Car Park Full So Sod Off
As I drove up to the entrance of the University of Leeds, there was the familiar sign:
VISITORS' CAR PARK FULL
This happens on many occasions when I work there. I then go and park at the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey and walk the unprepossessing half-mile of urban streets to the entrance to the university: and then I walk through the visitors' car park and count about fifteen free spaces, and I'm getting grumpier by the moment.
Occasionally my grumbles voice themselves to one of the Men at the Gate and he says sorry, but he was only obeying orders.
I get on well with both the Men at the Gate, even though they lack any spirit of rebellion. The parking problems are not their fault and I've been chatting to them over a period of several years. If you want Car Parking News they tend to be the best source of it, especially if you don't shout at them like many people do.
But yesterday things were different. Things were even worse.
Fortunately, I had set off really early and arrived at the university with an hour to spare. And this was just as well.
The familiar Visitors' Car Park Full sign was there, so I made my weary way to the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey, and it too was full. There was a queue of half a dozen cars in front of me, waiting to get in. But, because it's a big car park, I know that there's always a steady trickle of cars leaving, so I waited twenty minutes and got in, and drove up and up for ages until the air became thin and I could see clouds through the windows, and then I found a parking space.
And then I did the tedious walk along city streets to the university, where I found that the visitors' car park was not full at all, it was empty. Because they had roped it off. They had put up signs. What did these say? Did they say, "We are sorry that we have roped off your car park and that you have had to park a long way away and walk through the snow and may now be late. There is a really good reason for this roping-off that we have done and we will now explain it - - "?
No, the signs didn't say that. They said that if you had the effrontery to park in the roped-off bit then they would wheel-clamp your car and it would cost you loadsamoney to get it back, and serve you jolly well right, you scum. Something along those lines.
Several people I was working with were late, because they couldn't find anywhere to park, because by the time they got to the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey there was such a queue that they had banned all entry to anyone but annual permit holders.
So today, when I went back to the University and didn't even bother to try the Visitors' Car Park and parked in the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey and trudged throught the snow for a bit, I asked the Bearded Man at the Gate what it was all about.
"They're surveying the ground. Won't be done till at least Friday. But if you come tomorrow you can park for free at Woodhouse Moor."
Woodhouse Moor is probably a mile away. And there were no notices to tell me this.
So - - what's this Surveying the Ground thing? I could survey it for them. It's flat. It's marked out as a car park. GUESS WHAT IT'S FOR!
Rumour has it that they're building a swimming pool. But if they're planning to build it on the visitors' car park, then where are the visitors supposed to park?
Well - say the Powers that Be - the visitors, of course, should be using Leeds's fast, clean and totally reliable public transport system.
And so I would be, if only Leeds had one. But I need to work in our office in the morning, before working for the University in the afternoon. I haven't got all day to spare to spend travelling to the University.
What particularly annoys me is the complete lack of any information at all, showing complete contempt for the users of the car park. It costs an extortionate fiver to park there so nobody's going to be using it as a cheap car park to get to anywhere else. Everyone's there because they're working at the University. In my case, working to help to train the next generation of doctors and nurses, and I happen to think that's quite important.
So I think a few polite explanatory notices are the Very Very Least that they could do.
Leeds University Ground-Surveyors and Building-Builders, you are rude, thoughtless bastards, and I hate you.
That may a bit unenlightened, and not very Buddhist, and that's one reason why I'm not a Buddhist.
VISITORS' CAR PARK FULL
This happens on many occasions when I work there. I then go and park at the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey and walk the unprepossessing half-mile of urban streets to the entrance to the university: and then I walk through the visitors' car park and count about fifteen free spaces, and I'm getting grumpier by the moment.
Occasionally my grumbles voice themselves to one of the Men at the Gate and he says sorry, but he was only obeying orders.
I get on well with both the Men at the Gate, even though they lack any spirit of rebellion. The parking problems are not their fault and I've been chatting to them over a period of several years. If you want Car Parking News they tend to be the best source of it, especially if you don't shout at them like many people do.
But yesterday things were different. Things were even worse.
Fortunately, I had set off really early and arrived at the university with an hour to spare. And this was just as well.
The familiar Visitors' Car Park Full sign was there, so I made my weary way to the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey, and it too was full. There was a queue of half a dozen cars in front of me, waiting to get in. But, because it's a big car park, I know that there's always a steady trickle of cars leaving, so I waited twenty minutes and got in, and drove up and up for ages until the air became thin and I could see clouds through the windows, and then I found a parking space.
And then I did the tedious walk along city streets to the university, where I found that the visitors' car park was not full at all, it was empty. Because they had roped it off. They had put up signs. What did these say? Did they say, "We are sorry that we have roped off your car park and that you have had to park a long way away and walk through the snow and may now be late. There is a really good reason for this roping-off that we have done and we will now explain it - - "?
No, the signs didn't say that. They said that if you had the effrontery to park in the roped-off bit then they would wheel-clamp your car and it would cost you loadsamoney to get it back, and serve you jolly well right, you scum. Something along those lines.
Several people I was working with were late, because they couldn't find anywhere to park, because by the time they got to the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey there was such a queue that they had banned all entry to anyone but annual permit holders.
So today, when I went back to the University and didn't even bother to try the Visitors' Car Park and parked in the Hideous Woodhouse Lane Multi-Storey and trudged throught the snow for a bit, I asked the Bearded Man at the Gate what it was all about.
"They're surveying the ground. Won't be done till at least Friday. But if you come tomorrow you can park for free at Woodhouse Moor."
Woodhouse Moor is probably a mile away. And there were no notices to tell me this.
So - - what's this Surveying the Ground thing? I could survey it for them. It's flat. It's marked out as a car park. GUESS WHAT IT'S FOR!
Rumour has it that they're building a swimming pool. But if they're planning to build it on the visitors' car park, then where are the visitors supposed to park?
Well - say the Powers that Be - the visitors, of course, should be using Leeds's fast, clean and totally reliable public transport system.
And so I would be, if only Leeds had one. But I need to work in our office in the morning, before working for the University in the afternoon. I haven't got all day to spare to spend travelling to the University.
What particularly annoys me is the complete lack of any information at all, showing complete contempt for the users of the car park. It costs an extortionate fiver to park there so nobody's going to be using it as a cheap car park to get to anywhere else. Everyone's there because they're working at the University. In my case, working to help to train the next generation of doctors and nurses, and I happen to think that's quite important.
So I think a few polite explanatory notices are the Very Very Least that they could do.
Leeds University Ground-Surveyors and Building-Builders, you are rude, thoughtless bastards, and I hate you.
That may a bit unenlightened, and not very Buddhist, and that's one reason why I'm not a Buddhist.
posted by Daphne at 8:16 pm
3 Comments:
Isn't there anyone you can complain officially to, Daphne - before you lob a hand grenade into the area?
A swimming pool ? Who for....retired gate attendants ?
Americans reading this post would be baffled as Universities and especially hospitals here have car parks the size of East Anglia.
Given that you almost work there, can't you ask for some sort of Consultants Pass. If not try this : get a length of that yellow POLICE CRIME SCENE tape, park wherever the hell you like and wrap the tape around your car.
Smear a generous dollup of strawberry jam (with nice lumpy bits) on the passenger window for added authenticity !!
Sorted.
Here in the states, this would be a good subject for A Letter To The Editor of both the university newspaper and the city newspaper. And a telephone call to the local consumer affairs advocate pretty-boy on the tellie, who would mount a "the public is outraged by this arrogance" boycott of the entire place.
And none of it would do one bit of good.
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