I love my car. That is a simple truth. As my ever reliable companion since I was seventeen, my car was sincerely missed my freshman year. So after our nine-hour drive to Lawrence this year, I was ecstatic to have my car here. Yet, upon my arrival I’ve realized how difficult it is to park -- not just on campus, but everywhere. I don’t know how much time I’ve spent trying to find a simple place to park. Why is it so difficult? I can’t say I really know why, but at least we’re all united in the parking struggle together. Here are some signs you’re a KU student trying to park.
1. You know parking on campus is impossible without a parking pass.
There really isn’t anywhere on campus to park. At least not for free. And you know if you need to go to the union, it’s either risk parking at the alumni center or pay for the garage. If you somehow manage to find a place to park for free close to where you’re trying to go, you’ve found the jackpot of parking. It’s rare, but not impossible.
2. Even if you have a pass, you still might struggle to a find a parking spot.
If you live on the hill you’re well aware that parking is close to nonexistent. It’s a lottery to try to get a parking pass and even then you might have to drive for a while to find a spot. Nothing is worse than walking to your dorm late at night from McCollum's back lot.
3. You’re familiar with the "no parking" signs lining the streets.
If you’ve ever tried parking on any street here in Lawrence, then you know that more often than not, you just need to find a spot clear of a "no parking" sign. It’s a process to park on the street. You have to find the perfect spot and make sure you’re within the correct boundaries of legal parking. And if you don’t know how to parallel park, then you might be in trouble.
4. You’ve probably gotten a parking ticket somewhere.
Whether it was on campus, or elsewhere, you've most likely seen a pesky ticket on your car. Although it might be as little as a $3 fine, you still get a little irritated when receiving a ticket. These tickets spark fears in us whenever we get paranoid we’re in parked in the wrong place.
5. You get confused when you go home and have a place to park.
There’s nothing like the joy of knowing there’s a driveway or a garage for your car to comfortable rest. There’s nothing like knowing your car can be parked almost anywhere without difficulty. Another plus is that you don’t have to deal with a bunch of college kids who can’t park properly.
Parking is a difficult debacle. And KU isn’t exactly known for its amazing parking, but at the very least, we all know we’re all united in this.
