Evil genius

For those of you who don't know, parking on the Wichita State campus has always been a bit of an adventure. It's like one giant version of an elementary school "cake walk," you just circle round and round in hopes that when the music stops you've got a spot. Fortunately, for most of the time I've been at WSU, I've been able to avoid this little game due to the fact that my office was slightly off campus and its lot was really just a point of last resort (before students actually made it to the point that they're ready to check out my lot, they had already decided to screw it and go get a danish). Then August came and I moved my entire staff to some better digs on campus, thus beginning our perpetual "fun night" … minus the homemade cake.

During my nearly daily circling of the lot, I was frequently perplexed by a few prime spots that were blocked off by little orange cones. Never seeing the cones from a distance, it always looked like you were about to hit the parking lot jackpot, only to be forced to make another lap hoping you'd see a student you could stalk on their way to their car.

I had always thought this was some manifestation of a WU-cop power trip—until yesterday.

After finally locating a spot, I was on my way to my office when, out of the corner of my eye, I notice a little red Ford Fiesta rolling toward my coned mecca. Moments later, a small Asian woman hopped out of the passenger seat and scurried over to pick up the cones while her accomplice calmly pulled the fore-mentioned Ford Fiesta into place.

I just stood their in disbelief, not sure if I was upset or just pissed that I didn't think of it first.

After sharing the story with the rest of the office, I found out that someone else had witnessed the exact same thing and come to find out that it's the work of some cleaning crew street gang.

So, the question becomes, do I look the other way, or simply roll over the cones the next time I see them? On the one hand, I would be accepting the presence of the cones and thus condoning the gang's actions, on the other hand there's a good chance I'll be found a few days later laying face down in a pool of 409.

Option three?

Bring my own damn cones. And live to see another day.

Craig