2/08/02

Sometimes the most common thing I'll see on an Instant Messenger away message is "parking my car, be right back." Gobs of students have cars on campus and each student is assigned a lot to park in depending on class level or residence. It can be hard to find a space worthy of a Kodak moment, but it shouldn't be hard at least to find the lot that you're supposed to park in. Residents of the Fairfax Apartment complex, maintained by RU, recently have been dealing with a rash of people who can't seem to follow the rules.

Whim staffers Jenn Peterson, Nikki Ridgeway, Zac Martin, Shaun Corley, former staffer Tony Ferriera and myself are residents and have been complaining about this for some time. On more than one occasion, we've called the RU Police Department about illegally parked cars in our lot, but we never see Parking Services come down to ticket them as the sweet tone on the other end of the phone line assures us.

Our lot, JJ, is set aside for University Apartment residents only. According to Parking Services, this rule has been in effect since January 1, 2001. Despite the clearly worded signs, each day one of us will see several cars in the lot that don't have the purple- or red-striped permit necessary to park in our spaces. I've seen students without so much as a dangling air freshener slip into a space, take out the backpacks, and walk to class.

Students who can't use the designated overflow lots, such as Lot M, are clogging that up as well. "Towing Enforced" is written boldly on the sign but none of us have ever seen that happen either.

But don't let that fool you into thinking Parking Services doesn't know what's going on. James Perkins, manager of Parking Services, has instructed the enforcement officers to concentrate their efforts on areas like Lot JJ in an effort to deal with illegally parked vehicles. "Will we get them all, no," Perkins says. "Will it have a correcting effect, yes, I believe it will." Perkins removed the removal of the older sign stating faculty and staff can also use the lot. The lots are enforced from 7 am to 4 pm. Presently, Parking Services doesn't have the resources to enforce the lot 24 hours a day. "24-hour enforcement would not be a big issue, but it would create some issues for University Apartment residents who have visitors after 4 pm and get issued a citation," Perkins says. Perkins advises students at Fairfax Apartments who want 24-hour enforcement to bring it before their SGA representative who is assigned to the Parking and Traffic Regulations Committee.

I think I speak for all Fairfax Apartments residents when I say we want our lot from 7 am to 4 pm at the very least. Some people can't respect that and we're going to do something about that alongside Parking Services. Each week in the Vent Section, you will find pictures of cars violating the rules by being parked in our lot. We'll be out every day with my digital camera, documenting as many cars as we can catch. These pictures will be posted with blurred license plates, of course. If you see your car on there, you'll know that we know. Perkins assures residents, "You are not being ignored. You...have an issue with merit and it will receive immediate attention."

We pay $50 a year just like everyone else. We want to use the lots we pay for. All over campus, people are parking in spaces longer than they should, parking in the wrong spots, and crowding up overflow lots they aren't allowed to use. For months RU media and administration have been addressing the parking issue. Half of it is the fault of people who can't appreciate the work that goes into legislating parking, even though some of it has been shown to need renovation. Nevertheless, cooperation with the laws will help bring us closer to understanding what exactly needs to be done. If you don't know where you can park, check out the map from the Parking Services website.

  

Three very clear signs (far above and above) have been installed to help deter further illegal parking.

This week, however, I, on behalf of all Fairfax Apartments residents, want to extend my deepest gratitude for a job well done. There wasn't a single illegally parked car that we could see. Officers were out every day checking the lot. While there were no illegal cars to speak of, you can still click here for the archives.

I have spoken with several residents and we all feel ready for ask for 24-hour enforcement. This would mean we'd always have a place to park and wouldn't have a 15-hour window that anyone can park there and take the spaces. Too many people are having to walk back from their cars at night, alone. While this is an unavoidable reality for people who are delegated to the lots off University Drive, we are merely asking for reasonable privileges having a lot right next to our apartment complex affords. I invite everyone to post comments about possibly making the transition to a 24-hour Lot JJ in the feedback form below.