With a wind chill of about minus 30 degrees Thursday night, I walked to my car after work. Just barely getting the car to start, I couldn’t stop shaking as the vents blew cold air. Finally, I made it over to North Lot on St. Stephen Street, still shaking, and, shock of shocks, there were no spots.

I live on Hemenway Street, a long walk from the other side of campus in the “deep freeze” we were experiencing. The news stations had warned, don’t be outside for more than 10 minutes if you want to avoid frostbite tonight.

Still, I circled the block a few times, with no luck, and then decided I would be fine parking in the Columbus Lot. No, I was not planning to brave the cold — I was going to do something I had never done before — call the escort service.

Since summer orientation before freshman year, the friendly NUPD officers made sure we all knew about this service. Use the blue light phones all over campus, they said, or call the escort service at any time for any reason — we’ll be happy to pick you up.

Working nights at the student center, I had often thought about calling when I had to walk home by myself sometimes at 4 a.m. But I had always decided against it, figuring there was someone else out there who needed a ride more than me and I would be fine. And I will be honest — I did not call this time because I was scared, I called because I was cold.

But still, I was expecting that they would be there to help me out. Not knowing if there was a separate phone number for the service as I drove toward Columbus Lot, I called public safety.

When the officer answered, I asked for the escort service and he told me I had dialed the correct number. I told him where I was going and my situation, even apologized for calling, and what did he say? “There’s a bus that runs from Ruggles Station on the hour.”

Now, it was 1:15 a.m. On the hour? Was I supposed to wait in my freezing cold car until 2 a.m.? I don’t think so. And of course, this brought back yet another thing we had learned at orientation — do not go near Ruggles alone at night.

I was extremely disgruntled and once again turned around and headed back to North Lot, hoping that, by some miracle, someone would have scraped the ice off of their window and moved their car. No luck. I circled the street again and finally decided to park in a meter spot.

I had no idea when the meters turned on in the morning or how they worked, but I knew I had to risk it. I saw an NUPD car parked down the street from where I parked and I figured, I will ask them just to be sure. I get to the car and, what do you know, it’s empty.

Finally, I just decided to risk it. I left my car in the meter spot and woke up at the crack of dawn to move it. I subsequently moved it twice more on that frigid Friday before I had to go to work because the only spots available were in two-hour parking. Now, if only the escort service would have done its job, all of this could have been avoided.

— Stephanie Vosk is a sophomore journalism major and a member of The News Staff.