s swiftly off with your vehicle…

So, after I decided that parking on Hillcrest was no longer a good idea no matter what the circumstance was, I parked on campus the next day. I got two tickets from the SMU police for parking in a resident parking spot. What’s a girl to do?

I know I know it’s difficult trying to figure out who is to blame for my unpleasant experience. But just so that no one gets any wild ideas that lead back to me, I will discuss my dilemma in further depth. I’m all for following SMU and University Park parking regulations, but for goodness sake, I just want to park so that I can get to class on time. It’s not my intention to break any rules or laws.

You would think that the businesses on Hillcrest would cut students some slack since we are the ones that keep their revenues booming. Ever come by the campus during Christmas break…nothing but bare parking lots.

Who am I kidding? I know the businesses around the campus have no obligations to SMU’s parking issues. That is why I elect that giving the generous amount that I pay in tuition I should be able to park on the lawn if I want to.

Parking has become the ultimate nuisance it’s almost like harassment.

The only thing that is more annoying than the parking problem is the fact that the people who can fix the problem appear to be the least bit concerned.

Maybe they are concerned. Maybe SMU is saving the money from parking violations and parking boots to build new parking garages and lots.