Two years ago, when Allegheny incorporated the color-coded parking system on campus, students made it known that it really, really sucked. Suddenly, there seemed to be absolutely nowhere to park, anywhere. Students in on-campus houses got ticketed for parking in their own driveways, and I, personally, got about $200 in tickets because I gave up and just parked in whatever lot I wanted to. Not that I could even tell which one I was supposed to park in, because I’m shade color-blind. Way to be inconsiderate, Allegheny.

This year, I began to drive onto campus from my off-campus apartment every day and parked in the only logical place: the Campus Center lot. Since this lot is the largest lot available, it is generally the only lot that ever has open spaces. Also, it is the only centrally located lot that allows easy access to a variety of buildings. When the ambiguous “This lot is temporarily open” sign came up, I didn’t really take it seriously, nor did I think of what the consequences would be when the lot stopped being “temporarily open.”

However, I got a rude awakening after spring break when I had to park in the Limber Street rock lot.

Come on, Allegheny. There was a parking shortage before the Vukovich construction, so wouldn’t it have been wise to secure another place to park – one that is paved and actually in close proximity to something – before closing our only convenient parking lot and assigning other relatively convenient parking to faculty only?