Unpaid parking tickets? (1 Viewer)

[Ryan Wright]

The cars of people who park there need to be towed. Not as punishment or mere enforcement of rules, but for traffic or public safety reasons.

Thank you for making the point I obviously was unsuccessful at making. Claims are often made that "it's a safety issue", yet they slap a fine on your car and let you continue being a safety hazard.

It's like a child who takes a candy bar out of the fridge when he isn't supposed to. He takes one bite, and you catch him. What do you do?

A. You take the candy bar away send him to his room.
B. You send him to his room WITH the candy bar. "You're in trouble, so I'm going to punish you, but you can finish eating your candy bar."

Letting people stay parked where they aren't supposed to just seems to be the wrong move.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm with Ryan. There's so much waste at most colleges and universities, which they cover by outrageous tuition increases, that I have zero sympathy.

 

[MarkHastings]

Claims are often made that "it's a safety issue", yet they slap a fine on your car and let you continue being a safety hazard.

I'd be curious to hear from a psychological perspective on this. I would fear "retaliation" from someone whos car I just had towed as opposed to someones car I put a ticket on.

Hence, towing someones car (as long as it's not creating a hazzard) might be more damaging to the campus than a ticket.

But maybe I'm thinking about it too much.

 

[Brian Perry]

The same step they take now. Video store down the street from me has a nice sign saying that violators will be towed. If they have a problem, they just call up the local towing company and the problem is taken care of for them, for free (the person whose car is towed pays all of the fees).

I think he meant was how would you have libraries and video stores handle people who are late in returning rentals? It's clear that Blockbuster relies on late fees (fines?) for up to 40% of their revenue. In a way, they want you to be late--which is okay with me, so long as everyone knows the rules. Same with parking...if the fine for parking in a handicapped spot is $100 and is marked as such, I think someone should be able to make that decision for themselves. If they are parked in front of a hydrant or other safety hazard, though, I think a tow is required.

 

[David Lawson]

I think he meant was how would you have libraries and video stores handle people who are late in returning rentals?

Thanks...I thought my point was obvious. Oh, wait...it was.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Thanks...I thought my point was obvious. Oh, wait...it was.

It's been one of those days for me.

 

[MarkHastings]

Well, maybe campuses figure certain "illegal" parking isn't bad enough to warrant a tow. Actually, some campuses might allow you a certain number of tickets before they start towing you.

So instead of seeing it as a bad thing (i.e. Trying to profit from it), why not see it as a good thing, because the campus is only fining you and not towing your vehicle.

and p.s. If ticketing cars is such a horrible thing to do, then why do people park illegally? I still don't see how you can justify any argument after you've committed an illegal act to begin with.

 

[Masood Ali]

Campus parking fines are a large source of revenue for my university. Actually, because its located in an otherwise small city, parking enforcement in the whole city is very high.

What's with the $70 parking fines though? Isn't that a tad outrageous. I remember getting a fine for $15 once for parking without a permit, but thats it.

Scott, if you're hesitant to pay it, double-check to see if it will have any consequences with your graduation. If not, just ignore it.

 

[Ryan Wright]

and p.s. If ticketing cars is such a horrible thing to do, then why do people park illegally? I still don't see how you can justify any argument after you've committed an illegal act to begin with.

Depends on the act. Just because it's illegal doesn't mean it's wrong. Likewise, being legal doesn't make it right, either.

 

[DaveGTP]

Ditto. I had 3 or 4 college parking tickets that equaled $75 at my old university (MTU)...although they doubled to $150 after I didn't pay them after 90 days. $70 for one college parking fine is ludicrous. A speeding ticket from a police officer runs only a little more than that.

I'm with Ryan. There's so much waste at most colleges and universities, which they cover by outrageous tuition increases, that I have zero sympathy.

Tuition at most colleges and universities rises at a minimum of twice the inflation rate every single year. I saw a local university try to raise tuition 28% last year. I think it was shot down somehow. (Luckily my fiancee tranferred to a different local university a few years back).

See this opinion article about the tuition hike if you are interested:
http://www.statenews.com/op_article.phtml?pk=7661

These parking tickets are about the almighty $$.

 

[Steve_Tk]

Every college I have ever visited I have gotten a ticket from. It's from all campus police, and you can't register for classes or graduate until you pay the tickets.

You might want to make sure you can still graduate. But it is not connected to any Police agencies.

 

[Scott L]

I went ahead and paid it today. Since it's been over 10 days since it was issued they tacked on another $10 for $85 total. :frowning: About 2 weeks left this semester I don't plan on purchasing another decal so I'll keep my fingers crossed while taking my exams.

I DID find a loophole though...

