31 August 2009
O_o
Posted by Jessica Ball
I don’t usually use emoticons for post titles, but today warrents one.
Apparently, everyone at UB had an 8 or 9 AM class today, and they ALL DROVE TO SCHOOL. Meaning parking was gone by 9. Not 10, not 11 – 9 AM. And there were traffic jams. (If you’ve ever been to Buffalo, you’ll know that traffic jams of any sort are usually pretty rare. And by my DC-area standards, Buffalo has practically no bad traffic.) UB is also pretty good with parking space, but it seems that we’ve acquired a whole bunch of new students who don’t live on campus and haven’t figured out the bus system yet.
Sheesh. I’d bike in except I’m doing physical therapy for my knees and my therapist has forbidden me to ride that much.
Jessica Ball is a volcanologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, researching volcanic hydrothermal systems and stability, and doing science communication for the California Volcano Observatory. She previously worked at the Geological Society of America's Washington DC Policy Office, learning about the intersection of Earth science and legislative affairs. Her Mendenhall postdoc and PhD focused on how water affects the stability of volcanoes, and involved both field investigations and numerical modeling applications. Her blogging covers a range of topics, from her experiences in academic geosciences to science outreach and communication to her field and lab work in volcanology.
If you need to drive in because you have a temporary disability, are you eligible for a tag?
Probably not – I wouldn't want to take spaces away from people who really need them, either. I can walk and bike fine for a bit, but prolonged (10-mile round trip) riding is too hard on my knees for now.