By: Christal Hayes
Students going to party at the Mad Hatter may feel relieved knowing that the parking lot now has a section for overnight parking.
Monday, The Mad Hatter announced that they now control the vacant grass parking lot behind the BP gas station and in front of Mad Hatter.
“Starting today, patrons of Mad Hatter can leave their vehicles overnight without fear of having their vehicle(s) towed, ever,” said the Mad Hatter in an email.
Although the grass lot provides a secure place for overnight cars, the rest of the lot, including all paved areas of University Commons, is still a tow away zone for cars left overnight.
The towing started during the Oct. 26 football game against UConn. Many game goers left their cars parked in the lot during the game, which affected parking for the businesses in the shopping center.
The property owners of University Commons, Southern Management and Development, then began the new towing policy, which had all cars parked in the lot towed if they were not picked up before 8 a.m.
Some students felt the new policy was forcing students to drive after drinking at the bars in the plaza.
“It’s definitely promoting drunk driving,” Mariah Green, a junior majoring in communications sciences and disorders, said. “Honestly, if college kids are drunk, they aren’t thinking rationally. They think ‘Oh, it’s only a five minute drive home,’ instead of paying the $125 the next day.”
Mad Hatter hopes by accruing this new lot it will allow patrons to have a safe place to leave their cars when they have had too much alcohol to drive.
