If you’re a freshman like me, then you’re probably tired of having to take an Uber to the nearest Trader Joe’s or Target just for a roll of toilet paper.
Yes, I could walk or take the Metrorail, but it would be much easier if I could park my car right outside of my Pearson dorm room. Freshmen should be allowed to park their cars on campus, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.
“It’s so stupid that we can’t park on campus,” said freshman Hannah Salles. “I spend almost $50 a week on Ubers, it’s insane. I’m just trying to buy my groceries.”
The new Publix might be within walking distance, but most freshmen-frequented places are not. The average student spends between $40-100 on Ubers in just one week. When you multiply that by four, you get up to $400 a month just on transportation costs alone.
”I easily spend like $60 on Ubers in one night. It’s ridiculous, especially with how expensive this city and school already is,” said an unnamed freshman.
Parking is already tight as it is, but with UM’s tuition being nearly $32,000 a semester, it should have the funds to build another parking garage in place of some older residential colleges to get freshmen off the Uber-train and put some money back in their pockets.
Miami is a big city, and not an easily walkable one. I should be able to use my car whenever I need it, and not have to pay $20 to ride with a stranger, spend $50 to $100 on groceries and then another $20 on the ride back to my dorm.
As a girl, taking an Uber alone can be scary or uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have to wait for friends to go somewhere or ride back when I’m ready to go home.
According to a New York Times article, cases of sexual assault or sexual misconduct were reported on 400,081 Uber trips between 2017-2022. While the reality is scary, it is something that most college girls think of the moment she steps into her Uber.
Freshmen could resort to using Freebee instead. However, the service only takes you to certain areas around campus and does not beat the luxury of having a car whenever you want it.
“The policy to restrict on-campus parking for first-year students was implemented — with the support of Student Government — in the early 2000s,” the University of Miami said in a statement to The Hurricane. “The goal is to maintain safe, accessible, and well-regulated parking for everyone across campus.”
If UM really wants to make parking safe and accessible for every single student on campus, then freshmen should also be considered.
If I want to go on a late-night Taco Bell run or go shopping outside of the radius that Freebee offers, I shouldn’t have to pay a crazy amount of money. Rather than leaving students stranded, the University needs to provide parking options for students on or around campus.
Freshmen should not be overlooked when it comes to providing students with “safe and accessible” parking. We need to be given the opportunity to travel safely both across campus and the greater Miami area, and that starts with allowing us to have cars and park them on campus.