Parking Services… Trick or Treat!

Abike had gone to visit Phil to commiserate with her. Knowing that this was Halloween weekend she looked around but saw neither a notice nor a barricade at the entrance as she packed her vehicle opposite the Wolfe Street Apartment (lot 79). To ere on the side of caution, she asked her host if parking was safe and they chatted about how it would be unsafe the next day – Halloween. By the time Abike came out her car was gone and so was everything in it; her debit cards, books, apartment keys; without a note anywhere near as to where the vehicle may have been towed. Disenchanted she ran up the stairs to inform her host, spraining her ankle as she missed her steps and banged her leg on the steel stair case; she writhed in pain but it was no time to care about a sprained ankle or a swollen leg. Phil went o see the apartment manager who confirmed that though there was no sign on that side of the lot, there had been newspaper adverts, emails and radio jingles. Unfortunately, Phil who is visually challenged had some problems with her oak mail and had not received a prior warning and therefore not in a position to warn her guest.

After calling around for a friend to help, the party of three went first to the OUPD based on the circumstances but an officer explained that the tow was not directed by them. They called Parking Services and got the machine. They drove miles away to 2075 East State Street passing by a number of tow vans going for the kill on their way. On getting to Autotech the excited staff insisted that only Parking Services can let the car off the hook, they did not fail to remind them that by evening next day the fee will go up. Not being able to reach Parking Services to make an appeal or get the vehicle released without a fee they were compelled to get the vehicle the next day to avoid an increased fee. The total charge was $20 for citation, $90 for tow, $8.10c as tax and $30 for making Autotech work after hours!

That is one story but hundreds may have different stories to tell about how a car that was parked in a ‘no sign’ seemingly safe area came to be cited and towed. But my question is, “When does failure to warn and negligence translate to sheer wickedness meted out on ignorant drivers?” Why have Autotech (and other contracted tow services), an independent business punish students for parking during Halloween weekend? Why allow Autotech charge innocent people for their decision to work after hours after charging no less than double for a service they normally carry out?

Few weeks after I got my car, having been told that meter parking lots had free weekend and holiday parking, I parked and went to the library; I returned to meet a ticket. Though I was advised to appeal, I did not especially after I found out that that the wrap round note on the meter pole indicated Saturdays are not free. $5 in my opinion was a fair fee to pay to learn a life lesson but $128.10c plus a violation record is sheer wickedness especially when you consider the following:

1. Students with permit were not towed but not all students are given permit for various reasons:
a) If your residence is considered close to campus
b) If you do not own a lease or have your name on a power bill (most students share apartment and usually one name is written on bill)
2. Some students cannot afford to pay for parking
3. Not all students can access or receive all mails
4. Lot 79 (for example) has 5 entrances and not all had a ‘no parking sign’
5. Lots were not put to any direct use for Halloween; as at 6pm on Halloween day, Autotech had enough business to put some of their vehicles to rest and most lots had three-quarter of their space vacant.
6. The lengthy mail (about 15 paragraphs) sent out on the 18th of October (a week before Halloween) was not adequately designed for students.
7. Lot entrances that had warnings had it placed high up instead of on a white stand by the entrance as it had been done in the past. While some lot entrances had the white triangular barricade others did not.
8. Though line two (2) to four (4) on the third paragraph of the lengthy email states that “Parking Services will only allow Ohio University faculty/staff and currently enrolled students to park in University lots” it was not until some paragraphs later that the mail spelt out category of student/faculty/staff that is permitted to park.

In my opinion, Parking Services treated ignorant drivers to a trick by not placing signs at all entrances. Even if students must add the obligation of reading emails, listening to radio and reading newspapers; Parking Services need to learn to design short and direct messages. The email sent (with well over the minimum required for web messages) failed to reach this particular audience who are prone to scan academic books/mails even when good grades and by implication funding depends on reading.

A similar mail to this or the one below sent via email, post (we receive a number of junk fliers already), and visibly placed by all entrances to lots will serve a better purpose to conserve OU Parking Services’ violation tickets, save OU money on adverts and radio jingles and prevent Autotech (and others) from feeding fat on the community.

“From 3pm 26th October to 7am 28th of October 2007, vehicles without valid OU Parking Services permit will be cited and towed at the cost of $128.10c.

