The Big Bad Parking Garage: How to Handle it Like a Pro

Here are some tips on battling the garage for new and old students alike…..

By Steph Santora
Managing Editor

Imagine the scenario: You’re driving to Housatonic and you have roughly 15 minutes before your class starts. You think, “I have plenty of time to park, I’m only 5 minutes away!” Then, to your dismay, you find yourself sitting a car line that stretches from here to China. By the time you make it in the garage, maneuver around the plethora of cars blindly backing out of spaces, and run down the narrow stairwell, you’re late for class. The garage has now become your nemesis. What do you do?

Garage congestion can occur at any time, but the most common is in rush hours. This can happen between 5 and 7, when a great number of students take classes due to the fact they work all day long. I have found that the most menacing time to try and come or go is around 6:30; you could wait in that garage for what seems like forever. Between the hours of 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. can also become another stressful time, so watch out. From personal experience, I can attest the fact that I have had some difficulties, but nothing as gruesome as the early evening.

The best advice to give for coming to school at that time is to leave ridiculously early. However, I have found that parking across the street in the Bob’s Discount Furniture/Dunkin Donuts lot can be very convenient if you are pressed for time. I am not going to advocate for this though, simply because I was informed by a f colleague than you can, in fact, be ticketed for this. So, in order to save my hide, I suggest parking there only in extreme situations for all of you risk-takers. Just don’t tell them I sent you….

Here is what I like to call the “unwritten laws” of the parking garage. They are simple, but more often than not drivers fail to obey them and it works like a catalyst for the frustration many of us experience.

First and foremost, what is the deal with people not backing into their parking spaces? It’s all fine and dandy to pull in forward during the dull hours of the day, but why must people resist doing so when they know they will be leaving during the busy hours? If this is you, soon you will realize that you can sit there all night with your white reverse lights gleaming for all to see but that nobody actually wants to let you out. Also, when and if you must back out of a parking space, please look first. I’ve lost count of how many times I have had to either slam on my brakes or lay on my horn because some mindless idiot is backing out of their spot with absolutely no discretion!

Speeding up the ramps and over the speed bumps is just not cool, got it? Why would you drive so fast in such an enclosed area? Do you want to hit someone? Is that your ultimate goal? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Save showing off your pimped-out ride for the streets.

Car horns are made for certain reasons, but they are definitely not intended for you to lay on them when your impatience strikes. Don’t you think the cars would be moving if they could? There is obviously a hold up, so have a little bit of patience. Your car horn is only going to make everyone that much more disgruntled.

I have high hopes that these words of wisdom will benefit all who patronize the HCC parking garage, whether you are a new student, or just a returning student who could use some advice. Let’s try and make the garage a safe and happy place to park our cars, without causing extreme road rage before you even hit the road.