Beneath the sign "Welcome To Florida State University" is another sign that states "Event Parking Please Use 4th Floor" as you enter the St. Augustine street garage and yet Monday morning, like many days when events have taken place at the University, the students (and even some faculty) were limited to one level.
The Inevitable Game of ParkingAngela Lertkiratikul
The third and fourth level (with the exception of the first level being mostly reserved for faculty and staff) was blocked off completely with a rope tied to safety cones on each end while a man in a neon vest aggressively directs any vehicle not permitted for the event to turn around and park somewhere else. If Florida State University's Transportation and Parking Services was not nearby, I just might have caved in to the temptation to cut the rope off entirely; a temptation I have had one too many times on event days after a peer of mine disclosed to our class that she did so once so she would not miss her test.
Honestly, I admire her for it.
To say I am exhausted from the parking crisis –yes, parking crisis– at Florida State University would be an understatement. Finding parking at FSU is the bane of my existence. It seems that no matter what parking lot or parking garage I am at –space is limited and non-existent. As an English major whose classes are mainly in the Williams building, there are absolutely no reasons why I should be forced to park at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center and walk up Mount Diffenbaugh.
There is absolutely no reason why students are arriving an hour or two early before their class in hopes of securing a parking spot.
There is absolutely no reason why students are late or even worse, missing class because they unsuccessfully drove around the whole period looking for a parking spot.
There is absolutely no reason why students should be engaging in verbal and physical altercations over a parking spot.
There is absolutely no reason why students have become accustomed to waiting by the stairwell to pick up a complete stranger just so they could drive them to their car to take them to their parking space.
If I had a dollar for every time any of these situations happened to me, I actually would be rich enough to afford FSU's valet parking, tip included.
Each year, the university continues to accept an abundance of students, remodel various buildings, and spend millions on a football coach that makes me forget that we were even a football school. For God's sake, please create more parking spaces at Florida State.
