I would like to express my absolute dissatisfaction with the way the Lady Vols basketball game parking was handled on the evening, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, at the Neyland Parking Garage (C2). I understand that events like these occur on our campus and that students like me are made aware of any necessary accommodations beforehand.
    
However, my displeasure this evening stems from the horrible planning and coordination, or lack thereof, which must have gone into the parking procedure. Being a full-time student with multiple on-campus jobs, it is not uncommon for me to arrive at campus between 8-9 a.m. and stay throughout the day, leaving around 5 p.m., sometimes later if my responsibilities require me to stay.
    
I find it extremely disrespectful that my educational institution would place more emphasis on collecting parking money for a sporting event than it would planning a feasible, strategically sound plan to accommodate those of us who utilize parking areas for school and educational activities. My main concerns and criticisms are as follows:
   
 1) It is particularly troublesome that, as a student, I am questioned as to why I’m entering a garage (where my valid parking permit allows me to park) during the hours of operation of the university and at times when classes are in session. (I may note that if the university expects students to attend a weeknight class from 5:45-8:35 p.m., then considerations should be made to accommodate these students in an area within practical distance from these classrooms on game days, not on 11th Street, when classes are usually housed in HSS and the Communications and Student Services Building at these times.) At no point do I find it necessary for this questioning to occur, like it did this morning (before 10 a.m.) and last week as well.
    
This extends to what I believe a member of the parking staff (blue shirts, khaki pants) called “questionable hours” of parking matters. It shouldn’t matter if it is 8 a.m. or 4 p.m., students utilizing these garages have paid hefty sums of money to be able to park, and if not allowed to use this space, are being short-changed by this practice.
   
 2) By my count (and excuse me if I miss one), there are three areas designated as entrances/exits and an additional opening that functions as an exit-only. By blocking off one of the entrances/exits and limiting the two main traffic points (one on Phil Fulmer and one on Neyland Drive) to be used as entrances/money taking points, that leaves the exit-only ramp to be used by those choosing to exit the garage during game day parking procedures.
   
 There are two problems that this setup led me to encounter tonight, one personnel-based and the other being a clear mismanagement and oversight during the logistical planning of such events. Usually, and upon numerous occasions dating back to the 2008-2009 school year, I’ve been able to exit the garage via the entrance/exit onto Phil Fulmer, which allows me to travel north through campus, reaching my destination without much hassle. However, the portion of the garage that allows drivers to access this exit was blocked off by a university-owned car tonight. Wanting to inquire into the reason for this new development, I asked, “What’s the reason for blocking off this exit tonight? It hasn’t ever been blocked before.” The response I got was terse and unaccommodating: “That’s just the way we’re doing it. You’ll have to exit this way (and pointed to the right, which led me down four floors of the garage, instead of up the half-floor needed to exit from that position).” Not wanting to hold traffic, I followed the small group of cars being directed to the exit.
    
On the ground floor, there are two areas of traffic flow. I presumed I would be guided toward the exit closest to Calhoun’s, which allows for cars to turn either direction onto Neyland Drive. However, I was directed to the exit-only ramp, which only allows vehicles to exit going west-southwest. This blatant lapse in planning forces exiting vehicles to merge with traffic, a majority of which are still trying to enter campus property to attend the evening’s event or travel west to Alcoa Highway or Kingston Pike. Police presence at the corner of Thompson-Boling Arena is a welcome sight, but the delay in traffic flow makes exiting from the garage in this direction a burden to those who seek to leave campus in the opposite direction.
    
While this certainly isn’t the first negative encounter I’ve experienced with UT Parking Services, it exemplifies some of the obvious shortcomings of this university-run operation. A lack of professionalism from staff has come to be expected by not only me, but by my peers as well. A feeling of distrust has emerged between students and this service, and therefore the university. Some see the Parking Services office as an overbearing force, ticketing unnecessarily, and sometimes wrongly, as well as becoming a burdensome segment of our daily life.
    
Clearly, Parking Services is due for an evaluation and hopefully this will alleviate some issues that the students, faculty and others who visit our campus have come to experience.


— David Carter is a senior in public relations. He can be reached at dcarte16@utk.edu.