So far this semester, there has been over 12 accidents in both West and Thomas parking garages. Charles Mascenik has been working at the University of Tampa for over 17 years.
As the director of Campus Safety and Security, Mascenik has seen a never-ending flow of vehicle accident reports.
“It’s a recurring thing. The number increases every year as enrollment increases. More students means more cars,”said Mascenik.
With many commuters and residents driving and enrollment at an all time high, parking is a concern to many UT students, and accidents in the parking garages are not an unknown occurrence. Senior Marcello Gerez is no stranger to coming back to a beat up car.
“My car was hit while it was parked in West [Parking Garage]. The core of it was hit, I had no idea what happened or even when it happened. It could have been hit at dawn for all I knew,” said Gerez.
Mascenik blames the problem on students who are in a rush.
“All these last minute people come in, commuters and residents, and they’re all looking for these close parking spaces. The fifth and sixth floors of
West are vacant every day but people would rather ride around than park up there.”
Mascenik goes on to add that students are not allowing themselves enough time to park and get to class, which has been the cause of many accidents.
“My advice is to allow yourself more time. Don’t watch the clock worrying about being late. Don’t think about other things, concentrate on what you should be [doing] while driving a car,” said Mascenik.
Junior, Michelle Sams lives on campus, but she doesn’t think it’s all on the students to keep things safe.
“Responsibility is split equally between other drivers and security,” said Sams. “Other drivers should be respectful, but security should still be making sure everything is alright.”
Many of the students who report accidents to security are the ones who own the car that got hit.
Sams said her friend had her car hit while parked in Thomas Parking Garage.
“There was a huge dent on the side. Security had no idea and said they couldn’t do anything,” said Sams. Whenever there is a report of an accident, security goes over any cameras near the reported location. Mascenik believes that more cameras would not be helpful.
“I don’t think it would serve a purpose unless the camera was right behind the car to get a license plate number,” said Mascenik.
Last year a security vehicle was hit on the bottom level of Thomas by an SUV. A camera recorded everything and security knew the vehicle’s color and model, but without the license plate they never caught the driver.
Mascenik said it would take a high-powered camera that could adjust to light and darkness to be able to get license plate numbers.
He said there are other places on campus that security would prefer to have additional cameras installed for safety reasons. Gerez was frustrated over the damage to his new car.
“Security should have had more cameras, but I know there was nothing else they could have done.”
So far this semester, West Parking Garage sees more of these accidents than Thomas, but both garages see at least one or two unhappy people each week new dents in their cars.
Anyone who’s stepped foot in West or Thomas has most likely seen security monitoring the garages.
“I don’t know if that’s helped deter accidents,” said Mascenik. “The problem is mostly carelessness on the driver himself.”
Mascenik believes that UT and security have done all they can.
“There are speed bumps all over the place to slow people down. People need to not be in so much of a hurry.
“If you do hit a car, call us. If you’re running late, put something on the other car, leave your information, just let them know. Don’t just leave after damaging somebody’s car,” said Mascenik.
Richard Solomon can be reached at richard.solomon@spartans.ut.edu.
the maturity on here is overwhelming lol
You guys are losing the sight of the problem. It is not about what car people drive. Or what some parents and families can afford. I own a Honda and I don’t care. The point is that EVERYONE spends money and time at this school. The school that is supposed to be safe. Right? Well, our school is spending money on a new church and new health center, along with the fact that we got a new fixed pavement by Smiley and new grass in certain areas. Meanwhile, the enrollment increases but the parking stays the same. The new commuter parking is supposedly there for a short amount of time. In the article it says, “All these last minute people come in, commuters and residents, and they’re all looking for these close parking spaces. The fifth and sixth floors of West are vacant every day but people would rather ride around than park up there.” This is not true because there has been multiple times where I went to the commuters parking, it was full, went on every floor for Thomas, it was full, and then went to west, and it was also full. I had to drive around until someone left their parking spot. Last semester the 5th and 6th floors were emptier. They need to re-check the floors because they have been full lately. The people who live in dorms should park permanently in West. That way the commuter parking and Thomas can be for those who are constantly driving. But, even that doesn’t solve everything. We need more parking. That is final. The worst part is, we write articles and comment on them, but nothing is actually being done. The worst part is, we write articles and comment on them, but nothing is actually being done. For a school who always tries to impress the people visiting and who has money, why not try to keep the students who actually GO AND LIVE at the school safe and their belongings safe.
