Parking: Putting your car in a designated spot for an allotted amount of time so as not to get a ticket. Seems a simple enough concept. So simple in fact, one might say it is perhaps the easiest part about having and maintaining a car. But here at Eastern Michigan University, it seems parking is a very hotly debated subject. Apparently there are never enough spots, the spots that are open are too far away or someone got a ticket. It just seems to me to be a lot of people complaining.
Let’s get a little bit of perspective. We’re all going to a well-established university that has 23,000-plus students. The population of students living on campus, i.e., people living in the dorms or in Brown/Munson, is probably about a quarter of that number. So, with that logic, there are many people commuting or otherwise attending school here. This doesn’t take into account the small army of staff it takes to run a place like this.
Parking lots are only so big, people. As a commuter, I, too, have to deal with this on a daily basis. You know how I deal with it? I wear comfortable shoes. I just suck it up, park in the back of North Lot and tough it out. I think that is about the only thing you can do, besides showing up early before all the “good” parking spaces are occupied.
It’s not like parking there is the end of the world. I’m not going on a 40-year exodus through a desert without a clear destination in mind. I’m walking a quarter of a mile to one of my classes.
I also realize going for a little bit of a walk requires a little time. My solution? Leave sooner. I know it sounds difficult, but if you put forth the effort, you can do it. Planning the day ahead is one of those things I think is a healthy practice. It keeps you focused, makes you more aware and ultimately provides a more structured and routine lifestyle.
In closing, parking here might suck, but it could be worse. We could all be going to a school where buildings are built all over a somewhat sprawling city area. We could be stuck driving several miles down side roads to find a place to park. In fact, I think our school has one of the most effective parking services I’ve encountered. Tag-scanning road blocks and an office dealing with parking disputes are easily found and only a walk away.
So really, what is it everyone is complaining about?
