Professor Abandons His Eternal Search for a Parking Space

By Don Troop. Danford W. Middlemiss is done looking for parking at Canada’s Dalhousie University. After waiting in line for more than an hour on Monday to purchase a parking pass — only to learn that all the passes had been sold and that he would have to return the next day — the political-science professor pulled the plug on his career of 31 years, according to an article on the CBC News Web site.
“I went straight upstairs, I said, ‘I’m not kidding this time, I don’t have to put up with this. I’m resigning,’” said Mr. Middlemiss.
Dalhousie, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, reportedly has 2,000 parking spaces for 17,000 students and 3,000 employees. It has traditionally oversold parking passes by 65 percent, meaning that they function more as hunting licenses than as parking permits. This year, however, the university was going to cap its overselling at 20 to 30 percent and add 200 guaranteed spots for motorists willing to pay a premium. Additionally, Dalhousie reportedly has long-term plans for more bike racks, bus passes for staff, and a large parking garage.
It’s all too little, too late for Mr. Middlemiss, who said he always had to leave his home 10 miles away in Lower Sackville by 7 a.m. in order to be assured of finding parking before his 2:30 p.m. class. He said that he’d also tried parking in a Metro Transit lot 20 minutes from his home and taking a bus but that even that lot was often full.
Good luck, Mr. Middlemiss, and may your retirement be productive and full of open parking.
In the meantime, readers who are experts in Canadian defense policy and who are on the job market should direct their CVs to: Dalhousie University Department of Political Science, 6135 University Ave., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2. Applicants must enjoy commuting by bicycle.
So, how’s the parking on your campus?