"Stalking" in the Parking Lot
| Published 10/15/04

Graphic by: Ande Hearn

Parking in the front lots at RU is frustrating for many. Students stop their cars to wait for others to leave class and vacate a parking space. Some resort to "stalking" students by creeping slowly beside them in their cars as they're leaving. I prefer the latter, and let me tell you why.

This morning, I arrived at RU around 9:45 a.m. My class begins at 11 a.m. Cars were lined up all around: three in the middle parking-lot on the left, two in the lower left, and two in the lower right. I proceeded to drive around aimlessly for about 15 minutes, then took my place in front of two cars in the middle parking lot on the left. There was a car further down the lot facing me waiting as well.

Since it was about 10 a.m., students began leaving. I saw a guy walking down the sidewalk and heading my way. He stopped at a Jeep about four car lengths behind the car facing me. Since the Jeep was on my side, and the driver of the other car would have to back up in order to get the space. I pulled forward and put my signal light on to let the other driver know the space was mine. I find that's proper parking lot etiquette.

Much to my dismay, the driver in the other car seemed oblivious to my claim. She zoomed backwards as the Jeep was reversing out of the parking place. Because of the direction he turned, I was unable to make it into the space and the other driver pulled in. The Jeep drove on and I made my way towards the empty spaces with parking meters and turned my car around in frustration. As I drove past the car that had taken MY space, a blond girl got out. She looked at me with just about the most evil grin her malnourished face could muster. I was too angry to shout any foul words, although I now wish I had. Instead, I turned my music up and floored it past her ugly little four- cylinder 2.2-liter poor-excuse-for-a-moving-vehicle with my V6 3.1-liter sexy- beast-of-a-car, while giving her an equally evil and extremely sarcastic momentary smile.

I later got a closer, better parking place and hoped -- in that dark, self-satisfactory part of my heart -- that she saw this when she left.

I will now resort to the "stalking" method exclusively. Therefore, instead of laying my claim on a parking space that can be grabbed unfairly by someone else, I'll be laying my claim upon a person and will follow them to wherever they may lead me. Hopefully, others will learn to have a little respect.