Students say they have gone to extremes when trying to find a parking spot, from stalking people to parking illegally.
Junior transfer student Kelsey Van Etten said she resorts to stalking people to their cars when she is looking for a parking space.
"You can follow people," Van Etten said. "People usually get mad when I do it, and I get mad when people do it to me."
Freshman Danielle Patulot said she has looked for a parking spot for 40 minutes, so she sometimes relies on stalking as well.
"Normally I just circle around, but if it seems to be too frustrating, I just look for people who are going to their car," Patulot said.
Freshman Nourhan Heikal said she has parked illegally when she could not find a spot. "I've parked illegally a few times, in the fire spots," Heikal said. "I don't even think police are bothering to give tickets anymore. My friend, one time, wrote a note on her car, 'There's no parking, please don't give me a ticket.'"
Senior Patricia Catbagan said she has seen a significant increase in illegal parking in the past two years.
"People have been parking in fire lanes, behind Cabrini, in the little turn around in the parking garage," Catbagan said. "I know some people bypass it by parking off campus."
Catbagan said she does not have a problem finding a spot to park, though, because she comes early for ROTC. Catbagan added that she sees the parking starting to get scarce around 8:30 a.m.
Heikal also devised a strategy to ensure a parking spot every day.
"It was only really difficult my first week," Heikal said. "Now I know when to come. I know I come for class at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and can always find parking, Tuesdays and Thursdays I have to come at 9 a.m. and Fridays there's always parking."
She added that even when she comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m., she has to park on the fifth floor of the parking deck.
Graduate student Nicole Orecchio said she never has to look for parking for more than five minutes because she always comes early.
"I usually get here by like 8 a.m.," Orecchio said. "I come by 9:30 a.m. to make sure I get a spot, but I know people who do come late drive around and around the parking deck."
Lindsay Rittenhouse can be reached at lindsay.rittenhouse@student.shu.edu.
