Free «Florida National University Parking Problem» Essay Paper

Receiving a parking space at the Florida National University equates to a horror story. The organization has numerous facilities, coupled with very competent staff. However, with all its majesty, the University’s worst nightmare is the unavailability of enough parking spaces, which arises from the issuance of free passes. The parking lot is insufficient to cater for the needs of all students and visitors. The University should consider charging the full cost of parking as a means of solving the challenge since this will save time, money, reduce frustration and ease traffic congestion.

Finding a parking space every morning is a real problem for most students, including me. Parking spots are usually filled up by 8:30 am. Unfortunately, it takes almost one hour for a person to find a parking space on a lucky day. The implication is that students must be at least one and a half hour ahead each day to have adequate time to wait until they get a spot. Consequently, many of them end up being late. In the process, they miss almost half of a class, and catching up with the rest becomes hard. An article on the WCTV website has revealed that the parking lot at FNU is a “hot commodity” with more than 30,000 students jostling for parking spaces (Montanaro, 2015). The implication is that many end up lacking the latter, and this can be frustrating.

Moreover, the article titled “How to Fail at Parking at FSU” published in the University magazine reinforces the parking challenge at FNU. Taylor (2015) shares his experience to illustrate the struggle which most of students undergo each day. From the article, it emerges that it is almost impossible to find a convenient parking spot, and students park in places where they should not, and this results in tickets which can go to a minimum of $210 per semester (Taylor, 2015). The author asserts that each morning they usually get a sign that reads “Garage Full,” and claims that what he finds is contrary to the FSU Tranz application, which always shows that there is an extra space. Taylor (2015) maintains that the “battle for parking” is anarchy or tradition at FNU. Hence, although it may be free, individuals are frustrated since they pay more in terms of lost time and fines imposed on them for inappropriate parking.

One can argue that the solution lies in building more parking lots. However, it is evident that no matter how much space is available, students will always demand more (Taylor, 2015). Indeed, more people will start bringing their vehicles, and the vicious cycle will continue. Therefore, it is necessary for students to utilize the existing space adequately and for the University to consider charging the full cost of parking. Doing so will press more individuals to opt for alternatives, including bicycles, car and van pools, and walking (Montanaro, 2015). Such a move will significantly ease congestion in parking lots and will help save time and money.

Overall, the parking problem results in lost resources, including time and finances. Individuals spend much time to get a parking space, and this poses a challenge to the issue of time management. On top of that, the University patrol is always on the prowl to write tickets for those that park in undesignated areas, and students spend massive amounts of money on tickets. Thus, it is crucial to come up with ways of making the available parking lot convenient for everyone. Free passes are the greatest contributor to overloads in parking lots. Charging full parking fees can be a great starting point towards ending the parking nightmare that continues to engulf the University.