It's not uncommon for UCF students to either know someone or have personally experienced having their car towed while visiting an apartment complex. Sure, visitor parking is farther away and the parking lots get crowded, but is it really that hard to park where you know you won't get towed?
Students try to save themselves from having to walk another hundred feet, and they end up having to hitch a ride to go pick up their car from the impoundment lot and pay $100 or more to get it back.
It's just like speeding. You're running late or have to drive a long distance, so you go 15 or 20 mph over the speed limit only to get pulled over, receive a $150 ticket and get stalled an extra 20 minutes.
The consequences for both actions more than counteract what you were trying to save yourself from in the first place.
This past Thursday students stood in front of the Village at Science Drive protesting because the apartment complex allegedly tows cars for no reason.
If the complex is not providing enough visitor parking or they are actually towing cars that are parked where they should be, then students should be bringing attention to the issue and making the complex do something about it.
If, however, this is just another case of students being lazy and not wanting to follow the rules, then they have no right to complain.
When students sign their leases they are informed about the parking situation in that complex, and if they aren't OK with it they shouldn't sign.
The same goes for students who choose to visit friends, boyfriends or girlfriends in different complexes. If they don't like where they have to park, they can meet their friend elsewhere or make their friend come to their place.
Students should be taking every precaution to avoid having their car towed, even if short-term inconveniences are involved.
Saving a couple hundred dollars and hours of frustration makes it more than worth it.
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