Parking at UNC

janieblue
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:35:28 +0000

2007mom:

You’re correct that not every student is from NC, but the OP who posed the question is (based on the location under the screen name). Consequently, in your estimation, her daughter can simply “hitch a ride with a friend to a neighboring city.”

And while I don’t think one is a “bad” person if he/she wants to have a car, (and never made that statement), I DO believe that we ALL need to rethink how we live our lives-- for now and for the future. It’s probably too late for us (products of the 50’s or 60’s), but definitely not too late for younger people.

Aside from the larger issues of gas-guzzling cars, there’s probably a good reason most universities don’t allow freshmen to have cars. Also have to agree with the above posters that parking in Chapel Hill is almost non-existent, and traffic is pretty bad-- both in Chapel Hill and outside the town proper. Honestly, Chapel Hill doesn’t need one more car there. Can you imagine if every student there-- all 17,000 undergraduates-- decided they really needed their “freedom” to simply “get away for a day?” What a disaster.

I can imagine that someone living off-campus might need one for grocery shopping, but I also believe that most students really do fine with a bike, or with putting one foot in front of the other and simply walking.

Lastly, about “hitching rides” – there are plenty of students who do have cars. Remember car-pooling in the 70’s? I do. I also remember alternate days when we were allowed to get gas, and long lines waiting for gas, and the insistence on car-pooling when driving to work, because gas was at a premium. Now people drive around, each person with his/her own car like it’s 1950. Well, it’s not, and I do think we need to adjust our lives accordingly.

I’m not saying one is a “bad” person-- just obviously unaware, and possibly with his/her head in the sand. A freshman having a car at college is a luxury we can all do without.

Again, just my 2 cents. I’ll get off my soap box for now. ;)