UP parking Olympics

Franco Marais

As the year draws to a close, there is one thing that has remained constant throughout the return to campus, and that is the shocking state of parking on Hatfield campus. It is a catastrophe that can be classified as its own sporting event.

The first step that takes place is finding a parking spot. Now, finding parking is the easy part, the challenge comes in finding parking that is not more than five hundred meters away from the nearest entrance. The second challenge is not losing your mind when you come across cars that manage to take up two spots Next, SAPS steps up and starts dishing out parking tickets for illegal parking and or expired license discs - may this serve as a reminder to check when yours expires.

Now that a parking spot has been secured,the next problem is very much dependent on where you managed to park your car. If you parked outside allocated parking areas, your journey to any campus entrance becomes slightly more challenging. On this journey, you will be faced with people clad in high visibility jackets rushing you and demanding money for a completely free parking spot. They do this under the guise that they will keep your car safe. However, ask yourself, would you risk stopping someone that might be armed from stealing a car for loose change? Another added factor is the scorching sun that nearly melts the tarmac road. Then, finally, crossing the intersections on your way to campus. Here every approaching car is a question mark. Will they stop? Will they race past? Or is this finally the time your jaywalking will make you pay dearly?