My brother goes to the same college and has a valid Parking decal. There is a $25 fine if you lose it. :wink: So I pay him the $25 so he can replace the one he "lost" and we both have decals for about $58 each.

This may sound evil to some of you but the price raised again to $90 per semester AND there is absolutely no where to park on busy days. You have to drive around for half an hour to an hour on those days...

 

[David-S]

Just remember that if you get caught with a "lost" parking ticket i'm sure they'll up the fine quite a bit

at Virginia tech parking ticket=~$15 (this was a while ago)
"fraudulent" use of parking sticker =~$125

 

[Malcolm R]

And, as with most people who look for the cheap way out, you likely end up paying more in the end. :wink:

No public transportation available around this college?

 

[Scott L]

If parking is that tight, I'm sure there are public safety staff who specifically roam the lots looking for violators, especially repeat offenders.

Probably not since I've been parking there for 3 semesters with an expired decal. They do however check key spots like loading/unloading docks and fire lanes. There are way too many cars & lots to check for them to patrol efficiently. I think when they find out the revenue from the permits is less than what they expected they send the trucks out to issue some tickets.

I wish there was more public transportation to my school but I'm coming from another county so I have to bring my own ride. What everyone wants is at least shuttle buses to and from the darkest depths of the lots from hell. If they do that I'd be more than willing to shell out the cash for a permit.

David- thanks for the heads up!

 

[Michelle Schmid]

I think when they find out the revenue from the permits is less than what they expected they send the trucks out to issue some tickets.

I think when they get too many complaints from people who have purchased parking permits, about all the vehicles parked illegally taking up spaces so they can't find a spot which they have paid for, they call out the trucks to issue tickets.

Where I work you get two warnings (no fines). Third time (and by now you think you're home free because all we've done is warn you) and we have the vehicle towed. I love to make that call, because I get sick of trying to find a place to park my car and having a bunch of illegally parked jerks taking up a space I have a legitimate right to. Why should I have to walk ten blocks to work while someone who thinks they're better than the rest of the world gets to park instead?

 

[Colin-H]

At my school, tickets unpaid after 2 weeks go onto your Bursar’s bill. Last year, my school used paper tickets. Everyone knew that you shouldn't pay them because a lot of them weren’t turned in or got lost. I had 6 tickets ($25+50+75+75+75+75=$375) last year. Only one of those tickets ($25) made it to my bill! This year, they switched to a computer-based system, so you have to pay for everything. Luckily my lot is right across the street this year instead of a half-hour walk away, so I don’t feel the need to park in other lots anymore.

 

[L. Anton Dencklau]

..

 

[MarkHastings]

I think i'm with Ryan on this one. There is a point where it stops being about enforcing the rules for the benefit of everyone, and simply becomes greed.

It sounds like you guys put the school in a no win situation. If they fine you, they're greedy...if they towed your car, you'd be pissed and probably call them every name in the book.

Everyone who drives a car should be responsible enough to understand the rules and if you don't abide by them, then no one should be made out to be the "Bad" guy by doing something about it.

If the school has a chance to profit from your illegal actions, then so-be-it...Why the need to make THEM the bad guys when you're the bad guy to begin with?

My office is on a street that has parking meters and my co-workers are CONSTANTLY getting $10 fines (for not paying the meter). The tickets don't deter them because the fines are cheap. I'm sure if they were charged $50, they'd start putting money in the meters.

Also, one woman had SO many parking tickets that she got a boot on her car and she's pissed off now. WTF? Why is she so upset with the city for enforcing a law? Why do people feel they are above everyone else and that rules and laws don't apply to them?

I just don't get it. How hard is it to understand the concept "You break the law - You pay the price" and that YOU are the bad guy and not them.

If you still think they're greedy, then DON'T PARK ILLEGALLY!!!!! A school can't be greedy if there's no one to fine

 

[MikeAlletto]

I don't think the problem people have with campus cops parking system is that the fines are high or they are greedy (well some do) but the major problem with these rent-a-cops is their attitudes. They are complete jerks to everyone. Students, parents, profs, everyone there. The rent-a-cops will usually purposely stalk around areas and wait for someone to drive up and jump out just to run into a building really quickly, then they'll swoop in, plop a ticket down and disappear before the person comes back. That is wrong and that proves they only do it because it is a source of income. When I was in school my mom was sitting out in the car in front of my dorm while I was coming down from my room. There were a bunch of parents waiting. A cop walked up to every car and told them all to move or they would ticket them. They were in legit spots and just waiting. My parents paid ungodly amount of money to send me to that school, at least the rent-a-cops could show them some respect and leeway especially during busy days when a lot of students are coming and going. They wonder why all the students hate the campus police? Its because the campus police are made entirely up of assholes. I've never been to a university where the campus police showed even the slightest bit of respect to the students.