University Parking

[videodrone]

There is something on campus everyone learns within their first week of school and that is, University Police are vicious and do not care about your personal life. And why should they? It is their job to ticket idiots who didn't take the time to learn where they can and cannot park and that's it.
I, of course, read the rules, knew exactly where I was supposed to go, and ignored it, so I got busted and now I have a fee. Totally acceptable. I got caught. I'm happy to pay! Apparently no one else is.
I'm standing in line at the parking office and it seemed like everyone ('cept me) decided to be an SC that day. I nearly throttled the woman behind me who kept sighing and tapping her foot and huffing over how long the line was taking. I got out of there in twenty minutes, so I seriously did not see her problem. Every customer who went up there had SOME snide comment about the parking office sucking. The parking people held their own, I was happy to see. One man went up there and...
Him: Yeah, I have this ticket. Apparently my permit expired so I need to get a new one. (Note: his tone was rude and sarcastic)
Her: okay
Him: Yeah, how was I supposed to know it expired? You should have sent me something letting me know. I don't think I should pay the ticket.
Her: It says where it expires on the permit you stick on your car window.
Him: Yes, well, I didn't know that until now.
Her: Well, that's not our fault. You'll have to pay for the ticket.

Then, remember lady behind me? Well, one of the University Police Officers walks by and she took this as an opportunity to start a war.
Her: You people need to give warnings or something.
Him: Excuse me?
Her: You need to give warnings! I didn't know where I was supposed to park! You should give warnings!
Him: That's what the grace period is for. We gave you a week to buy your permits and learn where you can and cannot park.
Her: That's not good enough. You should do more.
Him: No. (and leaves)
Her:
I had to keep myself from laughing. Everyone else in line was like "omg what a jerk...".
I feel so bad for the people in the parking office. They must just get idiots like this day after day after day.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

We have the same problem at my job. Parking is at a premium, so you have to have a permit and they are color coded depending on what building you work in. People will park in the wrong lot all the time. Usually recharge people, cause they get the short end of the parking stick. It's announced over the network bulletin that they are going to be towed, and suddenly they haul ass out there and try to yell at the parking people. I've seen people get fired on the spot for yelling at the parking people, so it can be amusing at times.

[lupo pazzesco]

That happens at my school, too. Of course, part of the problem is the 7 different kinds of permits for 20 different lots are oversold. There are only about 25,000 parking spaces available for students, faculty, and staff, but my campus has over 35,000 people

But hey, as long as the University makes money, why change the system? And they do make money. Both from the permits and the copious tickets that are handed out by the campus police who troll the parking lots looking for the slightest violation.

Who, me? Bitter? Naaaah. After all, I don't even have a car and I have to deal with it! Why would I be bitter...?

[Balgram]

I'm careful about where I park when I need to drive, and I don't mind walking half a block in order to park correctly. Most student parking is less than a few blocks from where I need to be, and walking isn't a horrible nightmare. Usually you can park a block or two away. It's no further than walking across campus.

I can't say I like how full the parking lots are, but that's why I bike most of the time. I don't think parking is that unreasonable, and people who don't NEED to drive could probably use a little exercise. Oh, and in case people argue, "I don't have time so I have to drive," I have work until 25 minutes before class and my workplace is 20 minutes away, so don't tell me you don't have time. I have to eat in class because I don't have time for lunch.

Parking Police are just doing their job. Don't break the rules and you won't have a problem.

Sorry to sound like a jerk in this post, but those guys get a really bad rep and they don't usually deserve it.*


*Except bike police. I hate those guys.

[otakuneko]

I had to keep myself from laughing. Everyone else in line was like "omg what a jerk...".
I feel so bad for the people in the parking office. They must just get idiots like this day after day after day.

kudos. I'm not sure I would have had the same self control.


And parking is absolutely horrible at the uni I'm going to, but it's generally pretty clear what's student parking and what's not. Signs and even those automatic gates abound.

The part I'm bitter about is that the parking permit's expensive, and still doesn't get you into the garage. Oh no, that's a separate, even more exorbitant fee. Then again maybe I shouldn't complain too much. I was talking to a girl the other day (whoah, a geek, talking to a girl! zomg!) and she told me her brother's uni charges over $500 for a parking tag.

[crazylegs]

THe local Uni as security that issues tickets (In the UK we don't have depts. dedicated to a college/uni), the rules go that if you haven't paid up you don't graduate.

Simple
As
That.

[smileyeagle1021]

oh yeah, SLCC also oversells their lots... and I do have sympathy for the people who get tickets for parking in faculty parking... because every year more and more parking is added for faculty even though they aren't offering any more classes than before, so where the hell are these news teachers going?

a lot of people are wising up though and realizing they can ride the bus for free with their student ID and will park at the nearly abandoned shopping center half a mile away and take the bus in.

[bainsidhe]

The university I went to always had parking issues, but the suck really began after I left. My sister told many tales of the University removing parking lots to landscape and make the campus pretty, but without a real plan on how to handle the parking situation. They built garages. Never enough. Parking passes quadrupeled in cost within just a few years, still not enough available parking. It simply doesn't end.

During my time as a student, the worst was game days (football capital of the world, I swear ). Suddenly student parking passes were treated as null and void while fraternities/sororities sold spaces in the parking lot for game parking. And students who paid for passes to park near the student dorm they live had to argue for the right to park. And heaven forbid you had weekend classes. Seriously.

I worked in the campus bookstore. So that meant I was supposed to be given priority on game days, because they really needed staff to work. No parking means no working. Unfortunately, the people charging for parking spaces never got the memo and the bookstore's staff dealt with the ire constantly.

[RedRoseSpiral]

Wow, I'm glad I go to a community college at the moment. We get free parking passes.

[otakuneko]

It was five or ten bucks at the one I went to.

But then, one semester at UTA (not smileyeagle's UTA ;P) -- and not even full time -- costs almost as much as four (ie: A DEGREE) at the community college.

[Amina516]

Im glad my college is a block away from my house and I can walk...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

My first two years away at college, my on-campus apartment building shared a smallish lot with two other buildings.

I couldn't even hope to park in that lot until the weekends, and then I had to hope enough people went home to open up spots. Otherwise I had to park farther away in a different lot. Not fun when you just did your grocery shopping and have to haul your bags such a long distance, or you came back to campus after a weekend at home and had laundry to take back with you.

The third year, I was in a brand new building with a big general lot behind it. The walking distance from that lot to the building was much more manageable.

[PepperElf]

sometimes you just want to throttle the lot of them.

when i was in va, at one of the branches... the peon parking lot was about a half-mile walk from where we worked. the walk to the car is 10-15 minutes just to get to the front of the lot... so if you're really late you get the back of the lot which takes even longer.

oh yeah, there was closer parking. but it's for the higher-ups. if we get caught using it... well the the police find out it's a ticket. but if the people at work find out, we get stuck guarding the parking lot from other cheaters trying to park illegally. (and yeah you can get both punishments too)