Yassir Ali, opinions editor

Coming to Augsburg last year, I had been living on campus, so I never really realized the pain of parking until this year, when I became a commuter. I did not fully understand the struggles that commuters had to go through in order to get to class.

I had been told Augsburg’s parking situation was terrible, but experiencing it just took it to a whole other level. Within my first week of school, I had been late to three of my classes, all because I could not find parking. I never expected to be driving around for 30 minutes to an hour in order to find a parking spot, even though I had paid for a parking pass. I still had to pay for metered parking the majority of the time.

Within the first two weeks of class, I had already been towed and ticketed, despite having a parking pass. There is no reason that all of this should have happened in that short a time, which goes to show you how bad it is. I am not the only one who has been towed. I know countless others have been, and it is outrageous to make us pay $300 to the towing company just to get our only mode of transportation back on the road. I also believe that Augsburg can do better. I should never have to feel discouraged about going to class, because I did not show up two hours early and when I want to find a parking spot, I end up driving around the lots for 30 minutes. 

Also, being late not only affects your education but also affects the education of everybody in that class by disrupting the flow, this tends to lead to a less productive class lesson. When I am paying so much money for classes, the last thing I want to worry about is a dang parking spot, especially when I have an assignment due at 11:59. That should be the last thing on my mind. I also know that parking is an issue for professors as much as it is for students. Some of my professors have let me know of their frustrations with parking and how they also have to show up really early to find a parking spot, even if their class does not start for another couple of hours.

I know that Augsburg once tried renting out a parking lot off campus, and it did not end up going so well. However, I feel like it is worth another try. Especially if the parking spot is not that far and can be another viable option for students. 

As much as I do appreciate   Augsburg giving out free MetroCards and making an effort to promote public transit, I believe that they can make a much better effort to get parking spots for commuter students that paid for them. We just want to make it to our dang classes without having to worry about getting towed.