Dear Editor,
I would like to call attention to some procedures by this university that I feel are dishonest, disrespectful and an impediment to everyone.
Four weeks ago, we parked our vehicle in the carpool parking lot next to the tennis courts at Warf-Pickel Hall.
My husband and I have a permit to park there, which is displayed on the dashboard of our car. It is a Little Bucs permit that allows us to park in the lane next to the Little Bucs entrance when dropping off our daughter and also allows us to use the carpool spaces.
On this day, we found a parking ticket on the windshield directly above the Little Bucs permit.
I assumed that maybe the ticketer was unaware that our pass was valid for carpool, so I went to the comptroller to see if they would remedy the mistake.
I was informed there that the employee was helpless to correct errors and I should appeal.
It was also stated to me that it would do no good to appeal, if any action was taken it would most likely be to reduce the fine to $10, because I improperly displayed my permit.
I was not informed of how long an appeal might take or how I would discover the results.
I called on the director of Little Bucs for help, and she said that the comptroller’s office told her if I hadn’t appealed the ticket, maybe they could have fixed the error.
When registration rolled around, I realized that I had a hold because of the ticket.
When I called the comptroller’s office, the lady told me that I must pay the ticket, and if the appeal was decided in my favor I would be reimbursed (yeah, right).
It was at this point it dawned on me that there could be countless other students who received fraudulent parking tickets that must be paid before they could register, graduate, etc.
I am aware that it is only $20, but there are around 12,000 students here. Parking violations probably constitute a huge source of income, and the bottom line to me is that I did not violate any parking policies and the ticket was given in error by a university employee, and the university has profited dishonestly.
Rachel Seats

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