For college students, transportation can be an integral part of day-to-day life. When issues occur with the vehicles used to get to class, go to work and attend various events, it can cause problems for students. At UNA, there is more than one issue with cars that happens pretty regularly, said Police Chief Bob Pastula.

“It’s a toss up,” Pastula said. “The two most common problems are dead batteries and locking their keys in the car.”

UNA Police can often help with keys being locked in cars, Pastula said.

“Usually one of the police officers has an unlocking device,” Pastula said. “They can unlock the car if you lock your keys in it, but not every officer knows how to do this.”

Freshman Ashley Southard thinks the police are really helpful for the services they provide, she said.

“For some of us who live far from home, and even those who don’t live so far, it’s nice to know that if you do lock your keys in your car you don’t have to call mom or dad to brink you your keys,” Southard said. “Also, if something goes wrong you aren’t stranded.”

UNA Police can also help with dead batteries, Pastula said.

“If you need a jump, the officers will jump your car off,” Pastula said. “We have jump packs in all of the police vehicles. We can also give you a ride to help you out a little bit.”

Junior David Augustus believes the police are doing their job when they help students with car trouble, he said.

“I feel like part of the police responsibility is not only to protect us from criminal activity, but also to provide overall assistance to civilians,” Augustus said. “I feel like it is definitely in their job description to offer resources that people could possibly need that (police) have.”

Augustus can see why college students are more likely to lock their keys in their cars, he said.

“For the key situation, college kids naturally have so much on their minds,” Augustus said. “They’re really forgetful about the little things. When it comes to situations like that, you get so overwhelmed that you’re not even paying attention.”

Car battery issues also seem likely, Augustus said.

“As for the car battery, college students also like to listen to their music and chill in their cars while it’s cold outside,” Augustus said. “They allow the heater to run. So, I could see why car batteries die so easily.”

Students should take preventative measures in case they find themselves in these situations, Pastula said.

“Students should have an extra key on them, either in their purse or in their wallet, or somewhere hidden on them or in the car,” Pastula said. “That will save them from having to get help. They should also keep check of their battery by making sure it’s up to date and fully charged, and not leave their lights on.”

Junior Erin Wade takes preventative measures for keeping up with her keys, she said.

“I have my keys on my lanyard,” Wade said. “That way, I can just put them over my neck. Also, my second key is always in my room somewhere.”

The best thing to do in any of these situations is to call UNA Police, Pastula said.