Student parking is a growing issue now that the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees approved a cost increase of the daily parking ticket from $2 to $3. Students are now turning to the Cupertino Oaks to help solve their parking issue.

De Anza College students parking at the Oaks causes friction between the college and the businesses and while some say the students help the shops and others say they tie up spaces that could be used for costumers, in both cases it looks bad on us.

Walking along the perimeter of the Oaks, the multiple “Oaks shopping center parking only” signs are clearly visible but some De Anza students tend to overlook them. Consequences for using the lot to attend classes include costly tickets or towing.

After an incident last year where a student’s car was towed from the parking lot while attending classes, the Oaks shopping center took action.

A security guard, seen walking through and around the Oaks, was hired to prevent the parking problem from reoccurring by issuing tickets or calling a tow company to remove the students’ cars off the property. 

Shop owners pay a high premium for customer parking, which students have taken advantage of, and in doing so, hurt the college’s relationship with the businesses.

“It’s just for the businesses here,” said Bryan Bradford, 20, a Jamba Juice employee. “It doesn’t make any sense.” 

Knowing that the Oaks shop owners pay for the parking lot and allocate the space to their costumers, it’s not hard to understand his frustration. 

Think of it this way: if a student parks at the Oaks and takes a spot from a customer, that shop owner has effectively purchased the student’s De Anza parking pass.

Though that does raise the issue of the shopping student. 

 “It’s not really bad for business,” said Abe Camacha, 22, a Togo’s employee. “We get a lot of students. It helps out.” 

Even then, buying a cup of yogurt after class doesn’t stop the prevailing trend of what Daneia Rodriguez, 18, a full-time De Anza student has called “selfish.” She’s right. We do look selfish when we park in the Oaks. 

Bottom line: you can shop at the Oaks by walking across the street, but if you park in the Oaks, even if you buy a cup of coffee, you’ll get towed and make the rest of us look greedy.