Parking Privileges
By Kathryn E. Boucher
Published on Friday, February 1, 2008
To the Editor:
I am disappointed in the attitudes of those professors quoted in Tuesday's article ("Parking Problems Rile Faculty Members," Jan. 29), who seem to have lost touch with professional life. The Dartmouth interviewed three department chairs who would not last a week in any mid-sized law firm. These are people with an unparalleled occupation: they work relatively few office hours with flexible schedules and sabbaticals, and they are paid well to pursue research in whatever area interests them. However, they still seem to think that they have the short end of the stick.
In addition, I'm embarrassed that professor William Wohlforth identifies with such an atrophied work ethic that "if parking becomes too inconvenient," he believes teachers will be justified in spending significantly less time in their offices doing their jobs. If a lack of convenient parking is an acceptable reason for faculty members to stay home, then I question whether parking is the problem at all.
I agree that parking is a pain, and I'm not a model citizen (I've received two tickets this year already); however, I commute to and walk from "Siberia" every single day and I have to pay tuition -- yet I'm also inconvenienced by antiquated parking resources. So how do I avoid "bad moods?" By leaving early.