Smart Park is a misleading name. This reporter has found that it is not actually smart to park there.

It sucks to be made a victim, and to find that you’re, to put it plainly, S.O.L. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, my vehicle, innocently stored in the Smart Park on 4th and Alder downtown, was broken into. As I toiled until three in the morning, some thief busted my window and rifled through my belongings.

I left a note as I drove out of the parking ramp, explaining that I could not pay the fee because someone broke into my car and stole all my money.

I know I should not have had the money in the car. I learned my lesson, but that doesn’t make it fair. Here’s why: Smart Park doesn’t care about you or your car. They told me it is safer to park on the street that late at night.

The Smart Parks downtown only employ one security officer overnight, and that officer patrols all the parking facilities. That means the odds of them being in the right place at the right time are slim to none.

Now that this has happened, I am beginning to understand the implications of what could really happen in these parking ramps at that time. What if the thief had still been in my car as I stepped off the elevator? What about all the women I work with who return to their cars alone? What else could happen?

Knowing the possibilities makes me wary, and it makes me want to warn others. That is why I am telling you. Smart Park is not a safe place to be, and for a few dollars more, your car and yourself could be a lot safer.