Hi all,
I am going to have a rant and moan now which won\'t help anyone but myself.
Here goes. This is going to be really difficult to explain. I attend a University in the North West which I shan\'t name lest I get into trouble. Anyway - there are 2 entrances to the campus - one at the front and one at the back. When you drive into the front, you look for spaces which usually are non-existent and so, head to the back of the university campus by way of a short road about 10 metres in length. Problem. Drove in this morning and that short road had two barriers at the front campus side with a sign saying
\"NO ACCESS BETWEEN 0700 and 1730 - Please use *back entrance*\"
\"Hmm\" - I said - \"that\'s rather annoying.\" (I thought something a little stronger) So, late for a lecture which I was going to be early for originally I had to drive to the back entrance. The problem here is that the back entrance is 5 miles away by driving out of the main entrance and then taking the main road. So I drive in the back way and there are 2 more barriers on this side saying to use the front entrance but that didn\'t matter as I found a space.
I\'m sure there was a point to this sto.... oh yes. My problem is that a) I now have to drive 5 miles out of my way to go in the back way which isn\'t guaranteed to yield a space and b) Why have they done this? I understand the post is very confusing and long but there are no buildings or fire hydrants or anything on this small road. I can\'t for the life of me work out why they have done it. Finally, yes really, this is the end. Next year they are going to charge us to use the carpark. I have heard a figure of £6 a week. For students? I can\'t wait to see how much they actually get out of us.
Many thanks for your patience and should this post not be deleted for boredom reasons, thanks No Dosh, Mark or Dave for not deleting it :-)
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\"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will\"
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£6 a week? If you can afford to run a car then you can afford that small sum for parking :-)
Is there a park and ride a reasonable distance nearby? Have you checked out the cost of a bus pass in case it is cheaper?
This Uni, is it north or south of MMU?
teabelly
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I\'m always a little baffled when the students who come to us tell us that their bursaries are insufficient, yet manage to run a car and/or smoke cigarettes.
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Very very few students get bursaries. There are no grants any more.
If a student owns a car either they worked very very hard during the vacation to earn the money to buy it, OR Mummy and Daddy bought it.....
I was a student 25 years ago and had it very easy in comparison to today\'s students - I don\'t envy them. Moreover, after they graduate finding a \'proper\' job is much harder than it used to be, now that half the population seems to have a degree!
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HE students (or their parents) have to pay for everything now, but...
the exceptions are....
illegal immigrants/asylum seekers
long-term unemployed who get a bonus to come off the unemployment figures and dumb down the education system.
that\'s it.
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\"manage to run a car\"
Yeah, dreadful isn\'t it. I always wondered how my son and daughter managed to run their old cars when at Uni when they only worked every hour that god sent during their holidays and in the evenings when at Uni. Why should students have a decent standard of living? They should be banned from having a pint and a fag. Then they wouldn\'t leave Uni with a £12k debt. Make them suffer for their degree, after all, it\'s only three or more years. Course, it also helped that I paid all their repair, servicing, MOT costs etc to make sure that they had a reasonably safe car. Stupid of me I know but they are my kids and I remember how much I wanted a car at their age. Still, I suppose you waited \'til you were 22 until you dreamed of having your own car. I should have told them, no food, drink, accommodation, car until you are earning a decent wage. Live in a cardboard box and walk everywhere.
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At least you can park at Uni.
Getting to and from Uni for me is a nightmare.
Despite having expansive car parking facilities, of which there are always spaces, my Uni has banned all students from using the parking facilities. Given that 90% of them live on Campus, car ownership is low, so I can\'t understand this. Even when visiting for an open day before I joined, we were told buy the guy on the gate to \'use local public caparks\'.
I rely on my car to get to Uni. The nearest bus stop is almost 2 miles from my house, so the car really is the only option for me to get to Uni. However, when I get there, there is nowhere to park. I then have to spend 15 minuites driving around the surrounding area looking for a space which a) Is vacant and b) is not \'Residents Parking\'.
I usually end up having to park some distance from the Uni, often in areas where I spend most of the lecture worrying that some scrote has taken a fancy to my car.
I enquired about paying for a parking permit, but they were not interested. It seems as far as they are concerned, students shouldn\'t have cars. I was advised to use the local Multistory.
