Things that have pissed me off already this morning:
There I was, walking to my car from my dorm room. Picture me weighted down with these: a lunch bag on a strap (constantly slipping down my arm); a suitcase on a strap (on the same arm, slipping down); a tea mug, full of hot sweet tea; three books precariously held in the crook of the same arm holding the tea mug; a rolling bag filled with two books, a computer, five folders, another book by Reinquist, LOTS of highlighters, and various sundry things too boring to list; and then add the winter hat, hood, scarf, gloves, and large coat. I mean, you could hardly even SEE me, and I couldn’t see you, either, because I was wearing my stupid GLASSES, well, anyway…there I was, walking to my car, when lo and behold I attracted a parking lot shark.
I HATE parking lot sharks. I hate being rushed, especially when I’m holding all the items listed above. I get to my car, and try to open it. No dice. I check to see if it’s my car (yes, this tends to be a problem sometimes) and it is. I check to see if the key is the right one, and it is.
I look around, and yes, the shark is still there. I give her a meaningful glare. Then I try the key in the passenger side. It’s frozen solid too. I take off my gloves and try both sides again. Finally one unlocks. I start loading everything in my car. This takes about five minutes. By this time a couple of parking spaces further down have emptied but the shark hasn’t moved. She wants this place. It’s freezing cold, my legs are getting frostbitten through my pants, my arms hurt and she’s being a bitch. So I sit in the car and call my husband to tell him good morning before I drive anywhere (I don’t like to drive and talk) and by the time I’m ready to leave, that bitch is STILL THERE.
She wants it so much, I give it to her.
I get about ten yards away before I notice a piece of paper on my windshield. I stop the car, get out, and retrieve it. It’s a ticket from our dear Parking Services for parking in a CP lot when I have a CG tag. This is total bullshit. A CG tag can park in a C lot, and a C tag can park in a CP lot, therefore a CG tag can park in a CP lot, right? This is a $30 dollar charge when I paid $350 dollars for my CG tag. Oh yes, I have contested this, but it probably won’t do a bit of good. Those people over at Parking Services have the bit firmly between their teeth and will run away with your money just because they feel like it. And they will hold your diploma unless they pay them! Yes!
Here I want to insert a little love note to my optometrist: you are a total shitball. You ordered the wrong contacts and now I have to wear these painful old glasses until the new ones came in, and when I asked what diopter you were ordering you didn’t believe me when I said I wore a 4.50 diopter instead of 4.75 in my left eye, so you went ahead and ordered what you wanted and I spent two days with splitting headaches because my eyes were battling for dominance before I realized what was wrong.
All of this stuff is NOT CHEAP. I don’t have a job because 1Ls can’t hold jobs. How the hell am I supposed to afford a parking ticket AND new contacts AND another eye appointment AND a dorm room AND books AND tuition AND various sundry stuff on student loans without a job?
And I still want to smash the parking lot shark’s headlights in.
p.s. Professors, please pretty please make your syllabi clear, and that means page numbers instead of vague subchapter headings and confusing directions. That is all.
You should be careful not to leave chum trails. Sharks will follow you for miles.
…er…
I would have waited as long as possible. Do some paperwork, take a short nap, get out and clean the windows. I hate people putting unspoken pressure on me too.
Oh, and professors will never change. (They think they’re in charge.)
How dare that shark sit patiently while you loaded your car! The nerve of some people! She deserves a good flogging.
How dare Parking Services actually enforce parking lot rules! That’s just inhumane in its cruelty. I mean, you paid to park in CG and C lots, why can’t they let you just park wherever you damn well want? It’s just one letter, right?
I don’t know what a 1L is, so I can’t be all snarky about it… nuts!
I always call them sharks because I hear the Jaws da-DUM, da-DUM, whenever they follow me around. Kind of the music of impending doom. I always make a point of not following people to parking spaces because not only is it rude, it’s creepy! Especially at night!
Actually I really think I was justified in parking in the CP lot.
CG can park in C, C can park in CP
therefore, CG can park in CP
I’ve never heard anything different until this morning.
I only care about the parking lot shark because she didn’t take the other spaces that were available and was clearly being an asshole about it.
1L is a first year law student, which also explains my mood this morning
WRT the shark, if she wasn’t doing anything other than waiting, it’s a bit much to call her an asshole. Maybe your spot was closer to where she wanted to be, so she figured to wait a bit longer in her warm car so she wouldn’t have to walk further in the cold.
Sucks about the parking thing, it does seem to be confusing.
Sounds to me like a C tag allows you to park in C lots and C* lots (where * is any letter), and C lots are for anyone with a C or C* parking pass. Transitivity does not apply.
I think the goal is to make the parking rules as complex as possible, to confuse you into parking somewhere you are not supposed to, thereby earning the school more money from handing out tickets.
ARGH! My day just kept getting better! It took me two hours to get home tonight, when it usually only takes me one. I counted four accidents. Looks like people forgot over the summer how to drive in snow again, as usual.
I commute to school, of course, and stay there a couple of nights a week in the dorms.
I called the Parking Office, since they didn’t return emails, and asked them whether it was okay for CG passes to park in CP lots, and they said YES. And I asked, what the hell is this ticket for, then?
Appears that CG can only park in CP until 11:00 pm, at which time they will ticket you.
Huh? I didn’t see that posted anywhere. They said I could contest it if I wish, although the chances of winning are pretty slim and I would only be putting off paying. Bastards. Don’t tell me that wasn’t a money-making rule right there. I’m sure a lot of people have made that mistake.
So add to that the fact that one of my professors said there were more supplemental materials which I had to buy and the fact I had to drive two hours (two hours!) home tonight makes for a very, very shitty day. Sometimes it pays to just not get up. Wish I hadn’t, I could have used the extra sleep.
county is telling me about “real” life, people! Aw, isn’t he just soooo adorable when he gets up on his high horse.
But then again I’m part time. And I work full time. And can’t get any loans (other than minimal, that don’t even cover my whole tuiton)and therefore am living on Ramen. Plus live an hour from campus. So sorry if I’m not overly sympathetic to your plight.
I also don’t get the venom towards sharks. You could’ve just shook your head “no” to indicate you weren’t leaving, or would be taking a considerable about of time. She probabably would’ve left.
I guess I just don’t understand the whole “It’s MY space and you can’t have it, EVA!” mentality some people have. If she’s not honking or generally being obnoxious, who cares?
You know what I hate? People who use !'s instead of just spelling the word [ominous music]pissed[/ominous music].
Well, Elysian, looks like you’ll put your lawyerly skills to the test with the Parking Office. If they really never informed you of it, make it a real pain in their ass to get their $30
I wish I could work, but they won’t “let” me during the first year. Has something to do with their accredidation. But it’s nice to know that you are another 1L. I am very lucky that I don’t live on Ramen.
Why do you live an hour away?
You can pronounce p!ssed any way you want. I just didn’t want to put the entire word in my subject heading. Sorry.
I’m not mad anymore, guys, and I know other people have it worse. Just thought you might want to hear about my crappy day. Today is a lot better – the roads are dry and it only took me an hour to get here.
