Free Parking Equals Free Reign

Pedro Galvez @pdr.glvz

Free parking is a great concept developed in recent years and has been seen as very welcome by alleviating everyone from that parking fee every semester. Before, Rio Hondo College Students would have to purchase color coded parking permits that would indicate which semester the permit corresponded to. People who weren’t students or who wanted to park for the afternoon would’ve had to have purchased a day pass for a small fee. Local Rio Hondo College Security would patrol the area verifying that cars were permitted to be there. If they weren’t, they would receive a parking ticket. Free market is a concept with the core concept of supply and demand; the supply is valuable when it’s in demand. Eliminating the extra fee for a parking pass called over more students than usual causing problems with finding parking in time when trying to get to class.

“It’s hell.” Says RHC Student Enrique Rivas, “Around eight or nine somebody will take the spot I was going to go for. [It] happened twice on Monday.” With there being no cap of students that are allowed to park, mornings will see lines of students looking left and right in hopes to see an empty parking space.

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- Pacheco said Students in afternoon classes have a different tone when speaking on parking.

“Free passes make parking less stressful, more of a free for when looking for parking,” said Gabrielle Ortiz. It’s noteworthy that most students choose or have their schedules set in the morning because that is what students are accustomed to since Kindergarten, but also jobs and other priorities are inevitable. Early weekdays and early mornings are the busiest times as it seems people just want to get school done and out of the way and unfortunately that demand can’t be met.

Professor Manny Pacheco felt the need to weigh in after hearing the issue. He said, “Everything is too far! You gotta walk everywhere!”

Pacheco said. “The logistics of the parking lot don’t make any sense.” He goes on to elaborate how accessibility is overall difficult, “I just feel for the students.” Even with the privilege of staff parking, staff struggles to find parking as well.

As not all classes are offered in the afternoon there is another challenge that presents itself, as of now parking is free but it does present a daily headache for some students.