One of the worst parts about commuting is not the drive. It is not the cost of gas and the parking pass. It is not even the missing school bonding and activities. It is the parking lot. The parking lot has been the worst thing about being a commuter student. Here are eleven things you know to be true if you are a commuter trying to park on campus.
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Having to leave early in order to allow time to drive around aimlessly looking for a spot.
You have to give yourself at least 20 extra minutes to find a spot to park on campus that does not force you to walk a mile to your class. If I wanted the exercise, I would go to the gym. Walking a mile to class? No thanks.
2. Getting there an hour before your class begins and still not finding a spot.
The worst part is, you woke up for nothing. You also spent over 100 bucks on a parking spot just to be late to your thousand-dollar class you are also paying for. Wonderful, right?
3. Stalking someone simply to take his or her spot
We all do it. Seeing someone walking towards the parking lot and instantly starting to follow behind them doing 5mph waiting for him or her to get to their car. Sitting behind there spot with your turn signal on ready to ram anyone’s car who tries to get in your way.
4. Bragging to your classmates about the spot you managed to snag
You know the look. It's the one you give to the others driving around still searching for a spot or to the fellow classmate who runs into class ten minutes late venting about the parking lot being full.
5. Having to settle for a spot that is 20 minutes walking distance away from your class because you were five minutes later than usual
I honestly do just suck it up a lot because I am always late. I decide to walk the mile because I really do need the exercise and we all know I am not stepping foot in the gym. Besides it is my own damn fault for insisting that I still have time to stop for coffee on the way to campus when I am already twenty minutes late leaving my house.
6. Making your own spot
When you have five minutes to be in class you park in the first open space you see whether that be the grass, the sidewalk or the middle of the road. You do what you have to do and pay the ticket later. Unless you are one of those people that makes their own spot and doesn’t get tickets. Please, teach me your ways because when I do that, I get like twenty tickets at onetime.
7. Not being able to open your door because the car next to you doesn’t believe in personal space
The least you can do is buy me dinner before you decide to go rubbing your door all up on mine.
8. Racing a car on the other side of the parking lot to the last empty space
You win some and you lose some. I especially tend to lose on the Monday mornings when I have an 8am.
9. Praying that you will find a spot every morning before you leave the house
There is nothing like getting down on your knees and begging to find a parking spot when you arrive on campus. Some days when I am feeling extra desperate, I even promise to give up coffee in return for a front row spot, knowing damn well I will not no matter how good the spot I find is.
10. The car that takes up two spaces
The more expensive the car, the shittier it is parked. You can tell a douche bag when they hog two spots, and two good spots at that. And don’t even get me started on trucks..
11. Pulling out at the end of the day
Nothing feels better then starting your car and leaving campus after a mile long walk to your car when your day is done. Until you get home and realize you have to do it all again tomorrow that is.
