Opinion: Commuting is a battlefield
By Kaitlyn Wallace
Comment Staff
Earlier this week I drove to the Bridgewater CVS around midday to pick up a few things and noticed the parking lot was full. Toward the back of the lot were three tow trucks lined up and waiting for their turn to take away illegally parked cars. It seems the parking problem on campus is not getting any better.
Every day when I drive to class I see Bridgewater State University commuters coming up with some very creative strategies to avoid parking at the garage. During the 15 minute periods when students are going to and from classes, the commuter lots become a battlezone. I’ve listed a few techniques that are witnessed on a daily basis.
The Squatter
This person gets to the lot right before class gets out and parks their car at the end of a row, waiting like a lion in the grass for a car to pull out. These commuters are known to be very territorial and rookies know to keep moving if they spot one.
The Stalker
This particular breed of commuter waits at the entrance of the lot for a student to enter on foot heading for their car. The driver then proceeds to follow about 30 feet behind the pedestrian without shame, and claims their spot when they leave. This method seems to work very well, but is by far the creepiest.
The Wanderer
The wanderer is usually a freshman with beginner’s luck. They enter the lot without a plan and take laps for 20 minutes until they either come upon someone leaving and claim the spot in triumph, or they realize they’re late for class and give up to go home.
The Outlaw
The outlaw is the commuter that throws all caution to the wind and makes their own parking spot, somewhere obviously illegal. Theycan be seen parked on snow drifts, in the yellow lines at the end of a row, or somewhere else entirely, like the CVS or a faculty lot.
The Quickdraw
The quickdraw is almost universally hated by all other commuters and some may even call them cheaters, but no one can deny they’re the fastest hands on campus. These students find another driver who has spotted a leaving car and follows them to it, but comes around to the other side and beats them to their blinker, thereby winning the spot.
The Early Bird
This rare commuter comes to campus so early they have their choice when it comes to parking. They arrive before the sun comes up and consume massive amounts of coffee in order to wake themselves up so early and avoid the battle that consumes the lots later in the day.
Kaitlyn Wallace is the Comment’s Editor-In-Chief. Follow her on Twitter at @2ndisthebest or email her at k2wallace@student.bridgew.edu.
People can’t complain about no parking spots if they aren’t even using the parking garage. Spring street isn’t the only commuter parking lot. Yeah it’s inconvenient to walk such a long distance, and as a Shea/Durgin resident I don’t like the long walk either. Suck it up and be thankful that you actually have somewhere to park.
And also just because there are no parking spaces available does not give you the right to park wherever. Those people deserve to be ticketed and towed.
Publishing photos of an illegally parked car without blocking out the license plate is shameful. It is embarrassing that no one thought of privacy concerns here.
We appreciate your concern Jerry, however, in most cases what can be seen in public view does not fall under a person’s right to privacy. You can find that information on the website for the Reporter’s Committee for the Freedom of the Press here: http://www.rcfp.org/
Hope that clears things up!
Hey you missed my favorite! After securing a spot, in order to get to class on time, students sometimes ask departing drivers if they’d be willing to drive them across campus.