Letter to Editor by Drew Littrell
If there is one thing that unites us as students at UK, other than the high regard we place on our athletic teams, it is the utter disgust we have for the atrocity that is parking on UK’s campus. My hatred for the university’s parking system began freshman year and being relegated to the infamous K-Lot.
K-Lot, for those who have not had the “privilege” of parking there for a semester, is on the complete opposite side of UK’s academic facilities, which garners a 25-minute walk for its patrons when attending class.
My latest quarrel with the UK parking organization isn’t directly related to K-Lot, but the individuals that take it upon themselves to enforce parking regulations with unequivocal gusto when it isn’t their job to do so.
I recently fell victim to one of these people when “using” the Baptist Campus Ministry’s parking lot for a quick trip to Ovid’s. I chose to park in BCM’s parking lot under the advice received from my roommate who regularly attends the organization’s functions.
I do not make it a habit (or encourage) to make illegitimate use of parking lots, but I made an exception in this case because of the brevity of my business. At the same time I had pulled into a spot at the BCM, a woman was walking out to her car in the lot.
I had remembered her face from a previous BCM gathering I attended, so I knew she was a student. Shortly after walking out of Ovid’s, I found out that the same girl had made a call to Bluegrass Towing Service, and they were able to extract my vehicle from the parking lot within the 10 minutes I spent getting food.
What surprised me most, other than the absence of my car, was the fact that this girl was not part of the BCM staff. There was no compensation involved in this ordeal for her. She simply felt the need to go out of her way to do somebody else’s job; when getting paid to care about something is one of the most American of traditions.
It is what separates us from the communists, so this lady’s logic was quite perplexing. To call her a vigilante would be a crime that she would therein take upon herself to report as well.
This BCM “representative,” I believe, was sending a contradictory message to what her Christian organization would promote. So, I ask, where was the compassion in this ordeal? What happened to the Christian principle to “turn the other cheek”? And where would Jesus park if he attended UK?
Drew Littrell
mechanical engineering junior
Parking here is horrible! Maybe UK should do like other highly populated Colleges and not allow Freshmen to have cars on campus.
So your saying that Christians shouldn’t enforce rules? You broke a rule and are now trying to get pity from the public and blame a campus organization. It doesn’t matter who turned you in, rules are rules. I think parking is ridiculous at UK, but I know where and when I’m allowed to park. I don’t think a quick trip to Ovids is a legitimate excuse. There are many other places to eat on campus not to mention fast food options that have their own parking. I am in no association with the BSU, just a general member of the public that is tired of people thinking they are privileged enough to break the rules and get away with it.
As a BSU/BCM alumni (and a former permit-holder in their lot), I felt the need to speak up and defend the organization. There are a few specific points I would like to address.
I do agree that the parking situation on campus is deplorable, and it can be extremely difficult to find a spot during the day.
However, the spots in the BCM parking lot are reserved for those who are active in the BCM, whether they live, work, or attend activities there, and are PAID parking spots, just like most other campus lots. They have implemented the permit-parking rule for a reason. If more people thought as Mr. Littrell did, there would not be any spots available for those who have followed the rules. Unless the BCM permit holders are lucky enough to find a spot on the street, they have nowhere else to park. And why should they have to do that? They paid for their permits, fair and square. The BCM lot is quite small and does not have room to spare.
In response to the following point:
“I do not make it a habit (or encourage) to make illegitimate use of parking lots, but I made an exception in this case because of the brevity of my business.”
How could the BCM have known that his business was brief? Did he go in and ask permission to park there and state his case? Besides, I’m not sure that going to Ovid’s is necessarily “business” unless he was having some sort of meeting there.
And I do believe it’s unfair for Mr. Littrell to say that the BCM should show compassion and turn the other cheek. He took advantage of the fact that the lot is not gated and tried to get away with illegal parking. I’m sure the BCM would love to provide much more parking for students, but they do not have the resources to do so. This is not an issue of having compassion and turning the other cheek. It’s a question of enforcing clearly-posted rules. Mr. Littrell’s car is not the first one to have to be towed away from the lot, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
In closing, I would like to ask Mr. Littrell to look at this from another point of view. If he were a permit holder and saw someone pulling into the lot illegally, knowing that other students need that space, what would he do?
If the drunks who return late a night around the Kirwan/Blanding and the apt complex would just learn to park between the lines there would be more parking for all~!!!!!!!!!!!! For example, two cars that parked near each other for one entire week, took up four spaces and neither were ticketed or towed!!!! What gets me is being an R2 resident and knowind P&T sees fit to intermingle student parking passes with R2 residents. I guess this is just so they can park Sunday night and don’t move again until time to go home Friday. what’s the reasoning behind this??????
You can not complain about getting towed (a fair penalty that was clearly posted in the sign at the parking lot entrance) when you *knowingly* and *willingly* broke a rule.
And specifically calling out the girl from the BCM isn’t really fair either. For one thing, BCMers have to pay for permits to park there, just like most other places on campus. And, in case you didn’t notice, that parking lot is rather tiny. And it is supposed to accommodate the students who live there, the employees who work there during the day, and students who regularly attend and participate in their functions. There generally is not much room to spare.
I agree with what previous commenters have said. That person had no way of knowing how long you were going to be parking there. And it doesn’t matter who turned you in. You broke a rule. If you owned a house, and someone parked in your driveway, wouldn’t you report them?
Take responsibility for your own actions.
As a former resident of the BCM building, I can vouch for the above comments. There used to be no towing in the parking lot, until it was abused by Greeks and many who would park there to go to the library/Ovid’s. That left those of us who paid to park there out of luck, and even those like me who lived there, without anywhere to go.
I know firsthand that people do not like calling to get a car towed out of the BCM parking lot. Most of the time, they come in the building and ask around and try to see who’s it is to avoid it. Honestly, all this kid had to do was go in and inform someone that he was only parking there for 10 minutes, and he would have received a guest pass, and been peachy.
Just because we’re a Christian campus organization, that doesn’t mean we are okay with being walked all over.