People are sly, sneaky and completely self-centered when it comes to parking.

I?m not talking about parking here on campus ? things seem to be a little more civil on our campus ? I?m talking about parking at shopping centers (Howe ?bout Arden to be exact). In my job I get to spend a lot of time observing people?s actions in the parking lot. And it thoroughly disgusts me.

In one six-hour shift the other night I observed three parked cars get hit, only to have the perpetrators speed away and park on the other side of the parking lot. No note, no apologies ? but lots of damage and some seriously pissed off shoppers. And then there are door dings. It never fails that someone is going to throw their door open into a car much nicer than their own. Just remember that when you are in a parking lot, civility goes a long way.

?What is it with our city? Where else in the world would the opening of a doughnut shop elicit people camping out on sidewalks? It?s only a doughnut shop, Sacramento. It?s time to grow up. Not only that, but in a recent “Best of Sacramento” section of a local paper, many of the places that were “bests” are chains! The Sacramento scene can?t possibly be that bad! Are Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Roseville?s Galleria (Sacramento?s newest attractions) the best we can do for fun? If so, our town is really starved for some excitement.

?Some campus employees must be in a hurry. Not only did two Sac State “Caltrans” ? SacTrans from now on ? trucks skip stopping at stop signs in front of me (big mistake), an unmarked white van headed towards Mariposa Hall nearly hit my fender after failing to stop in front of the parking structure. To make matters worse, the driver yelled and flipped me off! I guess that computer lab employees aren?t the only campus staff members in need of a class in basic interpersonal relations.

?President Donald Gerth has been in the news lately, in the sports section of The Bee nonetheless. In a story about the death of Steve Jones, a former football star at Luther Burbank High, it was mentioned that he attended the Olympic Trials in July.

Jones, who was in the hospital when Gerth heard about his story, had only been given a short time to live. Gerth saw the story and emailed an invitation for Jones to sit in his luxury suite at the Olympic Trials. It?s nice to read news about our President that isn?t always negative.

?After being stuck in a riot in Berkeley on Saturday night, I have come to the conclusion that too much excitement can be a bad thing. The stories in about the melee really didn?t do justice to the craziness that was going on.

Sac State may be boring, but at least we don?t have to deal with looters and rioters like Berkeley had to Saturday.

Brendan D. Wonnacott is a Government and History major. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by mail at The State Hornet, 6000 J St, Sacramento, CA 95819.