As students at The University of Alabama, many of us share similar experiences on campus, whether it’s a good time in Bryant Denny or a scenic walk across the Quad to class. Unfortunately, a situation many of us are familiar with is being out at night with no way to get home (safely, that is).
We’ve all been there. You’re out late, doing whatever it is that you may spend your free nights doing. Eventually, everyone is tired, your feet hurt, Moe’s runs out of queso, and it is time for you to go home. Alas, you have forgotten to plan a way to get home.
For those of you from a larger city, you may briefly consider calling Uber before realizing that is not an option here in Tuscaloosa (sigh). Unfortunately, Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox expressed concerns with the company, citing inconsistencies with the city’s taxi regulations.
A second option is 348-RIDE, implemented by the University to provide students with transportation on campus during nighttime hours. However, 348-RIDE can fall short in reliability. I, for one, have struggled with getting through to an operator and have given up hope that a van would show up after 45 minutes of waiting.
My point is this: I would love to see the University, or the city of Tuscaloosa, or both, implement a reliable ride service to better serve our campus and/or surrounding areas. Although this issue seems to move to the front of students’ minds when temperatures drop, the importance of safe transportation never changes throughout the year. Walking home alone is a gamble for anyone. Even walking to your destination at night with a group of friends can turn into a dangerous situation.
With an increase in awareness of sexual assault evident on our campus, I truly hope that an initiative to better nighttime student transportation will follow. To me, there is almost always a direct cause and effect relationship between the campus crimes I read about in the campus alert emails and the transportation that the victim was using. More often than not, the victim was walking somewhere, usually alone, at night. I have to wonder why this isn’t a wake-up call that our campus needs an improved ride service that can also transport students to their off-campus housing locations should the need arise.
The argument can be made that no one should ever put himself or herself in that situation in the first place. But college students making less than great decisions isn’t exactly a novel idea. With all other transportation options exhausted, eventually a person just decides to take matters into his or her own hands (or feet, in this case) and walk to their destination alone.
A dependable ride service goes hand-in-hand with student safety. So, to the University, to SGA, to the city of Tuscaloosa, help us students. Allow Uber to operate in the city. Improve 348-RIDE. Introduce a new car service. Help us avoid becoming victims of crime. Help make campus the safest environment it can possibly be.
Anna Wood is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Her column runs biweekly.
