Thursday, Ball State University Director of Public Safety Gene Burton said most parking lots would not be ticketed for the remainder of the school week. Parking issues have arisen on campus while crews continue working on clearing all sidewalks and parking lots after Tuesday's blizzard.
Although it was wise of the university to put this plan into effect, it was a day too late for students.
Some commuter lots on campus weren't plowed fully Thursday, causing problems for the students who drive in from out of town. This plan would have been better if it had been implemented before classes started up again Thursday.
People are likely to take advantage of the new parking rules. Because no tickets are being handed out for normal spots, parking that is usually reserved for faculty, staff and commuters could be taken by off-campus students who normally walk to class. Likewise, students who have no need to park on campus will drive because they can.
Students need to remember that their convenience shouldn't cause an inconvenience for students who have to drive to class.
To the Department of Public Safety's benefit, Parking Services employees will trade pocket computers for shovels in an attempt to help people on campus get their cars out of the snow. All across campus and just off campus, there are numerous situations where cars were either plowed or drifted in. The Motorist Assist Program has been working hard to dig people out, and they now have some help from Parking Services employees in their efforts.
Now the university needs to do its best to get back into a normal school day. Getting parking spots open is a concern, and now that everyone can park anywhere, more problems are on the horizon - expect a free-for-all with students, faculty and staff all fighting for the few parking spots that are open.
For those students who normally walk to class, remember the people who have no choice but to drive. Everyone is inconvenienced by this storm, and everyone should be sympathetic to the people who must have a place on campus to park.
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