Commuters denied parking by Oaks’ residents

editorial cartoon by Monica Schwarze
editorial cartoon by Monica Schwarze

Parking at the University of La Verne, or lack thereof, continues to be an annoying problem for commuter students and faculty who seek parking on campus everyday.

Because La Verne is a small university, the buildings and individual schools are grouped within a tiny, three block radius of the main campus, defeating the purpose of a huge public parking lot mere minutes away. The residence halls are all located within walking distance to the main parts of school, yet driving from the Oaks is still a custom that many students practice everyday. This custom leaves commuters with limited spaces to park, sometimes practically stranded in their cars for long intervals as they circle the school waiting in vain for someone to pull out and free a space.

The main reason many students choose to drive from the Oaks is pure laziness. Students are too lazy to walk the two-tenths of a mile from the Oaks to the Student Center. Two-tenths of a mile? That is less than one lap around the ULV track! By the time a student who drives from the Oaks finds a parking space, he usually ends up walking about one-tenth of a mile to his destination anyway, so what does driving really accomplish? Nothing, ex­cept wasted gas and parking spaces.

Driving from the Oaks is not only disrespectful to commuters, it is also stupid. Starting a car for the two-tenths of a mile drive puts wear and tear on the engine and causes an increase of traffic and pollution on Bonita Avenue, Third and First Streets.

Students who drive from the Oaks also claim that they save time. It takes an average student about five minutes to walk from the Oaks to the Student Center, and about three minutes to start up a car and drive the same distance. Is that salvaged two minutes so valuable?

Commuter students and most faculty, on the other hand, drive out of necessity and do not have the luxury of being lazy or saving time. Sure, if a person arrives on campus by 8 a.m., he may find a reasonably close parking spot, but unfortunately, this is not always possible. Many students who take classes later in the morning do so because they have other obligations earlier. Assuming that they can arrive at school hours before class just to reserve a parking space is unrealistic. Instead, many commuters find themselves lucky if they can park in the Oaks parking lot. Others have to park on residential streets off campus, many of which have parking restrictions, and find themselves trekking close to a mile to get to class. This can be not only tiresome, but at times makes it virtually impossible to arrive to class on time.

Oaks residents must remember that they are not commuters. One of the privileges of living in the residence halls is being within walking distance of the main campus. ULV residents do not realize how lucky they are to live so close to class. On larger campuses, such as UCLA, USC and UC Berkeley, it can take 15 minutes to half an hour to walk from a residence hall to class. At many of these institutions, the closest parking lot is often times farther away than the Oaks.

Students who make it a habit to drive from the Oaks should do themselves, the environment and commuters a favor. Instead of getting behind the wheel, take a short walk. It can make a world of difference.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

Monica Schwarze, Features Editor
Monica Schwarze

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