University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Parking in Ann Arbor is not impossi- ble if you are out looking for a space sometime after 2 A.M. when the bars close and before 8 A.M. when the major- ity of University staffers roll in. Once administrators, faculty and other Uni- versity employees are on the job, park- ing spaces become almost non-existent. Unfortunately, a good portion of the student body also needs parking space. Since nothing is available, the students improvise: parking on sidewalks, down side streets, under No Parking signs and in staff-only parking lots. The University is aware of this park- ing shortage and offers commuter park- ing at Crisler Arena. Located on the out- skirts of campus, the Crisler parking area is hardly a convenience. The spa- cious lots certainly provide freedom -P. Hitch from the congestion of central campus, but commuters must ride to campus via a University-ru n commuter bus. At 9 A.M. and again at 5 P.M., the buses are just as crowded as the on-campus parking lots. I stand here (at Crisler) and watch one, sometimes two buses roll by on their way to campus. The buses are so full, the drivers refuse to stop, said one irate South Lyon commuter. Parking In Ann Arbor 29

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THE RACE FOR SPACE - . Ntlson By Caren Gegenheimer 28 Parking In Ann Arbor

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All I wanted to do was go to the li- brary and finish my incomplete ' recalls nursing student Jenny Hurcomb. It was a typical day. I left my North- wood apartment and headed for central campus where I had a 9 o ' clock class. I wanted to find a parking space near Med Sci II. I realized this was close to impos- sible, but surprisingly I found an empty spot in front of Couzens. I put some change into the meter and was struck by the injustice of a two-hour meter and a three-hour class. Although I had intended to put an- other quarter in the meter after class, I forgot in my haste to get to the library. Later, in the library, I suddenly remem- bered the now expired meter and I cringed at the thought of another ticket. Strangely, it was also then that I remem- bered the police notice I had received demanding payment for a number of previous tickets I had avoided paying. As a result, I ran to catch a bus back to the Hill, hoping my car hadn ' t been towed. My worst fears were confirmed when the bus stopped across from Couzens and I saw a policeman standing next to my car. I ran over to him yelling I know my meter expired, I ' ll put another quar- ter in right now, okay? ' Parking Another inconvenience of the park-at- Crisler option is that the shuttle service stops at 6 P.M. Getting back to Crisler in the evenings becomes a concern for those who need extra study or lab time. Obviously, the best solution for driv- ers is to get on campus early enough to find an empty, metered, parking space. This seems to be the only way to avoid the problems of parking at Crisler. But even if one is successful in finding a central campus parking spot, there re- mains the problem of feeding the park- ing meter. At a quarter an hour, using that coveted space is not cheap. U-M stu- dents could find themselves nickled and dimed to death keeping their vehicles le- gally parked. The attractive alternative: put the first quarter into the meter and when the time runs out, hope that a Safe- ty Traffic Patrol (STP) officer doesn ' t check the area. The chances of a STP officer ticketing the same area everyday may be remote and the savings are obvi- ous: 25 an hour equals $4.00 a day, $20.00 a week, every week. Even with two tickets a week, it seems cheaper to get the tickets. And it is even cheaper still if the tick- ets are left unpaid. The habit among many Ann Arbor parking violators is to laugh off tickets. Out-of-state-students especially are apt to adopt the attitude that they will never be tracked down. Chances are the students won ' t be caught, depending upon the number of unpaid tickets. STP officers don ' t gener- ally search for cars with unpaid fines unless the driver has a considerable number. Fifteen to twenty tickets is enough to qualify and then the car be- HtlUTtMAHIIt 30 Parking In Ann Arbor