By: Russ Friend
Heavy snow fell on the windshield and was quickly dispatched by wipers as the weather and my truck engaged in a test of wills against a backdrop of Rammstein’s “Meine Land.” I pulled into Olin Hall’s parking lot hoping to get inside as quickly as possible.
Most of the lot was filled with vehicles indistinguishable from one another under a blanket of snow. In haste, I pulled into one of the few remaining spots, only to realize that it had a meter. I had no desire to put money into it and noticed I wasn’t alone. Looking around, it appeared that the majority of these spots were filled and only one meter had time left on it.
Parking lot security says this semester has been one of the worst in years for infractions. While this is good news for the university, it’s an unnecessary and avoidable expense for everyone else (unlike the mandatory $150 transportation fee). Taking a few extra minutes to park legally can prevent a lot of headaches.
An easy solution for visitors and part-time students is to eliminate the meters by using one of the parking decks. For instance, there’s a deck across from Simmons Hall that is a great alternative to meters. If you’re on campus for more than a few hours, you’ll find that this deck is not only less expensive, but there’s no hassle involved with feeding a meter.
A better alternative for those that can take advantage of this option is the Roo Express. Why hassle with driving if you don’t have to? It’s a nice alternative that will save you money. You can spend the time you’d be driving doing something else. Studying, perhaps?
As with anything Akron-related, the Roo Express is a work in progress. However, it’s a step in the right direction.
If you have any suggestions on how to improve it, drop a line at [email protected]. After all, they can’t address an issue if they don’t know about it. I also strongly suggest carbon copying the Buchtelite. We’ll keep track of the issues and the university’s response to them.
When the weather’s nasty, it’s easy to forget the rules, but it’s far better to take a few minutes to find an appropriate parking spot and avoid the potential for hassles altogether. The fines aren’t that expensive, but forgetting to pay them can be even worse than forgetting to return a book to the library.
