As most people who have worked for a university or college can attest, higher education has parking and transportation departments that can border on totalitarian. [Duke](http://www.duke.edu/) isn’t really any different in that regard. I understand that most of the folks in the [Parking & Transportation Services](http://siren.auxserv.duke.edu/parking/) department are good, honest people who are doing a very necessary and important job, but the reality of the situation is that sometimes that job requires them to be stern and draconian.

Today, however, I had the sublime experience of being able to return their parking permit to them. I was paying about $30 per month to park in the decks here at [American Tobacco](http://www.americantobaccohistoricdistrict.com/), and that’s something I no longer need now that I both walk to work and am provided two permits — one for each bedroom in my apartment — by the leasing office. That’s around $360 a year I’ll be glad to have back.