A couple weeks ago many students returned to school with a car full of junk in and search of a legal place to park.
Since DU is an urban campus a good parking spot is rare, and the few spots that are legit are coveted ground. Fortunately some of us had the foresight to enter a lottery to obtain a parking permit for Nelson, and were happy to find a N1 parking pass waiting. We were less happy, however when we realized it cost $480.
Granted it is prime parking. Located directly below the dorms, it is covered and convenient. At the same time almost $500 seems a bit excessive for a parking spot that isn’t always guaranteed to be there. Already less then two weeks into school some of us have to find a different place to park because the assigned lot is full with cars and construction materials.
Is this prime parking worth the money?
” I had no idea I would be paying this much for parking, that is more money then I have spent on my books the past two quarters,” sophomore Andy Sharp said.
Sharp, like many other students, went to Parking Services in search of a cheaper place to park, one of the general lots. The best he can hope for is a new less expensive spot next quarter.
If nothing else our cars should be safe after paying so much, right? Wrong. This past week Sharp’s car was broken into and was almost stolen. Fortunately the thieves only did minor damage when they failed to start the car and stole what little was in it.
The wooden gate, if it’s even down, provides little to no protection. A few security cameras throughout the garage do little to discourage thieves. Students should be able to rest easy knowing their cars are safe after paying so much for a spot.
What is the limit? How much is DU willing to stick it to us? $32,000 admission isn’t enough. On top of that we have to pay another $500 to get good parking for the year. The thing is we have no other options. The school can ultimately charge whatever it wants because it has us up against a wall. We have nowhere else to park so we must cough up more cash to get a parking spot.
Well, maybe we should sell our cars and buy go-carts. That will solve all the problems.
