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Parking Ticket

johnjohn320

Diamond Member
Hey all,

No, this isn't another "I got busted doing 70 in a 45, help me get out of it" thread. I find those kind of annoying myself. It's actually just a parking ticket.

This is on a college campus. I park outside my girlfriend's apartment in a University lot, because according to her and a friend of mine, it's legal after 5 pm without a permit in non-24hr spots (the sign and the parking administration's website both confirm that it's non-24hr). I parked there around 7:30. When I walk out around 8, there's a ticket on my windshield. So I appeal the ticket, stating that I have store receipts (I do) confirming that neither I or my car were anywhere near that lot before 5 pm. They reject the appeal, giving no reason. So I email the parking administration, who informs me that I have to have a DIFFERENT type of parking permit after 5 pm (the lot is normally an A Permit Lot, but after 5 pm it becomes open to E Permits, which I also don't have). So, basically, according to their rules, if you don't have a permit, you can't park anywhere on the campus at any time (what are visitors/parents supposed to do?). The parking lady says in her email that "the signs will tell me this." No it doesn't, sweetheart. It says nowhere on the signs anything about having to have a permit after 5, it just says "A LOT, NON24 HOUR."

So, do you think the fact that it's not labeled on the signs anywhere (you have to dig thru their website to find this rule), OR the fact that the officer technically didn't complete the ticket (under "Time" it just says 19: , no minutes given) could be grounds for me to re-appeal? I know that ignorance of the law isn't an excuse for breaking it, but c'mon, don't you have to mark a parking area off limits if it is so?
 
Ah, parking woes.

Haha, my housemate got ticketed for parking facing the wrong way on the street (he pulled over to park in front of our house, so his car was facing the wrong way).

Anyway, the cop wrote him a ticket for parking more than 18" from the curb - at first we were like "wtf - he's right on the curb," but then we realized he was actually ten or so feet from the right curb.

We all got a good laugh, except for him.
 
Just print one up that looks like a parking ticket or walk

I got a parking ticket at walmart for parking in a firelane. Mind you i was in my car with it running as my friend is walking out of the store. I go there last night an an ambulance (non city vehicle, private ambulance company) has left their vehicle where i was and went in to get something.

I tried to say "well i might as well go to court and get a jury since they'll probably see it my way." Since they were really backed up and such they lowered it to half for $50
 
i hate parking nazis...i just refuse to pay any tickets (legit or not) they try to take it out of my account but i always pull all my money out before they go on and when you put money in (loans, etc.) you can refuse to pay the tickets at financial aid and the parking office will have to deal with it...kind of a loop hole at my college...

anywho...just get some quick release screw things at hope depot and take ur tag off when you park...put something (paper) over your VIN in the windshield...and make sure no parking tag is on the car...i do this all the time..i get the ticket but just throw it away...this has happened like 5 times, i havent gotten booted, and no one asks for my money 😀
 
My college required a permit to park ANYWHERE on campus too - visitors could get a temporary tag. (they could not, however, pay the $20 for a permanent tag - which is what would be necessary in your situation)
 
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.

Yeah, but they have to have parking lots either way. Might as well milk them for all they are worth.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.

Heh...in 2002, my University took in close to $2.5million in parking fines, and I'm sure that number has only gone up since then.

There's meters everywhere on campus, so I'm sure that probably generates decent revenue also.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.

My understanding is that the funding for parking lots generally comes from state infastructure funds, so the schools are essentially given them (my college just spent something like $15m on a "womens center." The fines from parking services generally pay for most of the department staff salaries. Because of that, it becomes an infinite loop, where the more they ticket, the more they can hire people to ticket more.
 
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.

Heh...in 2002, my University took in close to $2.5million in parking fines, and I'm sure that number has only gone up since then.

There's meters everywhere on campus, so I'm sure that probably generates decent revenue also.


Wow... just in fines, not including parking fees? The fines are like the icing the cake. Most already charge large fees for parking passes and always sell many more passes than spaces. So why not pay some students minimum wage to walk around the lots and hand out tickets?
 
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.

Heh...in 2002, my University took in close to $2.5million in parking fines, and I'm sure that number has only gone up since then.

There's meters everywhere on campus, so I'm sure that probably generates decent revenue also.


Wow... just in fines, not including parking fees? The fines are like the icing the cake. Most already charge large fees for parking passes and always sell many more passes than spaces. So why not pay some students minimum wage to walk around the lots and hand out tickets?

Yep, just fines.

Last year, the university issued 115,189 parking tickets and collected $2.4 million in parking fines, according to a 2001 parking report.

From:
http://www.newsline.umd.edu/business/umdparking012202.htm
 
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.

Heh...in 2002, my University took in close to $2.5million in parking fines, and I'm sure that number has only gone up since then.

There's meters everywhere on campus, so I'm sure that probably generates decent revenue also.

You'd think that people who are intelligent enough to get into college would be able to figure out where they can park. 😉

Look at it this way - colleges are not-for-profit organizations. They spend a certain amount of money, and they need to bring in that much money. They could raise tuition for every student - or they could make some more money off the students who are lazy and park illegally. I prefer the latter. 😉 People always complain about towns that use traffic enforcement to generate revenues - hell, as long as they're ticketing people who actually break the law I'm all for my town doing that! They wouldn't have to raise property taxes if they made more money off traffic tickets.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

So like... 3 students' tuition? That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. Parking lots are surprisingly expensive to build.

Heh...in 2002, my University took in close to $2.5million in parking fines, and I'm sure that number has only gone up since then.

There's meters everywhere on campus, so I'm sure that probably generates decent revenue also.

You'd think that people who are intelligent enough to get into college would be able to figure out where they can park. 😉

Look at it this way - colleges are not-for-profit organizations. They spend a certain amount of money, and they need to bring in that much money. They could raise tuition for every student - or they could make some more money off the students who are lazy and park illegally. I prefer the latter. 😉 People always complain about towns that use traffic enforcement to generate revenues - hell, as long as they're ticketing people who actually break the law I'm all for my town doing that! They wouldn't have to raise property taxes if they made more money off traffic tickets.

I don't disagree one bit.
 
Originally posted by: johnjohn320

So, do you think the fact that it's not labeled on the signs anywhere (you have to dig thru their website to find this rule), OR the fact that the officer technically didn't complete the ticket (under "Time" it just says 19: , no minutes given) could be grounds for me to re-appeal? I know that ignorance of the law isn't an excuse for breaking it, but c'mon, don't you have to mark a parking area off limits if it is so?

Oh yeah, didn't see this part - students are expected to know where they can park, my college didn't have any markings on the lots, they just gave out a pamphlet with the zones marked. Of course the solution at my school for a non-student who got a parking ticket was to just not pay it. The time thing won't get you anywhere, but you may convince them that you can't be expected to know what time you're allowed to park there since you're not a student. Then again you probably shouldn't park there at all if you're not a student since it's a university-owned lot.
 
Originally posted by: Thraxen
Universities are fanatical about parking. They can pull in six figures from parking fines alone.

Yeah, I just wish they didn't practically try and trick you into slipping up so they can pounce on you. It verges on dishonest.

My college required a permit to park ANYWHERE on campus too - visitors could get a temporary tag. (they could not, however, pay the $20 for a permanent tag - which is what would be necessary in your situation)

$20? That'd be nice. I think they're closer to $100-150 around here, depending on what kind of permit you get.
 
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