The sound of gravel bouncing off the side of my car as another driver reversed is something I hoped I would never have to hear. Unfortunately, every Wednesday, it was either face the gravel barrage or go offroad and park up on the hill by DCCC’s Media Line Road entrance.
I don’t know why this seems to happen in the middle of the week, but I have noticed something similar happening nearly every week day. If you drive, and you have classes starting after 9 a.m. then you too understand that there is a constant race to snatch up those remaining spaces in the first three lots.
I never even attempt to try and park by the main entrance to the school. I attempted that once while heading to a night class. It’s truly amazing how it fills up before 6:30 p.m.
I wouldn’t mind the extra exercise, but it isn’t much help when you only have 10 minutes to get to class and you’re hoofing across five rows of parked cars, a construction zone, and countless corridors before finally arriving at your destination. By this time, you’ve barely got a minute to spare.
Plus, imagine what you have to deal with in the winter. I for one am not going to enjoy parking up on that hill when the snow starts hitting the ground.
To be fair, I’d rather park up there on the hill than in the school’s “overflow temporary parking” lot over by the astronomy lab and tennis courts. Remember that gravel I mentioned before? Parking over there is tight and cramped and can be frustrating, especially when the other drivers are just as confused as you are and can’t see the white parking lines smeared onto the ground.
Now I appreciate what the school is doing for the students. I really do. But with the construction of the new building, how are they going to cope with new students and faculty that will be attending this facility? Is it possible there is going to be more money set aside for the building of a new lot by the tennis courts? There is prime space for another 15 to 20 parking spots right there.
Parking in the farther lots is fine, but a little unnerving at times. Other drivers like to pretend that the lot is a racecourse and hold their own Indy 500 by racing around the corners. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a driver blast across the crosswalks when there are students in plain view who are trying to cross.
I, for one, think that parking just becomes another school chore that adds an extra bit of unnecessary stress upon the student’s day.
Contact Joseph Giordano at
communitarian@mail.dccc.edu
