Out of all the organizations here at the University of Arizona, one group stands out above the rest. This brave group of individuals work tirelessly day after day to make our campus a better place, and they receive little to no thanks for it. I'm not talking about the UA police department, and I'm not talking about Students For Sustainability either. I'm talking about the unsung heroes of the UA, Parking and Transportation Services.
This wonderful group is devoted to making sure our campus functions smoothly, but they don't seem to get anywhere near enough appreciation for it. I have learned many valuable life lessons from PTS, and I now try to shape my view of the world around what this outstanding organization has taught me.
For example, I was late to class one day so I quickly sped into my parking garage and found a spot. Later that day, I returned to my vehicle and found a lovely citation on the dashboard, informing me that I had been cited for a speeding violation. This was a wonderfully eye-opening experience, teaching me that if you break a rule, you will suffer the consequences, even if you are only driving a few miles per hour over the speed limit.
On another occasion, I rushed out of my car in a hurry and apparently forgot to place my garage permit in a visible location. The permit is supposed to stick to the car's windshield, but the sticky part on mine no longer worked, teaching me that nothing in life lasts forever. It would have been somewhat nice if PTS issued permits that actually stayed sticky for the duration of the year, but then I would not have learned this valuable lesson. Anyway, when I got back to my car that day, I found another lovely citation citing my failure to properly display my permit. This helped me learn not to be forgetful, another incredibly valuable lesson.
When I would park in the parking garage, I would often only be able to find a space outside on the top floor, which was a blessing in disguise because my car was able to enjoy a wonderful view of the entire University while I was away during the day, which I'm sure my car appreciated, as it slowly heated up due to the lack of covered parking available. PTS just does so many great things.
The next school year, I decided not to renew my parking garage permit and to instead get a pass for one of the parking lots. Parking there greatly improved my problem solving skills, because if I arrived to campus later than around 9 a.m. the parking lot whose pass I was paying around $500 for would be completely full, forcing me to drive around the lot for several minutes hoping that somebody would leave, and then eventually leaving and sometimes even paying an additional fee to park in one of the garages for the day. PTS is also great because they are so upfront about their policies. For example, on the back of my parking pass it clearly stated that this pass did not guarantee parking, it only gave me the right to park if space was available, which it often wasn't. You just have to love an organization that states their policies so clearly. You just have to love PTS.
UA Parking and Transportation Services has taught me many valuable life lessons, and as a result, I must give them my complete and utter thanks. Each and every dollar I paid to them through permit fees, citations, and daily parking was absolutely and completely worth it.
