After reading Monday's editorial ("New parking deck restrictions scrap convenience for money," Feb. 9), there is one thing I don't quite understand: If the vast majority of us are perfectly capable of walking or riding a bicycle to class nearly every day, then why do we need our cars (or, in worse cases, our gas-guzzling SUVs) for "quick trips" to the HUB or the White Building?

The editorial mentions that, in order for students to park in the HUB Parking Deck, they have to "purchase a $30 permit that may never be used more than three times all semester." Wow, three times all semester? If you only need to make three "quick trips" to the HUB per semester, not only is $30 a rip-off, but you should probably reconsider driving there in the first place. I know we're all guilty of being lazy once in a while, and I know there are certain people who do need to drive to campus. However, if Penn State didn't impose some sort of restrictions on student parking near the HUB, would there be enough spaces for everyone who wanted to park there? Judging by the lines at the White Building and the number of people in the HUB on a given evening, I would think not.

It seems to me that our community as a whole has become far too dependent on automobiles for short errands on campus and around town. If we all tried to drive less and walk or bike more, we'd probably solve a lot of the parking and traffic problems around this campus. And we'd be saving the parking spaces for people that really deserve the "convenience" of parking on campus -- those who may be physically unable to use other means of transportation. Next time I want a workout, instead of waiting in line at the White Building, I'll ride my bike across town for groceries and kill the proverbial two birds with one stone.