Those who bring their car with them to Madison have to brave a concrete jungle of parking meters and yellow paint. They must face the joys and perils of parking in the city.
Some are too strapped for cash to pay the ridiculous prices landlords charge for a parking space, while others fall victim to an architect who did not see fit to provide enough parking space for all tenants. For these individuals, the city sells mercifully cheap residential parking passes, just $21 annually. The kicker? They sell more permits than there are spaces.
The City of Madison Parking Utility ironically - and comically - declares on its website that more permits are sold than there are available on-street parking spaces."" It also suggests that residents seek alternatives to on-street parking. Thanks for the warning.
The permit allows individuals to park their car on the street for 48 hours at a time. The Parking Utility claims the purpose of the Residential Parking Permit Program is to prevent commuter parking on residential streets. Another aim seems to be swelling the Utility's wallet by charging students for exceeding the 48-hour limit.
But once a driver scores that treasured parking space, it's difficult to give it up simply because the Parking Utility believes drivers must go for a spin every other day.
I concede that if the 48-hour limit is a constant issue for an individual, they probably don't need a car in the first place. However, between spending all day in classes, studying at Helen C. White, doing laundry and occasionally washing a dish or two, sometimes there just isn't time to drive anywhere.
Once the clock is about to strike the 48th hour, there is a decision to make: chance being the next victim of the parking utility's ticket-wielding minions, or drive in circles around the block waiting for a space to free up. These parking-space hunts are usually accompanied by exclamations of, ""If that bastard would have just pulled forward a couple feet,"" ""Damn fire hydrant false alarms,"" and bold contemplations of difficult parallel parking feats.
Then there's the chalk mark that the city tags on your car. When it appears on your tire, the parking minions will be back to give you your ticket if you haven't moved. But there are ways of avoiding the fine. If there is some space in front or behind your vehicle, simply move it a foot to conceal the mark and you've bought yourself another 48 hours. However, this tactic is only acceptable if you are in a pinch for time, as the toolish nature of the act renders it unacceptable for frequent use.
Winter is perhaps the most fun time to have a car in Madison. Complying with the 48-hour limit is particularly daunting when you must first unbury your vehicle from a foot of snow. The joys of the ""Snow Emergency"" also make winter a fun time for all.
Some extra breathing room for the parking time limit would make the lives of students at the mercy of on-street parking less stressful. Increasing the limit to 72 hours should do the trick. If you are not using your car frequently enough that even a 72-hour limit causes you strife, you definitely don't need it.
The parking utility has made small steps to resolve the parking shortage. Ten-hour meters have been installed in some areas as a less expensive alternative - 50 cents per hour - to the shorter-term meters. Twenty-two of the meters are conveniently located on Langdon Street between Henry Street and Wisconsin Avenue. The city should consider the welcomed addition of more 10-hour meters in the campus area.
In the meantime, if a car isn't necessary, leave it home for your own sanity. Then the poor saps who need to drive to an internship or job can come home and not have to scour the congested streets for that elusive free gap of curb, an oasis in the desert.
Michelle Turcotte is a senior majoring in journalism. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com._
