June 17, 2011

The Answer

Today I got an emailed answer from administration about my living situation.

Hi Ashley- I did some research into what we discussed yesterday, and unfortunately you will not be able to live in your car on campus any longer.  As I suspected, there are safety/security issues involved, and frankly we don't want you getting hurt.
Do I understand their reasoning? Yes. Am I ticked off that they couldn't have given me that a month ago? Yes. The rule is, in fact, not a rule. It's a clause stating that campus PD are basically able to save students from their own dangerous actions, and they consider my actions dangerous (at least for them should anything happen).

So were do I go from here? Good question. Right now I'm sitting at the mall a few minutes from campus waiting to see how many cars are still in the parking lot by midnight. They seem to be setting up some kind of a carnival out there so, at least for the next few days, I have a great place to stay. Realistically, this is much more central too and gets me off campus.

I hope that everyone understands how hard it was for me not to go on a rant about society's criminalization of the homeless/poor...

4 comments:

  1. "[W]e don't want you getting hurt." Means "We don't want you getting hurt on our property." They know full well that you are going to continue to live in your car. If they truly didn't want you to get hurt they would have provided a sage spot for you. Instead they are making you less safe.

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  2. Ugh, that's awful. Hope you find a good spot soon! Do you maybe have friends with a parking spot near their apartment, but no car?

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  3. Randy, you're spot on. by pushing people out of the safe areas in order to "keep them safe" they push people into unsafe areas creating outcast communities, usually in places that don't have the resources to get rid of us. There, that was my delayed rant.

    Reader, my area (super college town) is very pricy and most of my friends live 30 minutes or more away in order to afford rent. There is a mall where car dwellers tend to gather. I can't park long term but overnight should be ok. The only problem is that, should I get questioned, I don't have a leg to stand on. Just means I'll have to be super sneaky:)

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  4. Pushing the point, you pushed yourself out. It would have been better to be hassled once a week.

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