EDITORIAL
Parking not destined to reach crisis levels
Issue date: 9/2/04 Section: Opinion/Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
The closing of lots I, J and K at night raise safety concerns but not convenience concerns for students.
Student safety is a legitimate worry. No one should feel uncomfortable walking to his or her car at night, especially if the walk is a long one. But besides that, students simply don't understand how good the parking situation is on this campus compared with other schools.
On many campuses, especially at state schools, parking is more expensive and much more distant. Students might walk a half a mile to get back to their cars, or they may have to wait for a shuttle bus to a distant lot. The parking situation here is not a crisis, and at a campus this small, it never will reach intolerable proportions.
When it comes to safety, however, the situation needs to be more than tolerable and students need to feel more than reasonably safe. Complaints that the parking garage and sidewalks do not have enough lighting are worth looking into, and if it is the case, the problem should be fixed.
Although Webster Groves is generally a safe city, it is always a good idea to be cautious. Public Safety provides escort services to students who feel they need it. Students can dial ext. 6900 from campus phones or from any blue emergency light.
There are very few muggings, attempted or successful, on campus. In 2002, The Journal reported two incidents as students walked to their cars, and previously Webster went four years without such problems, from 1996 to 2000. That's not a perfect record, but it's not bad either.
Students should practice common sense when going to their cars at night, walking with a friend, and always keeping an eye on their surroundings.
The parking garage is reasonably spaced from every building on campus. It's no more than a 10-minute walk to the farthest points for classes. If students can make it to campus 10 minutes before class starts, they can make it to class on time. It isn't too much to ask, even for the characteristically late college crowd.
One tip for getting from the parking space to the classroom a whole lot quicker is to skip all the popular lots by the residence halls and high school. If you're running late, you will only make yourself later by searching for that elusive dream spot.
Student safety is a legitimate worry. No one should feel uncomfortable walking to his or her car at night, especially if the walk is a long one. But besides that, students simply don't understand how good the parking situation is on this campus compared with other schools.
On many campuses, especially at state schools, parking is more expensive and much more distant. Students might walk a half a mile to get back to their cars, or they may have to wait for a shuttle bus to a distant lot. The parking situation here is not a crisis, and at a campus this small, it never will reach intolerable proportions.
When it comes to safety, however, the situation needs to be more than tolerable and students need to feel more than reasonably safe. Complaints that the parking garage and sidewalks do not have enough lighting are worth looking into, and if it is the case, the problem should be fixed.
Although Webster Groves is generally a safe city, it is always a good idea to be cautious. Public Safety provides escort services to students who feel they need it. Students can dial ext. 6900 from campus phones or from any blue emergency light.
There are very few muggings, attempted or successful, on campus. In 2002, The Journal reported two incidents as students walked to their cars, and previously Webster went four years without such problems, from 1996 to 2000. That's not a perfect record, but it's not bad either.
Students should practice common sense when going to their cars at night, walking with a friend, and always keeping an eye on their surroundings.
The parking garage is reasonably spaced from every building on campus. It's no more than a 10-minute walk to the farthest points for classes. If students can make it to campus 10 minutes before class starts, they can make it to class on time. It isn't too much to ask, even for the characteristically late college crowd.
One tip for getting from the parking space to the classroom a whole lot quicker is to skip all the popular lots by the residence halls and high school. If you're running late, you will only make yourself later by searching for that elusive dream spot.
