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Issue date: 10/16/08 Section: Opinion

7:55 AM: You turn into the HFCC parking lot. Like most others, you race out to the lot behind the science building in an attempt to grab one of the coveted parking spaces in that area. Just as you turn into the aisle, a minivan is backing out of a spot. You hit your signal. At the same moment, another car turns into the opposite end of the aisle and faces you; apparently attempting to steal the spot for which you have been waiting and rightfully claimed with your turn signal; you to devise a strategy to ensure your parking space. You succeed, chastised by the honking of another driver's horn, coupled with her angry heckling and rigid middle finger.

Class is over. It is now 2:00 pm: a mass exodus has begun. You approach your vehicle, only to find that someone has run into the driver's side, creating gouge the size of a silver dollar, taking with them all of the lovely cherry red paint from the affected area. Then, in an attempt to remove them-self from the disaster as quickly as possible, he or she proceeded to thoughtlessly and hastily leave a San Andreas Fault-sized scrape along the backside of your vehicle. There is no apologetic note, no contact information under your windshield wiper.

Completely infuriated, you climb into your now "damaged goods," and join the exodus insanity. You see people aggressively nosing their way into the line of departing cars (without using their signals), a desperate attempt to escape. You nearly collide with one such person, who proceeds to drive up next to you, swear at you, and make several tactless, inappropriate comments about how they were entitled to the spot ahead of you (again, without the use of a turn signal), just because they stuck the front end of their shiny black Escalade directly into your path. By this time, you have had it with the lack of consideration and overall nastiness of the drivers, spitting back angrily, "You don't have the right of way without the use of your turn signal!" You drive off, angrily shaking your head at the downright thoughtlessness and sense of self-entitlement that is now second-nature the student body.

Nothing's changed. With the start of each semester, nearly every instructor specifically states: "Parking here at HFCC is an issue, so be sure to arrive in plenty of time to get a spot." While considering this well-rehearsed statement, you may think that the word "nightmare" is more aptly describes our current state of parking affairs. The lack of space within the confines of the paved parking area, quite simply, isn't enough for the massive influx of students occurring in the last two years. Enrollment has increased by thousands. As a result, the tennis courts and grassy areas behind the baseball field have, respectively, been turned into parking. Although this may be a plausible temporary solution to the inconvenience we have all experienced parking our vehicles, it fails to resolve-and exacerbates-the largest issue at hand: a lack of manners and driving etiquette that has recently possessed the student body.

There is no question that, over the past four decades, the moral decay taking place within North American society has been an ongoing occurrence with cumulative damages. You may ask yourself: "How does this decay of values and self-scrutiny affect me?" The answer is entirely subjective and varies substantially from one person to another. It is, however, slowly becoming pandemic, subverting the minds of many cross-culturally like a sweeping storm of Americanization through reality television shows, tabloid-borne gossip about insignificant aristocrats and the overestimated talent of idols. These factors, among others, infect the personal values of many. As a result, you begin to notice a distinct sense of self-entitlement within the masses, a lack of consideration for others, and the overall "cutthroat" behavior of many; as if to step on the backs of others in order to meet selfishly motivated desires, without any thought of how it may affect other people in the world, in the country, in the community, and right down to our very parking lot!

This brings up the next issue: the pandemic in question has a trickle down effect that might substantially affect the mentality of our generation. The mentality and attitude exhibited in the parking lots at HFCC is but only one small example. However, seeing as how the parking issues are the focus of this article, listed below are a few solutions that individuals within the student body can implement in their every day lives (only if you wish to do so, of course) that may help ease the overall collective frustration:

Be courteous. If it is plainly obvious that someone has already been waiting for an opening parking spot before one arrives on the scene, kindly pass. It is not the end of the world if all the "good spots" happen to be taken.

Be careful. If it is plainly obvious that the larger SUV or minivan being driven is going to be a tight squeeze in a spot that is better suited for a compact vehicle, don't risk DESTROYING someone else's property just because the particular spot in question happens to be less than fifty feet from the door of the science building. If, however, an accident does occur, exercise common courtesy by leaving a note of apology and contact information on the windshield of the affected vehicle.

Be thoughtful. If it is plainly obvious that all involved in the rush to leave that occurs shortly after 2 PM are in the same frustrating situation, it is probably not wise to proceed into the next lane, into the path of an oncoming vehicle without the use of a signal. In fact, it is dangerous and idiotic. Try the use of a signal, it helps to increase the chances of getting to where is necessary for the impending voyage. Don't forget to wave in thanks. It is, after all, polite to give acknowledgement where it is plainly due.

Exercise critical thought. If the mass exodus is too unbearable to deal with, hang back on the campus for a half-hour or so. Consider the plethora of clubs and extracurricular activities that have been made available to the entire student body and add to the overall "college experience". For the more studious, there is a library, which provides a perfectly sound atmosphere in which to get a head start on homework and research.

With the aforementioned suggestions in mind, there should not be any reason why people can't be more courteous. You can only hope that these suggestions will take effect on the student population, and perhaps encourage people to think twice before inconsiderate acts occur; not only in the parking lots, but in every day life as well.

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