Finding parking at UCLA is much like a UCLA football game at the
Rose Bowl. We have a good strategy, we’ve studied the
opponent carefully, and we know we still have some work to do with
our defense.
But just when we’re in the lead, and feeling our cockiest,
we get that colored penalty flag we all know so well. Mine sang the
lovely tune of $62 for not moving my car after two hours on Gayley
Avenue. Rookie mistake from a then-sophomore dorming for the first
time.
It hurt so bad ““ I could’ve parked in the lots for
almost nine days with that money ““ that I never park now
without sitting in my car for 20 minutes reading the sign until I
memorize it. Even if I have memorized it before. I cringe when I
see the meter maid getting out of the car with a self-important
strut and electronic notepad in hand.
Unlike me, though, most people I know like to take the gamble.
They sign up for the carpool option with commuting friends even
though they live on campus, or park for free in the lots in spots
that are supposedly less ticketed than others.
Overall, there seems to be a lot less complaining going on and a
lot more creativity when it comes to parking at UCLA.
After standing between Lot 6 and the Transportation Services
offices for three hours, I found that most people I talked to were
content with their alternatives.
I even tried talking to a pregnant lady waiting for the bus to
see if she would give me a great expose story of hardship and the
unresponsiveness of UCLA to her greater needs. I failed and had to
lead with my story about the $62 ticket.
In fact, most people admitted that, even if there were more
spots in the parking lots, there are other factors such as distance
and gas prices to consider. Traffic was also a major aspect to
consider. Maria Ayuningtyas and Tritia Lin vanpool because traffic
is scary, and graduate student Shannon Calderone just likes to have
some company in traffic.
And though part of my brain is yelling at me for being so soft,
I’m more impressed now by those who have gotten around the
system, and especially those using the more environmentally
conscious alternatives such as walking, biking, (truthfully)
carpooling, and riding in the vanpools.
We should attempt to be like these students. I won’t
patronize you with idealistic banter about protecting the
environment for our future ““ I’ll only mention it to
remind you. I know so many who drive from their nearby apartments
to Westwood or class just because they want to get there faster and
““ let’s face it ““ are a little lazy.
But when resources are scarce, as they are at UCLA, we have to
try to utilize the slightly less convenient options.
The number of total parking spots available at UCLA is 22,000
““ a number that hasn’t grown since 1997.
The way by which UCLA transportation decides this has to do with
something called a “trip count” agreement with the
city, which limits the number of vehicles traveling in and out of
UCLA, so as to limit traffic.
“Over the past 10 years, we have been aggressively pushing
for alternatives … to meet the academic needs of the
university,” said Brian D’autremont, the associate
director of transportation services. He also said they are very
willing to explore new ideas and that students should come forward
with any suggestions or comments.
Now, of course there is a reason I got such a disproportionate
amount of people who had no problems with the parking system. A lot
of people were too busy to talk to me after parking. Perhaps those
were the ones I needed to talk to ““ the type circling the
lots for 20 minutes to find a spot.
There are probably thousands who have good stories to tell. I
know a friend last year who needed parking badly since she needed
to arrive early for ROTC. She petitioned it as a hardship, was
denied, and ended up coming to school on a bus ride that took twice
as long as a commute in her own car. But after being groped by an
old homeless man on a late bus ride back home, she opted to play
her luck with parking at UCLA.
We need to find a more effective way to voice our concerns.
For my part, I suggested an idea based on a Daily Bruin article
a few years ago about how bikes in places like Portland and
Amsterdam are available for anyone to just pick up, use, and then
leave for the next person.
Later, I was told that in some cities in Italy, only certain
cars are allowed into a town. You simply park your car on the
outskirts and rent one of these mini cars to get around the town.
That might be a fun way to keep traffic out of Westwood.
D’autremont, though a little diplomatic in his answers,
was at least willing to listen and consider my half-baked
ideas.
So make suggestions, no matter what they are. And until anything
changes, good luck with that parking spot.
Hashem is a third-year English and sociology major. E-mail
her at nhashem@media.ucla.edu.