Parking etiquette
By Laura Fox, Photo Editor, @applecomb
We have all experienced it: parking woes at UVU. Here at the Review, we have beaten this subject to death with all the injustice and frustration of the student body that drives or commutes to class weekly.
But I’m going to take a more peaceful hippie approach and offer some basic parking guidelines both in general and what’s acceptable at UVU, because lets be honest, we have our own etiquette here at school as well.
First, lets take a moment and realize that we are growing, really fast. UVU is doing what it can to accommodate us during our college years. Yes parking is scarce, expensive and annoying at parking prime time, but there is a shuttle that will get you from most points on campus with minimal waiting. There are dozens of public busses that go all over, and even a fancy new train called FrontRunner. There are lots of resources that can ease some of the frustrations; however, if you must park on campus, here are a few helpful points taken from wikihow.com and a few of my own. These guidelines are obviously common sense, but for some of us, including myself, they can be useful.
1. Do not block other parking space seekers while you wait for a space to open up near building entrances. The drivers in the cars behind you may be finished with their classes, ready to head for work or home. If the person is already pulling out, that’s one thing. But if you’re sitting there while they walk to the car, waiting while they put their bags in the car, etc. you’ll be trying the patience of every other car behind you, especially if they can’t go around you.
2. Center your vehicle in its parking space. Overhanging the stripes will tend to crowd the driver who parks in the adjacent space and frequently leads to door dings in the paint of cars.
3. Pull your vehicle all the way into the space. This makes it easier for other drivers to see past your car when they are backing out of adjacent spaces and also gives the widest possible driving lane between spaces.
4. Never force your car into a space. In crowded, busy parking lots, special compact car spaces are becoming more common. Standard parking spaces are generally 9 feet wide while compact car spaces are only 7 feet wide. Obviously, a large SUV or Pickup will not fit easily in a compact car space, and quite simply, they are not supposed to.
5. Watch for drivers backing out of blind spots. Small cars parked between larger vehicles like vans and SUVs often have to back blindly out of their spaces, so be alert and give them a break. If you are walking past a car in this situation, pause for a moment and guide the driver out of the tight spot if you are able.
6. Resist temptation to blow the horn (or give the finger) to other drivers. You may feel like they were discourteous, but showing grace, rather than anger, shows more class and prevents reciprocal aggression. Also, nobody wants the stink-eye to ruin even part of an already full and stressful day.
Occasionally, students fresh out of class are followed out to their cars by drivers looking to secure a good spot. This has become the norm and is mostly acceptable. It may be a little on the stalker side, so make it friendlier by rolling the window down and politely asking where they are parked, or if they are parked at all and not just heading for the bus or another class. This will save time and energy looking for another space. Also, if you see a car following you and you are not parked or leaving a parking spot, do them the courtesy of telling them.