Circling parking lots is a likelihood as KU Parking and Transit oversells permits for commuting students who park in the yellow zones by 59%. Specifically, 10,141 permits are sold for these zones, which hold only 6,370 spots. As a result, potentially 3,771 students could spend class time in the lots looking for a spot.
KU parking gives students a case of yellow fever.Photo: Chris Raine
This disparity between passes sold and spots available may be the source of rude behavior in parking lots. The combination of students desperate to slide into class before the teacher makes his opening remarks and selfish thinking have caused me some frustration on the pavement. On two occasions, when patiently waiting for a car to back out of a spot, another car pulled up on the other side of the spot and stole a spot that was rightfully mine.
KU isn't the only school dealing with this issue. The parking situation was getting so out of control at Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii, that the school's newspaper printed a list of rules students should follow when cruising the parking lots.
Rudeness in general isn't a new problem, though. Back in 2002, Public Agenda found that 79% of U.S. adults think a lack of politeness is a serious problem in our society. Furthermore, 62% of the respondents were bothered a lot by seeing rude and disrespectful behavior. This problem isn't behind us, if anything, it's getting worse. More recently, in 2006, an ABC News "20/20" survey discovered that 83% of people are bothered a lot by others displaying rude and disrespectful behavior.
What does this mean for KU students? Expect to put your patient hat on when venturing to the parking lots.