On the first day of classes, I woke up bright and early to make it to my eight a.m. (brutal I know). 

Spoiler alert: I didn’t. 

It wasn’t because I was running late, it was because it took me 30 minutes to even find a place to park. Cherry on top? I still got a ticket. 

You’d think that at this point I’d be persuaded to take the bus, but are you really going to convince me that making a 15-minute drive into an hour-long journey is the answer? Time is money, people. Don’t forget the seven months of winter wonderland we’re usually blessed with. 

With MacEwan’s growing population, there just isn’t enough parking; whether you’re in the residential area or the lots. MacEwan’s lots have neverending waitlists for parking passes. And those who have a surface lot pass, can’t even be guaranteed a spot. Should I bring up the fact that we pay nearly $10K for tuition yet a parking pass asks you to cough up another $110 minimum?

There’s been more focus on improving the public transportation system in Edmonton. Let’s be honest though, if the construction everywhere has anything to say about it, it’s going to take a while. 

Besides, it sucks that the city tickets a student-dense area — you know, the people who don’t have money? — regardless of how much money tickets make for the city. Until the city can guarantee that alternative transportation is actually a better option, is it really fair to penalize students for trying to make it to class? 

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Photo by Nour Salhi