If in doubt about parking during Halloween weekend please refer to http://www.facilities.ohiou.edu/parking/index.php or call 740.593.1917


I implore OU Parking Services to confirm its negligence to carry out a duty to warn and do what is right in relation not only to the previous event but to forthcoming events.

Food Matters

Getting to America and being given a ride by Americans whom I met for the very first time helped me drop my stereotypic baggage at the airport; it did not come with me on the interesting ride to Athens. But once I began to interact with the Campus and neighboring society, I realized that I was not considered a native speaker despite coming from a country with English (Queen's English) as the formal/national language. I realized that individualism as opposed to communal living reigned and that I must learn to live and let live with issues that were as diverse as the north pole was from the south pole.

Having traveled to a number of places I did not get labeled with adjustment disorder but the TB testing meted out on internationals had its effect on me psychologically especially when the arm scar (which everyone from Nigeria who took the TB immunizations in the 70's have) was not good enough yet Americans need not be tested. But I survived it by ending the weekly drugging.

The quarter system was another thing I had to adapt to. Being used to a semester system where the first week is spent registering, second week spent on introductions and settling-in and somewhere around the seventh week you get to have a break. Here it was a roller coaster system from day one till the end. My survival strategy was to take it one stride at a time, scan instead of read all texts and ensure I don't subscribe to PR/Incomplete as each quarters' trouble was enough for it.

So far I have survived. This made me very proud as I held a pair of scissors as a representative of my dear country to cut the ribbon at the opening of the new Baker Student Center. For me the new Baker Student Center being opened under Professor McDavis and the idea of having all nations represented at the ribbon-cutting, symbolized diversity and freedom to live not merely co-exist in America; freedom to be me. But little did I know that though Baker represents a place to be me, it has a limited space for me as an international student to explore my freedom.

Food is a major part of any culture or society. It is one major thing international students have a hard time adapting to yet to survive they must adapt ASAP. But knowing that there are few days when all will be on deck to help you reminiscence about home with the right music, attire and food goes a long way to alleviate the nostalgia. But what happens when the rule hinders the celebration of your culture?

To have any international function at Baker Center, a group must be willing conform to the policy which means allowing Baker Catering Services to do the cooking or consent to doing all the catering at any of the student halls which gives automatic exemption on bringing in food. Otherwise, sorry no international food! Let's look at the factors in these options.

Catering by Baker Catering Services:
In most instances, no one on the staff knows the food let alone the recipe so you have a situation where you write down the ingredients and recipes and then for Jollof Rice you end up being faced with a soup like dish; for plantain you end up having chips and for vegetables you'll be lucky to have mixed-veg!

Catering at the dinning halls:
This is never stated but, on getting to the halls to make your booking, you'd realize you have to pay the staff; usually where your organization is not sponsored by ISU or ISFS or others you may have to give up the idea especially when you realize the minimum hours to subscribe to is two with two members of staff paid $24 per hour. After making the booking, if you do make the booking, you are compelled to volunteer or find volunteers to cook but they the dinning hall staffs are paid to supervise. Don't forget that even though they may know all the rules about hygiene they know nothing about the safest preparation method for the particular dish you choose. People have had to spend 7-hours in the heat yet at times even drink to abate the heat is rationed.

No International Food:
If you cannot afford to let catering services cook, or cannot afford to pay for the supervision and you insist on Baker, then sorry you may have to settle for anything Baker can provide. But you and I know how much that takes away the shine from the event being international or cultural.

The rule of cooking in any of the dinning halls is great as you have the opportunity to cook in an industrial kitchen but what happens when little things you need like blenders are absent? What happens when you just cannot afford to pay for supervision? I don't know the statistics on poisoning amongst students especially international students that made this rule so important but I'm sure there is a better way out and a committee can be set up to look into it because being supervised by someone who is not an expert on your dish appears condescending.

From the top of my head I can think of something that may work in the interim. Employ volunteers who are penciled down to cook the dishes as contract staff. That way, it would make sense to be supervised and the supervisors can learn or at least document the process such that in future even when fewer internationals are available to do the cooking; the process can be followed to make dishes that are at least similar to what we have back home and to give others an opportunity to share our culture.