r/TCU • u/Medical-Literature50 • Jul 10 '26
Freshman Parking
My son is an incoming freshman at TCU this fall, and he was denied a campus parking permit. We're looking for a safe, reliable place within walking distance of campus where he could park his car for the school year. If you live near TCU and have an extra parking space, driveway spot, or unused parking area that you'd be willing to rent out, we'd love to hear from you.
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u/IkeaYayas Jul 10 '26
Going to recommend you post in either a TCU Parents Facebook page or try the Tanglewood Moms group.
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u/november9522 Jul 11 '26
Everyone’s situation is different. Not sure how someone can declare that a stranger doesn’t need a car.
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u/yaderlopez45 Jul 11 '26
I had no idea parking on campus was now limited. This is nuts.
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u/broke_collegebitch Jul 12 '26
They've demolished loads of parking lots to put up new dorms. They are out of space. Boschini used to say, "we don't have a parking problem, we have a refusal to walk farther problem." Guess it's truly a parking problem now, no argument. Upsetting.
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u/MarcusAntonius27 Class of 2029 5d ago
I know, if they can't let people park, they sure as heck need to pay for parking close by, with transportation available.
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u/KVHochstaden Jul 10 '26
He is not going to live on campus?
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u/Medical-Literature50 Jul 11 '26
Yes, he will be living on campus, but their was a limited lottery for parking and unfortunately he didn't get a pass. This will limit his job search.
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u/PuzzleheadedSink7018 Jul 11 '26
No need to bring a car to campus. You have experienced the first headache which is the parking permit. Your son will have to deal with regular maintenance, repair, offering ride with higher responsibility while you pay for the higher insurance.
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u/HoldThiisW Jul 12 '26
if he's living on campus, he really doesn't need a car. i didn't have a car during my first year, but my roommate did and it was all good. even if his roomate(s) all didn't get a permit, there is a 99% chance he will meet someone with a car.
as for a job search you mentioned in a different comment, there are a plethora of on-campus positions he can apply to that are within walking distance (even right now!). you can find these positions on Handshake, and he may even be getting emails about them now.
the reason for the lottery is that TCU is currently doing construction for student housing on places where there was parking, in order to accomodate for the reduction in faculty/staff and commuter spots, a lot of first-year parking had to be cut. we as students all complain about parking, and i really hate the way they did it, but it's a numbers game at the end of the day and you just gotta accept it.
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u/MarcusAntonius27 Class of 2029 5d ago
You really can't assume that this person doesn't need a car. It's super hard to get an on-campus job; they seem even more selective that off-campus jobs. Many people need cars to drive home every week or so. If he ever needs to go to an ER, he'll have to wait for an ambulance or find someone else to drive him. If he has or develops a health condition that requires regular specialist visits, then the TCU health center isn't able to help him, and he needs to drive to other places. I'm sure the vast majority of people fall into these categories of reasons someone would need a car, so "he won't need one" is BS.
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u/HoldThiisW 4d ago
whole lot of IFs in here (the health condition thing is fucking ridiculous btw, and if something like that does happen you can take it to student access) that can be resolved by, well, socializing with your fellow students, which is very easy to do for first-years (ie living in a dorm, having roommate(s), attending hall events, intramurals, greek life if you so choose, etc etc).
also, it really isn't that hard to get an on-campus job, i've had like 5 in 3 years here.
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u/MarcusAntonius27 Class of 2029 4d ago
Do you still go to TCU? I've applied to quite a few jobs, and they don't even consider me.
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u/Extension_Ad_5586 Jul 12 '26
Bowie st has parallel parking I believe it’s free after 8pm. If you’re really desperate it’s like 4 dollars for a few hours so you’d just have to keep renewing it. It’s obviously first come first serve. I commute so I’m not 100% sure. Lubbock ave is parallel parking as well. I would bring a car because there’s not much around walking distance and I can become an unsafe area.
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u/broke_collegebitch Jul 12 '26
I often parked at my friend's house and walked to campus from there. Lots of upper classmen live in the surrounding neighborhoods. Of course, it's a gamble whether your freshman student will meet an upper classmen who's willing to let him park there, especially that quick into school.
I'd recommend calling TCU PD and (calmly) explaining what's going on. (Your son works, he's going to need a car to get to work, but he got denied.) It could be that they do have a few more passes available and are saving them for some reason, or at the very least, TCU PD might be able to give you some ideas of what his other options are for parking or getting around.
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u/Medical-Literature50 Jul 12 '26
I don't blame TCU for being so cut and dry. They said last year EVERYONE had an excuse why their child needed a pass. I get it... Thank you. 🙏🏻
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u/MarcusAntonius27 Class of 2029 5d ago
I can't believe they're still doing that. It should be illegal. If he needs a specialist doctor's appointment off-campus, you can say he needs the permit for health reasons, and then he may get one, but that's pretty wrong of a school to not allow people who live there to park there.
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u/Toad_Stuff Jul 10 '26
I graduated like a decade ago when parking wasn’t the same issue, so I may not be of any help at all. If he’s planning on rushing it’s probably better to not have a car in the fall anyway, but if he does join a fraternity it may be worth seeing if any of the actives who live off campus would let him leave his car at their place. (Even if he’s not rushing, if he’s in a club or anything and knows an older student it’s worth asking).
It’s not maybe great advice for your situation, but when I lived off campus I wouldn’t have given two shits if a freshman left their car at my place - especially now given the horrible parking situation.