So, let’s be honest, the U of A is a commuter campus. Most of us take the bus, drive, or ride the LRT to get here. Some do walk, but even they are likely to ride transit or something at some point during their time here. So here are 10 things that you should expect to encounter if you commute to campus.
1. If you don’t want to pay for parking, and want to park in Garneau, then just remember that there’s also a bunch of other students who don’t want to pay for parking, who are also going to park in Garneau.
2. If you do pay for parking, some will consider it a big deal.
3. Escalators are either working or under preventative maintenance — mostly the latter.
4. If the escalators are working, the following is more important than whatever you’re studying:
5. The Metro Newspaper.
6. What arrives and leaves at the same time? The bus you’re on and the train you’re trying to catch.
7. People can be a little edgy on the LRT.
8. People also like to initiate a lot of awkward eye contact on public transportation.
9. Sometimes they’ll smile, and sometimes you’ll smile back.
10. Just remember: even in the winter, when it’s usually dark, and everyone’s writing mid-terms and strung out on coffee — a morning smile goes a long way. You’re kinda’ all in this together.