“Snow removal, this lot is full.”

“Excuse me? Where do you want me to park?”

“Not here, park on the street.”

Last Friday night I was coming home after an 11 hour workday. I was tired, stressed, but most of all I was looking forward to going to bed.

I drove to the North Lot on St. Stephen Street and it was full, so full in fact, the cars were two deep in the fire lane. I contemplated pulling the same maneuver, but I had learned my lesson from being towed and fined $85 just two weeks prior. So, I drove onto the Columbus Surface Parking Area fully equipped with my annual day parking permit as well as a quarterly overnight permit.

This is when I encountered the friendly [rolling my eyes] Northeastern Public Safety officer in the above mentioned conversation — a helpful man who told me to park on the street or pay to park in the Gainsborough Garage. No big deal right? A parking space is a parking space?

Not at a grand total of $620 ($270/overnight pass plus $350/annual day pass).

Make that $632. I almost forgot to tack on my six hours at the Gainsborough Garage, thank you Northeastern. Who said Northeastern isn’t consistent? Look at this, they managed to successfully rip me off three times in one night. Now that is consistency.

So what does this have to do with semester conversion? The notorious NU Shuffle.

Although President Freeland and various other higher ups at Northeastern have been striving to rid the university of the infamous shuffle, it is still here, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. No one knows what is going on.

Take parking for instance.

The Web site states, “A limited number of quarterly overnight parking decals are available for an additional fee. Preference is given to those student requiring a car for co-op or clinical … The fee is in addition to your current day parking decal for the year or quarter … Overnight parking is restricted to the North Lot and the Columbus Surface Lot. Cars remaining in the lots without overnight parking decals after the designated closing times may be towed at the owner’s expense.”

Why weren’t cars in the fire lanes towed? Why if only a limited amount of permits are there no spots? Is there a lack of communication between the Cashier’s Office, who distributes the permits, and the staff that manages the lot? What’s the point of applying for an overnight sticker every quarter, if no one bothers to check the cars?

But on the other hand, maybe it was just because of snow – well no, because Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were warm and I had no problem finding spots all week, it was only on Friday. But then again we’re only talking the overnight permits, available only on a quarter to quarter basis, no big deal. It’s not like that problem will carry over to semesters.

[Insert sarcasm here].

Word through the grapevine is – with semester conversion, permits will have to be applied for separately, each semester.

Great.

Fuming, I called the Cashier’s Office, the office that handles the parking permit applications, which was a bad move on my part. The woman on the other line must have been awakened from her slumber, because she seemed annoyed that I ruined nap time. So I ask about the permits next year, how much they will cost and how often they will be offered.

“Look on the Web site.”

“I did, there is nothing about semesters on the parking link.”

“I don’t know the answer.”

“Is there anyone there that does know the answer?”

“Hold on … no, nobody knows.”

“Can I speak to your manager?”

“He isn’t here.”

“What’s his name?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“Hold on … uhhh Daniel Fennell, but he’s out of the office.”

So I called Mr. Fennell and when he called me back he directed me to the university’s Business Manager William Mallon in the business office, who would surely know the answers to my questions. Billy Boy was out to lunch, – for three hours when I called , according to his secretary after two phone calls and two voicemail – maybe he’s looking for a parking space.

For anyone who says the NU Shuffle has been put to rest or does not exist, read it and weep. Here it is in black and white, the shuffle in all of its glory. It is not something that will go away anytime soon, and if people don’t know what is going on NOW, what will they do this fall? I am positive that parking is not the only guilty party for the notorious shuffle, but it is damn good at what it does – rip off and piss off the students.

But then again, maybe the slate will be wiped clean and Northeastern can start from scratch.

… maybe not.