For every college, there is a parking problem. From Santa Monica College to our very own campus, there are simply not enough parking spaces to accommodate such a large student population.
It is a simple fact and yet we still complain and demand further parking. As if somehow we should pave over the world to allow for more hassle-free spaces.
What we haven’t noticed is that our college has been working overtime to provide these spaces. And what have we, as students done?
We’ve been circling the lot and waiting for that next space to appear.
Over winter and fall semesters Pierce College renovated Parking Lot 1 and added an additional 65 parking spaces for students and 66 for faculty. That doesn’t come cheap either.
The renovations cost more than $1.9 million for Parking Lot 1 and more than $2.1 million for Parking Lot 8.
The end result gave us enough parking for a small town, with well over 3,000 spaces. Sure, they could have shot for more than that, but would we be ready to give up the Freudian Sip?
The college has proven that they heard our calls for more space and have asked for nothing in return.
In the meantime, many students still snub the public bus system, the fine art of carpooling and simply riding a bike if we are close enough.
Yes, Los Angeles is a culture that lives on cars, but shouldn’t we be trying to change our habits to allow a little bit of breathing room in the parking lots?
Wouldn’t it be easier to have your friend shouting at other drivers as you navigate them through the perilous Parking Lot 7?
(Audry Jung & Gil Riego Jr. / Roundup)