If you haven’t yet made it to campus, or it’s been a while because of current events, you might’ve forgotten what the parkades are like. Let me paint a picture for you: dark, full of concrete and filled to the brim with a variety of cars.
Sure, you might not have paid attention to the cars because they’re really just giant pieces of metal with wheels. But the types of cars within these parkades are actually very fascinating and warrant some attention. Here are some notable types of cars you’ll find in a UBC parkade.
Luxury cars with an “N”
Probably the most notable of all the cars in the parkades. Teslas, Lamborghinis, G Wagons: there’s nothing like a beautiful car tainted by the green square that signifies your lack of driving experience to mark your journey to find a parking spot. Bonus points if the car is so low to the ground it does not seem physically possible for it to clear any speed bumps.
Big trucks in small car spaces
These are the bane of everyone’s existence. The parkades are already small enough as is without adding a massive pickup shoved into a small car space with a trailer hitch jutting out. Small car owners can attest to how frustrating it is to find a spot only for it to be unusable due to the neighbouring cars pushing over the lines.
Early 2000s minivan
Decidedly not the coolest car in the parkade, no matter how much you protest that it’s the “party bus.” This car either belongs to the youngest child in a family who’s struck a deal with their mum to take the car every other day, or someone got desperate and a 2004 Honda Odyssey was the only car they could find on Craigslist. Either way, you have to respect it.
Cars that look like they haven’t been used since move in day
You know the ones. Generally with an out-of-province license plate and so covered in dirt you can barely tell what colour it is. These cars are usually found on lower and middle levels of the parkades near residences, where their owners clearly haven’t found a reason to leave campus or have learned that the U-Pass is cheaper than Vancouver gas prices.