Parking wars

   Weaving in and out of lanes. Edging past cars blocking the aisles. Praying you can find a parking spot before your class starts. We’re half way through the semester, enrollment is down 20 percent yet it still takes 20 to 40 minutes to find a parking spot.
   Students, visitors and even professors are not immune to parking problems. It seems like the only people not having trouble are the Associated Student Government President and the people who won a $5 raffle for premium parking spots.
   A raffle to save the summer session is great, but you’re taking money from the people who can barely afford school in the first place. I already spent $30 just to park, and now I should spend an extra $5 for something that isn’t guaranteed? Thanks, but
no thanks.
   Add the fact that rudeness is rampant in every parking lot.
   In case you missed the memo, and it seems most drivers have, here are some short, easy to understand rules for the SAC parking lot. Feel free to tape it to your dashboard.
   First, flipping me off or cursing does not make me want to drive faster or give you
my parking spot. If anything, it makes me want to make your parking experience even more miserable.
   When parking, take up only one spot. The lines are there for you to park between, not on top of. When one person parks on top of the lines it creates a chain reaction and soon everyone, then the entire row is a disaster.
   This is not the Autobahn, so please drive the speed limit. Those signs are not there to make the school look pretty.
   Other signs like Do Not Enter, Right Turn Only and Stop should also be taken literally. They do not say “only if you want to.”
   If you already drove past someone who’s leaving, don’t back up unless there is no one behind you. I’m not going to back up and help you get a spot that is rightfully mine.
   Here’s one for pedestrians: Don’t glare at me like I’m stalking you. I just want your parking spot; not your phone number so we can be best friends forever. Plus, don’t just walk in the middle of the road. Check for cars and stay to the side. Not everyone wants your premium spot. Some of us are trying to go home, and you walking in the middle of the lane while on your cell phone stands in our way. When in doubt remember that when it’s automobile versus pedestrian, automobile always wins.
   Wave me off if you’re not leaving. Otherwise I’m just sitting there waiting for your lights to turn on and getting more angry and frustrated by the second.
   Conversely, drivers, if you see a pedestrian waiting to cross, stop for them. It takes two seconds to be courteous to another human being.
   That’s all anyone wants — for someone else to act like a human being toward them. Remember that when it comes to parking, we’re all in the same boat. Let’s work together so we don’t melt down in anger.