I am in agreement with the sentiment that Ames is not as student-friendly as it could be. Though I have encountered the usefulness of CyRide’s wonderful Midnight Express and the all- night laundry facilities in town, I have also experienced the wrath of certain city ordinances and business practices that have forced students to turn their noses up at the idea of remaining in Ames or even Iowa.

Are some students aware that if you live in a residential neighborhood and legally park your registered, fully operational car on the street, the city can ticket and tow it if it hasn’t been moved for two days?

I learned of this ridiculous ordinance when I decided to use public transportation to go to class instead of parking in the commuter lot. What happens to those students’ vehicles that are left after a flight to Mexico for spring break?

Also, when did it become dangerous for five or six unrelated students to live in a three- bedroom house to share the expenses? Have those “watchdogs” such as Fern Kupfer really taken a look at the expense of living in Ames? Not only does Ames have ridiculous rental rates when compared to the surrounding communities, but the quality of some housing is also questionable. I have lived in many apartments with poorly insulated door jambs, window sills and a 1950s furnace. The energy bills that reflect such shoddiness certainly pick the pockets more covertly, but just as effectively, than the widely publicized tuition increases.

Students have power and can have an impact on Ames. It is evident during the breaks when McDonald’s closes at 8 p.m., and when some officers decide that Christmas break would be a wonderful time to start citing for minor violations.

Before the city of Ames bites the hand that feeds it, I would consider easing some of the student-complicating ordinances that only promote tension between the “townies” and the students. After all, Ames is still a college town.

Albert Farr

Alumnus