At £8 a day, I decided this was an option best left alone.
Still, if I came from a \'disadvantaged family\' I\'m sure my LEA would give me a car, like they gave half of my fellow students completely free fee\'s when I have to pay, twice the loan I\'m entitled to, grants, etc etc...
Sorry, slipped into rant mode there.
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Oh, and by the way, in future NO-ONE will be allowed to buy a car, house etc until they have saved up the money. No credit allowed. Amazing how people can afford these expensive cars and houses on the wages they earn.
Sorry mods - I\'ve made this thread deletable - but at least Adski had his rant as well
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I see it hasn't taken long for this thread to turn into a political rant, and also comments about illegal immigrants / asylum seekers, etc.
If things haven't improved by Friday lunchtime, the thread will be locked.
DD. BR Moderator.
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At Sussex Uni in Brighton, students are charged £150 per year, or £1 per day (using Pay and Display), Staff earning under £24k the same, staff over £24k £2 per day or £300, or visitors £2.50 per day.
I would agree with this system if I was able to get a space everytime - but I'm not as there are at least 2 cars for every space!!!
The system would also be fine if the money went towards improving the transport system, but as with everything to do with the university, the money is wasted on unnecessary things.
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The aforementioned institution wouldn't happen to have a speed camera right outside the front entrance would it? I bet it does!
I live in same town, my house is about 10 minutes walk away from there. I've a couple of mates who are mature students there, and this last year the parking has become so bad they've taken to parking on my driveway and walking in. Don't, whatever you, do park in any of the side roads off R*** Lane as some of the residents don't take too kindly to the peasantry parking near their expensive houses and damage is not unheard of. I used to go to the school at the end of the road so I know what its like.
I supply a bit of groundscare equipment to the said institution so I speak to people who work there fairly often, and a friend of my dads works in the security office there. The problem is that they have pitched themselves for the past few years as a great place for commuting students because its handy for the all the major motorways. They have been very sucessful at attracting this type of student and its left the place looking like a BCA site on a sale day! When I called in one morning last September there were cars strewn everywhere - including all over the verges, paths etc and I'm informed it gets worse year on year, but numbers of cars reduce after Christmas due to the high drop out rates.
As for barriers, they have always had barriers there in one form or another for years, its just they either used to leave them open of had them set to automatic. Looks like now they're starting to stop people moving from one side of the campus to another.
If you're coming from the motorway then just passed the water tower there is a slightly offset crossroads with a turning island in the middle of the road. Turn right up there, and left at the end and you're on the road to back entrance without hitting the town traffic.
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Sunderland Uni only charge £40 per year for parking, that's in a spacious secure car park with card controlled barriers etc.
If the oarking is a problem then contact your Student Executive, they should be able to sort something out, this is exactly the kind of thing that we used to deal with at Student Council meetings at Sunderland, if you get the Exec on your side then they can demand an explanation from Uni management and try and get them to sort it out.
Blue
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RIGHT - prepare for a long reply.
Firstly, Quinny you are absolutely right - it does have a wonderfully decorative camera outside the entrance. In response to everyone else, I suppose I was moaning a bit but it's not really the fact that we have to pay for the parking. As someone mentioned earlier, I would pay £10 a week if I could get a space but sadly, this isn't the case. It's not unheard of to drive around for 35 minutes to find a space. I understand that the money has to come from somewhere and parking fees are probably the most feasable it was just the general shock that turned me into moan mode for which I apologise. I didn't realise it was such a common thing. I also agree with someone else's earlier comment that if you can afford to run a car then you can afford parking. Driving is my only choice as there are no buses from my house to the Uni but I'll concede and stop moaning.
I didn't want an argument I was merely commenting :-)
Apologies if this has been a waste of time thread but at least I know it's not just our Uni employing these techniques.
On a final note, Quinny, that road you mentioned wouldnt' begin with an S would it?
Many thanks and sorry again for provoking such heartfelt reactions!
Adam.
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"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will"
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Believe me, stressful parking isn't just limited to Universities!
My employer is probably the largest private employer in the area, with over 3000 people at one site. With more cars than parking spaces, it isn't unknown to spend half an hour looking for a space. People have been arriving at work earlier and earlier to get a space. You now need to be at work before 07:15 to have any chance!
