By: Lindsey Pruitt

It’s late. You’ve been at the library since five. You’re at the breaking point between falling over tired and so anxious to get it over with you’d fill out a Scantron right then and there. It’s cold and you’re dreading waking up in four hours to study more before you take the test you’ve been cramming for like crazy. Right as you advance upon your car outside the library, in what you considered a pretty snazzy spot, you see it.

Who knew a little white envelope addressed to nobody could start a riot this late in the night? You’re mad. In fact, you think you might combust because just as you are cursing the ticketers for giving you an illegal bill, you realize you parked here at 4:45 and these spots weren’t technically available until 5:00, so 15 measly minutes cost you 40 bucks and the rest of your sanity for the evening. Campus parking tickets, the only legal form of theft the university can get away with.

For class, I cuddle my 4-Runner about a mile away from campus on a neighborhood street to avoid this nonsense, but on long study nights I would be stupid to make that walk in the dark alone.

We all have to park on campus sometime and unless you want to pay the high Harmon fee or hourly at the union parking deck, you have little to no other options. Some of you take the bus and park in lot 56 but, lets face it, the buses are never convenient for personal schedules and that’s a lot of time spent waiting. Not to mention the buses don’t all run after hours.

You can buy a sticker and park in the pit, but good luck finding a spot. If you can’t, the lot on the west side of the stadium might have a few spots, and if you’re lucky a light jog might get you to class in a reasonable amount of time. Let’s face it, the university slaps us in the face with this parking trap.

It’s true there have been some improvements in the past few years with the implementation of Razorback Patrol and Safe Ride, but my personal experiences with these two alternate forms of transportation can be summed up in one word: unreliable.

I even completed an ASG student survey that had some real focus on these two bright ideas, so I’m assuming I’m not the only one with complaints. Sometimes they show up, other times they don’t, and, if they do, the driver might or might not be the creepiest person alive or a real jokester. In my experience, I have been dropped off on a street corner away from my destination and also in a random house’s driveway. I’ve even heard of people being purposly passed by in the pouring rain. The term “Safe Ride” seems to be a bit of a contradiction.

I have a friend who has spent about $1,000 on parking tickets just in the past year and there is probably more where that came from. She has experienced everything from tickets to boots to tows, all because she has tried parking near her sorority house at a safe walking distance.

We are students, we are supposed to be assets to this university and treated as such, but, instead, they milk us for all we are worth and then wonder why we complain about tuition increases.

But, here’s the real kicker. Have you ever tried to appeal a ticket?

You will be maliciously greeted by a frowning woman at the front desk of parking and transit who has heard your complaint about a million times and reflexively points to her right and charges you $10 to complain formally on paper. So you spend a good 15 minutes writing up what you feel is a fairly compelling argument.

Unfortunately, that is just the administration’s way of silencing your want to be heard. At least the appeal makes you think you have a chance, but have you ever heard of ANYONE who had an appeal granted?

If so, I’d like to meet them; they’re probably up for a Pulitzer or something.