Historiann's parking space
Hee-hee. I love it. Finally, I’m benefiting from the nice, shiny new classroom and counseling building they built behind the SpacePod that houses most of the Liberal Arts departments at Baa Ram U. In the process, they did away with a whole parking lot but they also converted a few of the spaces in the adjacent lot to these spaces. So although I’ll never get to teach in shiny new building, at least I get preferred parking closer to my building with these spots reserved for smug hybrid drivers. (And for me, the unsmug hybrid driver who has to teach in unglamorous, un-smart, unrenovated classrooms. Unbelieveable, isn’t it?)
This is for Sisyphus, who won a postdoc (yay!) and has moved to Postdoc City, only to find that the morning commute and parking is even more difficult than it was back in the Golden State. Good luck, Sis! We’re all rooting for you.
Historiann 
Thanks! It was even worse than I had expected because I didn’t factor in the time all those students randomly wandering across the streets regardless of crosswalks would add. It was like driving in Berkeley, only more humid. Meh!
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I used to live in a college town like that, but there was zero traffic otherwise, so I don’t think it’s your Postdoc City. (Not even close.)
I didn’t mind the students stumbling out into traffic so much as I minded the fact that when they were behind the wheel, the same students were major-league a$$holes about anyone else using a crosswalk.
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I’ll trade a good fellowship situation for a worse driving/parking situation anyday. I had one at the Huntington once and while I did have a car there, I tended to walk the 1.1 miles to the garden gates. Which still left you a good fifteen minutes from the Library itself. A good way to get put on a “persons of interest” list by the local authorities, but a lot less expensive than going to L.A. Fitness or whatever.
Congrats to both of you then, for your various upgrades!
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I’m curious, Historiann, how does Baa Ram U define “fuel efficient” in their ticket writing? Is it hybrid only, or a certain mpg threshold? Do campus cops ride around with a list of cars and their mpg?
Ah, the differences between CO and IN …
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Indyanna, both I and my doctoral supervisor had that same experience with walking to the Huntington. California really has a car culture.
Here, the commute’s usually ten minutes for me but there’s only one road to the campus (also the mental hospital, the hospice and a senior’s residence!) and it’s currently backed up with the staff of the med school being on strike. At other times it’s been closed due to accidents. Then we really back up!
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On my campus, you’d get a cheaper parking permit for your hybrid!
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I know that here – the land where it may never rain again – there is, in fact, a long list of vehicles marked as fuel efficient. It gets us, ironically, a discount on parking. No special spaces, though. Go Historiann!
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I’m envious of your discounts. I’ll have to ask about that next year since I bought my pass before I bought the car.
I have to say, Eduardo, that the uni is extremely latitudianarian as to what counts as “fuel efficient.” A huge list of smaller recent vehicles count–including some Volkswagons, which IMHO are shockingly NOT fuel efficient. (Their mileage is worse than my 13 year old beater’s was!)
But Shhhhhhh . . . . don’t tell! I’m going to put Parking Services on my speed dial so that I can rat out the poachers. I’m pretty sure that white pickup with the chrome and the flags yesterday wasn’t on the “LEED” list.
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I’m afraid I may springboard myself off the charts of smugness if I confess that I have never driven myself to work or to school. Of course this is only possible in specific environments, and I’ve always managed to live in one, though it can be challenging. (I bus and cycle, though cycling in my current College Town can be dangerous – a cyclist was killed on my regular route in town last past year, because a city truck didn’t look to his right before making a right hand turn.) I’m used to being free of my car, and I find it painful to be forced back in it for commuting.
But I’ve noticed more “hybrid parking only” signs lately. Of course some hybrids (ie hybrid SUVs) get crap mileage, so it’s a bit of a joke. My little Honda gets better mileage than my in-laws’ hybrid Camry.
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