To their credit, work are trying to do something about it. We are now incentivised to car-share, receiving something like 60p a day for sharing. If you have shared, and then need to work late they'll provide a taxi home (which for me is an expensive taxi as I'm a 50 mile drive from work!).
All said though, there have been murmerings of charging for parking - something around £5 a day. I wouldn't pay that though.
Is there no other option for getting to Uni? Sharing a car with someone else on your course. Or getting the 395 bus which goes from O******k town centre toward the motorway?
Cheers.
DB
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Thanks for your post DB but I drive the shared car! I'm going to mention the names of where I live so I hope that's alright. If not, I apologise.
I live in Wigan - so ordinarily it would be a blast down the M58 and you're there. However, I pick someone up from St Helens so I have to go there and then take the Rainford Bypass, I think there is a bus from St Helens but it's a very patchy service as I have been told but am unaware of any from Wigan or even anywhere close.
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"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will"
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Here's a thought for you. Drive past Edge Hill and carry onto until you get to the first cross roads before the lights. If you turn left there's a maze of roads where I'm sure you could find a space. 5 minute yomp back to Uni - job done!
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Ah, now I'm with you. Edge Hill is doing a lot of building at the moment. Like most universities (it isn't one, but who's quibbling?) it has to raise money from conference/corporate hospitality. That's partly why there are restrictions on car parking. Why would they let unlimited numbers of students park when that would mean the business customers would have nowhere to park? It all goes to keeping your fees down mate, because, believe it or not, undergraduate teaching in British higher education is loss-making at the moment (roll on higher fees). This despite a 300% productivity gain in the last decade.
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Thanks Chris - seeing as you put it like that. And yes, we've all been told the story of thousands of documents being printed with "Edgehill University" on and being made to destroy them all. Still, all signs and documents now say "Edgegill University College" on but I'll shut up because that isn't motoring.
Cheers again
Adam
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"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will"
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Indeed, Edgehill is a college of Lancaster University. Lancaster validates and awards their degrees. "True" universities award their own degrees. That's the difference. Parking at Lancaster ain't easy either.
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I think British universities (like most UK public institutions) are run on the cheap. A UK university gets about 25-30% of the funding per student that a German university gets. That's why students (and staff) at many UK universities have to pay for car parking and its also why students seem to get so little 'class contact' (i.e. teaching) time - I gather 10-16 hours per week is the norm now! Often this meagre amount of teaching is handed to staff who are from Eastern Europe, the Middle and Far East - they are cheap, and intelligent local people don't want to work for the peanuts (and poor working conditions) you get in a UK university.
My German colleagues think we are totally bonkers and those that come over here to the UK on business are aghast at the poor education of many 'graduates' employed in the UK automotive sector. Indeed, it is not unusual for a German company to receive a written report from a UK component supplier and then give it to one of their own (German) staff to correct the English spelling and grammar! I kid you not.
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I wish I could get a car parking permit for a University car park....no chance in Oxford, less than 10% of staff I would guess have the chance to pay for a permit that does not promise a space will be available. No undergrads or postgrads allowed to even apply. As staff living 15 miles out of Oxford I am not eligible to even apply as a train station is within 1 mile (just) of my front door and Oxford station is just over 1 mile from my office.
Mind you if I did have a permit, I could join the traffic queues
so that I can be in work by 0715 so that I can get a space. Maybe I will stick to the train...only delayed by 60min this morning due to a level crossing failure and the 4 miles walking a day is good for me!
I think you are lucky to have a uni campus that even allows undergrads to use a carpark....most dont.
cheers
Ian L.
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I never realised I was so lucky but I HAVE to tell you this. Walking back to the car before and seeing as a new bulding is being constructed there is loads of site traffic. This dumpster pulls up needing to go through the barriers. One man come to operate it and I was surprised at what he had to to. He lifted the cover of and messed about inside. Then he couldn't do it so another one had to come and help him. All this went on for 10 minutes as when I was driving out (the long way of course) they were still messing about. I suspect that the people who have to come and open them will get fed up LONG before anyone else does.
I'm not childish but...HAH!!
Thanks for all of your replies
Adam
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"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will"
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