Crimson campaign vehicle offers free rides

A few less students will have trouble getting to their classes on time today. For the next two days, the Crimson ticket will be using their campaign vehicle to drive students to and from their homes and educational facilities. Crimson presidential candidate Casey Cox, a junior, said he believes the initiative will help his ticket get in touch with the campus and help to illustrate some of their main platform issues.\n"Most students do not get excited for an IUSA campaign, so we took the campaign to the students in a fun way," he said.\nThe red 1991 Mercury Capri, Cox's own vehicle, drove students around campus Tuesday. In addition to roaming all over campus, decked with large posters, streamers and yard signs, the political paddy wagon will be handing out free 40 oz. root beers and Crimson T-shirts.\nThe initiative comes at a time when tickets are vying harder for the attention of the student body. Those watching MTV at night will still be able to catch glimpses of Unity's campaign commercials.\n"It's hard to get around campus," Crimson Congressional Secretary Candidate Alan Grant said. "The bad weather makes more people want to get rides, and huge numbers are trying to get on the crowded buses. This is a great way to campaign and help students at the same time."\nBy giving students rides, Crimson hopes to better reveal IU to busing and parking issues. In addition to addressing the crowding of buses during the daytime, they said they believe the lack of night busing is a problem that needs attention.\nCurrently, IU Transportation Services is running two buses from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. But Grant said this is not enough.\n"The 'drunk bus' is very underused," Grant said. "Many people we have talked to say they may have rode once or twice, but it is very hard to find. It should be more accessible to students."\nCrimson calls for an increase in the number of night buses and for a campaign to raise awareness of its routes and schedule. They argue that safe transportation is the best thing the University can give to a social student.\n"I walked out of Kilroy's one night and it was right there," said junior Zack Ficke, recalling his ride on the late-night bus. "I didn't even know what it was or that we had them. It was crazy. People were loud and drunk -- definitely these were people that should not have been driving. But I haven't seen it on campus since."\nCrimson also hopes to use its campaign vehicle to illustrate campus parking problems. As less parking becomes available to students, more are forced to walk to and from their classes. Parking becomes even more scarce in the cold winter months, when many who may have walked to class in warmer weather begin to search for on-campus parking.\nCox said that regardless of the issues, the Crimson ticket is excited at any chance to help the student body.\n"With new buildings on the rise and parking becoming more limited, we wanted to give students another option and have fun with it," Cox said.