Guest commentary

So I hear that parking is kind of tricky around the ol’ University. Apparently, they sell nearly twice as many permits as there are parking spots, meaning that even if you shell out $88 for the privilege of parking on campus, you still can’t find anywhere to park.
What a pain in the neck that must be. Why, someone should do something about it!
I suppose they could build more parking lots. Or perhaps a great big parking garage. Then, all of the problems would be solved for a couple of months, until a few thousand more students get into the habit of driving to school. Maybe we could just pave Alton Baker Park and provide a reserved parking spot for every student, faculty and staff member.
On the other hand, if fewer people brought their cars to campus, we wouldn’t have a problem, either.
I’ll grant that there are a few people who absolutely need to drive to campus. Maybe they’ve got 10 minutes after their last class to get to a job across town. I’ll buy that.
As for the rest of us, there’s no excuse.
One of the best kept secrets in Eugene seems to be that students can ride the bus for free. Seriously. Just show the driver your student ID and off you go.
There are very few places in town that are more than four blocks from a bus line — other than the far-flung hillsides, where few of us can afford to live anyway. Many of these routes stop at the University or nearby, and those that don’t go to Eugene Station, which is only 10 blocks away.
But even if you’ve just gotta drive the car, it’s not absolutely necessary to park on campus. You can park at a Park and Ride, then ride the bus to the University, and it won’t cost you a dime.
From Valley River Center, you can ride the Breeze, which runs every 10 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to get to campus. Better yet, you can park at the fairgrounds and ride the 75X, which runs every 15 minutes and gets to Sacred Heart Hospital (only two blocks from campus) in six minutes.
Sure, buses are uncomfortable, and you occasionally will be confronted by obnoxious and/or smelly people. But learning to cope with unpleasant people is a fact of life — the better you are at it, the better you will get along in society. Plus, a bus ride is a good time to get some reading done.
And if you don’t like the bus, you can always bike.
I know, it’s easy to say bike, bike, bike in September. Most people’s enthusiasm for cycling tends to wane a bit come November. Nonetheless, a set of fenders and a raincoat are still cheaper than a parking permit.
Besides, biking is good for you. Doctors say you’re supposed to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every day. I live a little less than two miles from campus, about a 15-minute ride each way. Bingo. 30-minute workout. Not only am I saving on gas and parking permits, I don’t have to go to a gym, either.
The bottom line is, most of us have a choice. If you think that parking on campus is expensive and inconvenient, then don’t subject yourself to it. Leave the car at home.