Two-wheeled parking problems

Last summer I made a purchase that changed my life forever. Late in the month of August, I bought a 2003 Yamaha Custom V-Star. This slick machine is chromed-out, with a retro flat-black paint and it roars.

I ride primarily for the thrill, yet it is also an economical mode of transportation. On average I get about 45 miles per gallon, which is something few vehicles with four wheels can claim.

On our campus, riding has seen a dramatic increase this past year as a completely unscientific poll of a bunch of my buddies insist, virtually everyone at this school rides a motorcycle. And yet for us two-wheeled motorists, there is almost nowhere to park.

According to Washington state law, WAC 132Y-100-067, "Motorcycles shall only be parked in spaces reserved for motorcycles and are not allowed to park in four-wheeled vehicle spaces, on grassed areas, sidewalks, or immediately adjacent to or within buildings."

Here at Eastern there are three such spaces: one above the PUB, one near the music building, and one in P10 behind the PHASE. These spaces are the size of a traditional parking space and can usually accommodate five or six bikes. So following Washington state law, the maximum number of motorcycles that can be parked on this campus at any time is between 15 and 18. This is just ridiculous.

I know parking in Cheney is a nightmare, and the new rec center will only make things worse, but we need to expand the parking base for motorcycles on campus. As previously mentioned, up to six bikes can fit in a single space designated for a car, converting just three such spaces would double the amount of parking available for motorbikes.

Riding motorcycles has gotten a lot of bad press because of the seeming lack of safety. It is true we motorcyclists do not have an airbag, although an inflating "air-jacket" has been in use for a few years now, but it is this very reason that we are more cautious of other drivers.

Motorcyclists are more cautious and aware of our driving environment and those of others than four-wheeled drivers, because we have to be. We can't chat on our phones, mess with the radio or eat a taco while driving. For us, the ride takes up all our focus, as our lives literally depend on it. Being a motorcycle rider has actually made me a better car driver, as I am more aware of moves other drivers may make and often give myself a healthy following distance to avoid sudden moves or mistakes.

Finally, motorcycle riding is fun. Unless you have a convertible or a huge hole in your roof you just can't imagine the thrill of the wind on your face as you fire up your bike's throttle.

Every time I drive on the freeway my pulse raises and my adrenaline burns, few of my car-driving buddies can claim the same. Having a motorcycle has also admitted me to a bracket of cool I never before dared to enter.

Seriously, I get waves from children at the playground, girls give me looks, and guys give me the "head-nod," it's like being a rock star. And yet, we motorcyclists need a break. We're driving one of the most environmentally-efficient forms of transportation, that take up 1/6 the parking of a normal car. Personally I've been riding this year since February, weather be damned, and to my surprise so have many students at Eastern.

Every day, no matter how damning the weather, there are bikes packed like sardines into the few spots that allow them. This to me speaks volumes on the dedication of the riders. We do it for the love of the open road, the rumble, the bugs in our face and we need a place to park.