Today’s Daily letters page carries a smarmy bit of self-righteousness about why students shouldn’t bring cars to A2, confusing the issues of whether the city or the University should spend a lot of money on new parking spaces around campus and whether there’s any reason to need a car ever. “There is absolutely, positively no reason for a student to come to the University with their car in tow,” writes Neile Rissmiller. Living in Ypsi? Not wanting to get attacked at night? Not valid reasons. Besides, “walking and biking are fun.”
We’ve lived in a place where cars really were unnecessary, and we know that being able to walk everywhere can truly be fun. We miss it a lot.
Rissmiller’s viewpoint is echoed by a piece in the Old Fourth Ward’s newsletter. The writer offers a few reasons why he doesn’t need to drive:
- He can walk to his lawyers’ and accountants’ offices.
- His clients can park in his driveway and walk to the Gandy Dancer for a lunch meeting.
- He can do all his grocery shopping at Zingerman’s and various Kerrytown shops - buying all fresh foods instead of “frozen items for the next two weeks.” (Cheap bulk food that keeps for a long time? Who would want to buy that?)
Well, we guess that settles that.
And we don’t always agree with Ari Paul, but his column about the Borders strike gets it right, as well as finally providing a way to distinguish between the U Party and the Students First Party (we had always gotten them confused.) Students who rely on these alternate means of transportation, a Students First representative he quotes in the piece points out, are often forced to work near campus - and it’s not always for a fair wage.
Also, you may have had problems reaching this site lately. We are thoroughly dissatisfied with Diaryland and we’re in the process of moving to another server.