Letter: Closure of Zia Lot causes South Lot game-day chaos

Editor,

This year, I was basically forced to park in South Lot. I hate parking in this lot. Parking there adds an extra 10 minutes to my commute, plus another couple of minutes for the shuttle ride.

Last year, I parked in G Lot and absolutely loved it. I was planning on buying a permit for that lot again this year but was not allowed. I was extremely upset about this, but I still bought a South Lot permit because I found it was easier than trying to find parking elsewhere.

I didn't see a major difference in finding a parking place or in shuttle crowdedness after Zia Lot was closed. But on Wednesday, there was major chaos caused by the setting up of tents for the football game in part of the parking lot. Every time there is a home game, these same tents are set up, and the parking in South Lot is affected and made worse.

How does one expect to fit two parking lots full of cars into one lot when half of it is shut down for a day? If people need to have these annoying tents for game days, can they at least set them up in the afternoon instead of at 9 a.m.? Or, because Zia Lot has been closed, could the tents be set up there? It is a real hassle to have to deal with the closing of half the lot where one parks because of the setting up of tents.

On Thursday afternoon, there was another problem because of the game. There were officials stopping traffic so that cars could get out of the lot easier in the morning, but in the afternoon - when many more people were coming and going from South Lot - officials and Albuquerque Police Department officers were not helping, and it took 20 minutes to get from the fifth row closest to the exit to the road. On top of that, the shuttle wasn't even allowed to enter the lot. Instead, we were dropped off on the side of the road in front of the lot.

I did not pay $99 to be ousted by over-anxious fans who have nothing better to do than hang out in a parking lot before a football game. I believe that if the University doesn't change some of its policies and procedures regarding South Lot, it will begin to see a drop in permit sales.

Meghan Anderson

UNM student