12A - Figuring out Bio Behavior
The segment I chose
was college students who live near campus and pay an expensive monthly parking fee.
I interviewed
3 different people who lived in three different apartment complexes near campus
and I received similar information from all three of them. Their need of having
cheaper parking fees or having the fee waived for a few months is always necessary.
When apartment leases are signed, they are signed for a year, therefore
residents have no other option than to pay the parking fee for 12 months. This
need exists for residents all year long, who struggle with paying $100-$250 a
month only on parking fees, when they could spend part of that money on
groceries or gas. This need only occurs for my 3 interviewees in Gainesville when
they’re away from home and need to live somewhere else.
Furthermore, I
found that when they become aware of their need to pay cheaper parking fees,
they do absolutely nothing about it. I myself can relate because not until I
took this course and began to think about what a big issue this is, I simply
complained to my roommates and my mom. We had similarities in the sense that we
would complain to our friends but not to the manager of the apartment complex,
like we should. However, towards the end of the interviews I could tell they
seemed more enthusiastic about making a solution to this problem for the sake
of college students and their bank accounts.
It has become
clear to me that this need does exist in our Gainesville community and should
strongly be addressed. Students feel intimidated to show up at the front desk
of their apartment complexes and ask about why the parking fees are so
expensive or inquire about an alternative or opportunity for waived parking.
After
conducting my interviews, I would describe this segment as more aware of how
apartment complexes who have a very convenient location, take advantage of
students. Students usually stay quiet because they know they won’t move out of
where they live, however I can tell these students are excited about making a
change!
Hi Ciara,
ReplyDeleteI agree that parking fees are entirely too much money. Leasing companies should attempt to provide more parking and for a lesser price, especially in areas like sorority row, where rent is already very expensive and you're lucky to find a parking spot in the first place. It seems that the areas that provide parking for their residents are also just too far from campus for students to even consider living there.
Ciara,
ReplyDeleteThe more that I think about your idea, the more that I can recognize the need for it. Until this semester, I lived on campus. Now that I am off campus but still in Gainesville, parking both at my apartment and on campus are a hassle. Something that I feel makes the need for your idea even more important is that fact that until now, off-campus residents could simply leave their car on campus and ride a bus if they so chose, in order to avoid some of these parking expenses. However, with the change in UF's policy regarding parking for off-campus residents, they cannot park on campus overnight anymore. Your idea truly could help so many of our peers!
Taeler
Ciara,
ReplyDeleteI think almost all students around campus have come to the realization that parking at the university of Florida is terrible. People don't even pay for their apartment complexes parking because of the price and that causes a lot more people to want to use street parking. The main problem with this is when everyone is using street parking, that makes the streets overpopulation to car. I went to get a haircut in downtown the other day and I was unable to find a spot because people park there now instead of in their complexes parking lot. This is causing a huge problem and has led to people taking forever to find parking spots and a lot more people getting parking tickets. I think every student on campus is ready for a change in the parking situation.
Hi Ciara,
ReplyDeleteThis is something that I believe everyone that lives near a college campuses has to deal with throughout the country. I have friends from schools in other states such as Alabama or Virginia that have the same issues on their campus. More people need to realize that we should not be intimidated to approach the front desks at our apartment complexes because more times than not they will be inclined to help you out.