As much as we hate them, parking tickets do serve a purpose. It’s when that purpose is forgotten that unfair practices arise.
Parking tickets are given to discourage parking in the wrong lots. This is in order to ensure that people who have a tag for that lot can find a spot to park.
When there are twenty spots and twenty parking tags, it’s easy to see how important it is that people park in the right lot.
But what about when this isn’t the case?
What if someone parked in the very large library lot when there were only a dozen cars there? Maybe because, I don’t know, it was nine degrees outside and a ten minute walk to ACAC in freezing weather—let’s be honest—completely SUCKS.
In that case, I argue that no citation should be given. There were dozens of empty spaces in the lot. No one was going to be without a parking spot because a student didn’t want to die of hypothermia.
I am not exaggerating. There were barely a dozen cars in that giant parking lot.
In that case, a parking ticket serves no purpose. It doesn’t help anyone in regards to parking.
In fact, the ONLY benefit I can think of for issuing a ticket in that context would be the money the school gains from it.
Even if that ticket was only 25 dollars, considering that TU gave out 5,781 citations in 2014 … that’s a lot of money. And most of it is coming from the pockets of TU students.
Tickets make money. When more tickets are given, more revenue is gained. Many believe giving out as many tickets as possible is a tactic of broke police forces and bankrupt cities. While annoying, such a strategy is understandable. At least it’s going to good things, like the mayor’s salary. Right?
TU, on the other hand, had their assets increase over $13 million in fiscal year 2012. So what’s their excuse? Giving President Upham a raise? He already makes $800,000 and more each year.
If a parking lot is less than halfway full, there is no practical reason for TU to hand out a citation.
Come on TU. Give your students a break. Trust me, we need that 25 dollars more than you do.