For about a year, I have had to deal with what I like to call “Car-mageddon” when it comes to finding a decent parking spot in BC. The first few days of classes every quarter always have an obvious increase in the volume of students, especially during the morning class period, as everyone figures out where their classrooms are and rush to beat the clock so they won’t be late.
There are dozens of lots available for students spread throughout campus, even amidst the C-Building construction, but the BC Parking Garage seems to have the majority of vehicles every quarter. Apart from Lot 8 and Lot 10, the parking garage is where most students, faculty and staff come and go throughout the day.
The garage is located next to almost every single campus building, a convenience for students like myself, when they have classes at three different buildings. It’s a space that provides quick access from one place to another and shade from the harsh sun, rain, snow or hail that occurs throughout the school year.
Apart from the aspect of environmental consciousness (lessening my carbon footprint) when it comes to driving a car, there doesn’t seem to be any other benefits to the garage. While I appreciate the sentiments about the benefits of parking in that specific building, it has infuriating downsides.
Lack of Space
One of which is the lack of space between the cars themselves. As someone who prefers backing into a space, I ensure that I have enough room to not only fit myself in between other cars, but to be conscious about the fact that other people may not have the ability to slide in and out of their cars without much struggle.
Although, this consciousness does not feel collective when I often find myself having to climb through the back seat of my car or the passenger side because of the minuscule space that was left between me and another parked vehicle. Embarrassingly enough, I had other passing students witness the fiasco of me scrunched up uncomfortably trying to get to the driver’s seat of my car.
A recently graduated BC student, who also frequently parked on campus, provided a comment about their experience and thoughts, criticizing the campus lots and their drivers. “The luxury car folks often don’t park between the lines, and I know they have 360-degree parking cameras on their cars— Because I have those on mine— so I think they should park in the lines,” they shared.
Frequent Damage
There are dozens of student opinions that share similar notions and critiques about the BC parking situation, expressing the same concerns and frustrations about the experience of parking on campus.
In a 2014 news article by a previous Staff Reporter at The Watchdog, titled “Student Parking Uproar”, the author shared a quote from the former President of Bellevue College Dave Rule, saying that, “purchasing a parking pass is a lot like purchasing a hunting permit.”
Indeed, a permit does not guarantee parking. It also does not guarantee the safety of your car. While we have some responsibility over the valuables we leave in the car, we don’t necessarily expect our cars to have more dents and scratches by the end of the school day because of the current parking situation.
It’s been a decade, and the opinion still hasn’t changed about BC Parking.
General Etiquette
The frustration from seeing a gash on my door caused by another car, which possibly parked too close to me at first, was not a major bother.
The anger I felt from the time that someone, who parked next to me, ended up slamming their door open against my car was a feeling that passed minutes later.
The agony I felt watching someone back into me and hit the front lip of my car was a painstaking moment that I have tried to forget.
There are dozens of moments in between that have caused the many exterior flaws of my car, from paint chips to scratches to the dents all over.
Yet, the moment I came across whipped cream, strawberries and remnants of what seemed to be a crepe on the concrete floor and my car doors, I was livid.
One of the major issues when it comes to parking on campus is the lack of parking etiquette that many often convey when they choose to inconvenience other students by not parking within the lines, leaving space between cars or being mindful of their surroundings.
It is expected that teenagers and adults are mature enough to know that when making a mess, you clean it up.
Especially if the mess affects other people.
I am already stressed about my own classes and ensuring that I beat the morning I-5 and I-90 traffic to get to class on time. Not everyone has the luxury to be late or spend money getting the scratches buffed. I spend each day worrying about my car and whether or not someone decided to slam their door or spill their food on it, and this being a common worry from other students is far from normal.
Despite the fact that these frustrations spark long and interesting conversations with other students, why should we have these experiences in the first place?
