I was walking into university the other morning and decided to go in via the main front entrance. As I approached the main building, I noticed a fleet of brand new 1 series BMW estate cars, all parked in a lovely row. They also have lovely, almost identical private reg plates which read something to the effect of EHU 10 right through to 18 and have my universities name written on the side.
Very snazzy and professional some might say! I am inclined to agree, I was certainly impressed when I strolled past and gawked at the row of shiny cars.
After this, I didn’t really think much of it again. This was until I got given my first assignment of my final year for this module, and went to the library to get some books for references. I searched high and low for books on my module (Forensic Linguistics) and ended up having to look online at the libraries stock to see if there were actually any books available.
There was not.
Not one. I’m sure some of you will say that I should have got there faster/bought it myself. I have two other modules to juggle and when you’re living off a pittance of a student loan you can’t always just buy books as and when you need them.
Anyway, as I said the books had been taken out on loan. Fair enough, ill grab them as soon as they come back in.
Oh, no, NOT A CHANCE.
Some librarian with absolutely ZERO logic, decided to put this book (of which there is one copy) on a three week loan.
THREE WEEKS. To rub salt in my already gaping wound, there were two more people in the queue for this book ahead of me.
Thus meaning that should I actually get to have this holy grail, it would be far too late.
I’m sure some of you are confused and are wondering what this has to do with BMWs?
Well, in my book starved rage I made a link. This university can go out and lease cars from BMW but they can’t have enough books in their library to meet demand?
Where are their priorities?
So I sent a rather disconcerted email asking about these new cars. The reply I got was not satisfactory.
I was informed that these cars are for staff should they need to go anywhere, they are on lease, and they got a very good deal. So good in fact it was cheaper than what they were previously paying and BMW threw in the banners on the side and reg plates for free! Good old BMW! In fact, these cars were so wonderfully cheap, it made even more sense to get them when the uni found out just how low the Co2 emissions are!
YIPPEEEEE!!!
How jolly wonderful!!
Is it just me, or could you have got maybe even less Co2 emissions and an even cheaper lease with some Citroen C1s? Apparently not.
Is it just me, or could staff perhaps get a train? bus?
Crazier yet… Why not use THEIR OWN CAR?!
So, fellow students… If you were wondering where you tuition is going, its probably going on ‘excellent value leases’ of exceptionally posh cars.
The mind boggles.
Sophie's thoughts... 