The Other Side

Inevitably, as a college student, you gaze lustfully at the faculty/staff parking spaces. Your entire college career, you note the number of empty spaces and their close proximity to any and every building on campus, and you're sorely tempted to try, just once, to see if you can park there without suffering a parking ticket equal to the cost of one semester's worth of textbooks.

I'm here to tell you that the other side suffers, too, kids.

It's not the first week of classes--but it's regular registration and freshman orientation, which is just as bad. I circled the library block three and a half times this morning before settling on a resident student spot (yes, I'm allowed to do that) on the street behind the library fac/staff lot. Now, there were some other faculty spots on the street that were a heckuva lot closer--but being as I drive a double-cab truck and those spots are barely long enough for a VW, they weren't so much of an option.

Why is it so packed? Are there more faculty and staff members on-campus today?

No. On my way in, walking back through the jam-packed faculty lot, I spotted at least four cars without parking permits of any kind. And there were six empty visitor's spots that were actually closer to the center of campus than the faculty lot, so I'm not so much feeling their pain. I must confess I felt a twinge of evil glee at the retribution that will come in the form of a hefty fine and/or a boot on their tire.

People, I paid for this permit--a decent chunk of money--and I darned well earned it. I suffered eleven years of college-student parking to earn this fac/staff job, and I will reap its benefits. And chuckle softly when the tow truck appears.

I'll resume to my usual cheery, non-vengance-seeking self in three weeks, when parking is no longer an issue. In the meantime... you have been warned.