Kevin and Mark are jealous poor kids who like to call people out on any luxury they have which makes them feel smarter and better about themselves trying to convince themselves they’re better than privileged kids because they grew up with “less” and still managed to make it into college.
To Daniel, glad to see your parents are treating you so well with a Mercedes, glad you mentioned it. I can’t wait to see you off mommy and daddy’s payroll once you enter the real world. Rolling up all hard in your 93 ford escort. Whenever the next accident happens at UT I hope you are involved. I imagine it like this: you are walking to your car on your way to the gay bar and get nailed by a semi truck. I hope they never catch the guy. I bet your parents won’t shed a tear knowing they don’t need to waste another dollar on you.
To the D-Bag who had to include that they drive a Mercedes… No one cares how much money your parents spent to buy you a car. Get over yourself. Once you are actually intelligent enough to make money on your own you won’t need to brag about what you have to feel cool.
This is why I always park as conspicuously as possible in West…never by a corner, never up the ramp, certainly never where they have to make the turn. If I have to park up on floor 5, so be it. But yeah, I agree that while security doesn’t do a whole lot other than gleefully writing out their share of tickets, it certainly doesn’t help that people race their cars up in West. Last Spring, a few cars and motorcycles were doing laps up on the 6th floor, causing a lot of noise and ruckus at like 10:30 at night. They were there long enough for security to come, but of course they didn’t. WTF. The idiots in their sports cars who think they can get away with this kinda crap just add to the issues with commuters and students in a rush. Also, good lord, have the kids here can’t park worth crap. I mean, come on, take 20 seconds to back up and pull in straight so you’re not taking up practically two spaces!
My mercedes was bumped into causing nearly 4k worth of damages, but gladly the person that did it was responsible and took care of it. Had I not know who it was chances are the cameras would have not caught it and when I reported it to security to make sure I was covered they didnt even take down the report – What a joke!!!!
EDIT-
$30,000+ a semester.
$60,000+ a year.
Many improvements should be made at UT, not just improvements involving the parking/security situation. First off, it would probably be better if UT spent money on better security cameras for their parking garages instead of on an extraneous chapel that drunk students will urinate and puke all over once finished. Second, it would be nice if the speed bumps in West were not so steep that I would either: A. need to be going less than one mile an hour to drive over them without damaging my car or B. drive a monster truck or C. wrap my entire car in marshmallows and bounce through the garage. Thirdly, for a school that cost $30,000+ a year to go to, you would think they would hire better caliber security officers, instead of ones that race each other in their golf carts through campus as if they were competing in their own version of Global Guts or those that take romantic dates in plant park. To wrap it all up Freshman should not have cars, neither should sorority girls…They are horrible drivers.
Are you referring to the same security playing on the computer or being on FB every single time I leave the parking garage? or the security leisurely smoking a cigarette while not even hiding the fact they are checking out the girls?
These guys are as worthless as they come. I guess that’s why they are UT security and not cops.
They should also enforce the huge number or students who have absolutely zero parking skills, who need two spaces for their car, who blast their music setting off alarms upon alarms, the rest who think the floors are racetracks. Ooops I almost forget, all this is happening while security is glued to their pc screen downstairs.
My car was hit in the west garage. There was a large dent punched in the rear 1/4 panel. I didn’t report is cause security won’t do shit about it. I popped out the dent but it still looks like shit.
JJ, your right about the security in the West Garage. I always see them watching movies on the computer. So is that what our tuition money is going to when they are on the clock? How about getting off your fat ass and patrol the garages once and a while.
by “Anyone who’s stepped foot in West or Thomas has most likely seen security monitoring the garages” do you mean using the computers on the booths to surf the web or get on Facebook???
There are signs saying “speed limit enforced” sure….. I don’t know of any student who has actually received a citation for speeding in the garage.
It wont be until someone get seriously hurt for security to do something about it.