The problems associated with driving at university are well documented. Cars are expensive to run, with insurance, the cost of petrol and repair works should anything go wrong. The centre of York is an absolute nightmare to navigate, with expensive parking and a fiendish one way system, and everywhere is so god-damn close! There’s a bus into town from campus if you’re too lazy to ride shank’s pony.
Yet having a car offers flexibility, ease in terms of errands and can be useful if you want a job in Monks Cross, Clifton Moor or the Designer Outlet, or if you desire, a trip to the North York Moors on a weekend. If you live in Tang Hall and want to nip onto campus for a book, it can be pretty handy if you take advantage of the free 45-minute parking near Market Square, or you park on the hilly road near New Vanbrugh. Looking around at my friends, acquaintances or the wider student population who have a car, I’ve noticed similarities and differences both in type of cars they drive and their usage in York and consider it rather like a David Attenborough observational documentary.
The plethora of student cars I have seen in my two years at York starts with a three door hatchback, the Fiat Cinquecento. Made famous as the old banger that Simon drives in the Inbetweeners, it has tiny wheels, a tiny steering wheel and looks as if a light gust of Yorkshire wind will blow the car onto its side at any given moment. It can be seen bombing (struggling) up the hill towards campus with the driver’s back seat passengers squashed against the windows with absolutely no space to sit, or in the car park of Morrisons where the owner struggles to fit more than three bags of shopping into its minuscule boot.
The Nissan Micra can often be seen serenely driving around Heslington village or down Newland Park Drive, looking like it is going a lot slower than it actually is. This car is close to my heart, as it is what I drive. I get ripped to shreds for having an ‘OAP’s car’, and I will admit that the little Micra is favoured by those over the age of 60. However, it is well known that Japanese cars, especially Nissans, are as sturdy as anything, never break down on you and are a great, and great value, start-up car. No bias here at all…
Or we have the Polo/Fiesta. The most common species of student car, this mid-range 1.4 engine is safe, solid and the sort of car every parent envisages for their child: not too expensive, good reputation, safe and sound. Perfect to be seen at Monks Cross Asda on a Saturday afternoon stocking up on amenities or perhaps at Castle Howard for when the house fancy a day out of the city. Or, more likely, failing hideously round the one-way system in town, driving up Coney Street on a Saturday afternoon by mistake as its ditsy driver did not realise the hundreds of shoppers milling around meant it was pedestrianised.
You occasionally have motorists of the two wheeled variety. Not a hefty Yamaha, Suzuki, or even a Harley Davidson. No, more than likely the terrible 50cc moped or maybe, if you’re lucky, a 125cc. You see, most students would have done the basic CBT motorcycle training and hence be able to drive a low-speed affair. My housemate passed and has a dreadful little ‘ped which I genuinely feel could be overtaken on foot. Yet he works in Monks Cross, and uses it regularly, so I have respect for his daily dice with death.
You also have the anomalies. I’m talking about the rare breed of cars that you really should not see students driving. There is the flash BMW 1 series, driven by a ‘chap’ whose father thought he’d splash out on a nice set of wheels for his youngest son.
Finally, there is also odd occasion where the car is a hand-me-down, and looks out of place, as the driver of the baby blue Mercedes C-class (with beige interior) that used to belong to his mother, is driven round campus like a rally car, its proprietor loving the fact he owns a Merc despite it doing about four miles to the gallon and breaking down on the A64. Classy.