Lantern Staff
In October of 2022, BUCO Bad Parking added their first Instagram post that has garnered 41 likes with a caption: “bro what is this!!” followed by a picture of a red vehicle parked rather closely to a silver vehicle.
“The reasoning behind ‘BUCO Bad Parking’ was actually when I parked next to someone so bad that they were in two stalls at once, and it messed with my parking,” BUCO Bad Parking said. “I remember seeing something similar when I visited a friend at a university and thought it would be a fun way to make people park good, especially at the dorms where there’s no parking spots.”
Only a few on campus are aware of the Instagram user’s identity, and this user plans on passing the account on when they leave Butler.
“I only have a few people know who I am,” BUCO Bad Parking said. “It’s mostly my boss and friends. I feel like if people know who I am, it would take the fun out of it. When I leave, I plan to pass it down to someone I can trust.”
If Instagram users visit BUCO Bad Parking’s account, they will see a number of parked vehicles on campus who have some issues with parking between the lines. These photos are taken by anyone who sends in images. One notable image is someone’s hearse that was captured and posted on Oct. 28, 2022, and unfortunately, there are repeat offenders such as the yellow Volkswagen Bug that was featured on Instagram three times.
BUCO Bad Parking also offers advice if you do not want your parked car winding up on their Instagram account.
“Don’t be afraid to repark,” They said. “Always check your lines. It’s such a simple thing to do and usually one of the first things you learn outside of gas means go and brake means stop.”
Sometimes the Instagram user ranks parked vehicles based on how they are parked. In one post on Oct. 15, 2022, a caption reads, “nothing like parking crooked 3/10.”
“Now the ranking system is not very detailed,” BUCO Bad Parking said. “I ask myself three simple questions: Are they in the lines? Are they crooked? Will this affect someone? If the answer is not what it should be, they’re docked. Some of my posts are just for jokes (such as) the hearse post. Something that will generally grab someone’s attention and make you wonder.”
If users do get upset about an image that captures their crooked car, the image can be taken down.
“Some people get upset because their car is posted, or they will pretend to be upset when actually (they) find it funny,” They said. “My intention is to never upset someone, that’s why if anyone reaches out to have their car taken off, I will 100% without hesitation take the post down.”
In the meantime, BUCO Bad Parking has been attempting to capture one parked car in particular, and they do warn that no one including administration, faculty and staff are off limits!
“Oh Lord no,” BUCO Bad Parking said. “I’ve been trying to gather my boss’s car for ages now. No one is safe from Buco Bad Parking!”
If you see anyone parked horrendously, you can capture the image and share it by messaging the account on Instagram, bucobadparking, or their email, bucobadparking@gmail.com.
Butler Lantern 