It’s that time again – the fall semester is here. The bookstores have caught the smell of money in the air, classrooms are full of half-asleep, pajama clad students and the parking lots on campus are teeming with constantly circling vehicles waiting for spaces to open.
How can I save myself from the parking nightmare? one might ask.
“Read the regulations in your campus mailbox, check the parking map and try to get here early to allow enough time to find a space before class starts,” says Chris Hicks, assistant manager of the Comptroller’s office. “There have been a few changes to the parking regulations. Make sure you read and understand the parking brochure.”
Also be sure to only park in spaces designated as student or open spaces.
“The most common parking violation is probably students parking in the faculty/staff or other reserved parking,” says Hicks. And the violation that will bring the largest fines is parking in handicapped spaces.
The best way to tell if you are in a properly designated spot is to check either the signs at the entrance to the parking lot or the curb in front of your space for on-street parking.
“The on-street parking has a curb marking with blue or gold,” the Parking and Traffic Regulations brochure says. “Blue is for staff/faculty and gold is for students.”
But there is also the problem of construction equipment taking up precious parking spaces.
“Construction will be a factor this semester,” Hicks says, “but I think there are enough spaces to meet our overall parking needs. If you look in some of our outer lots, the lot behind Bojangles for example, you will find that there are some empty spaces for student parking.”
So it sounds like those of students who are frequently late for classes, have been enrolled in the new ETSU fitness course – parking lot hiking. Prepare to start making the trek from cars in the outer lots to classrooms. Be sure to pack protein bars and a canteen of water.