avoid tickets & find peace on campus
You’re driving like a maniac, running late for class. Again. And ugh! Every space in your favorite commuter parking lot is full. The cars are circling like sharks around a kill. Do you whip through the lot, and race on to another? Or is it best to join the sharks and wait for leaving prey?
A little planning can take you off the shark circuit, as can patience, and knowing some rules of the commuter parking game.
plan ahead
You might say Mary Wolber, a junior restaurant resort management major, is a parking expert because she has never been ticketed. And she always gets a space. Her secret? Preparation.
“If class is over at 10:50 a.m., I’ll make sure I’m here at 10:50 a.m.,” says Wolber of her favorite lot near Hartshorn Health Services.
Wolber says she also avoids the most popular lots, like Hartshorn and Green Hall, between 8 and 10 a.m. – the busiest times – and she pays attention to signs identifying each lot.
Doug Mayhew, assistant director of Colorado State University Parking Services, suggests that commuters have a backup plan, so that when their favorite lots fail, they know where to park. For instance, lot 240, which is merely 10 feet from lot 505 on Meridian Avenue and Pitkin Street, usually has open spaces, but people habitually park in the same place says Mayhew.
“Our lot surveys last fall show that spaces are available,” Mayhew says. “But they’re not always where people want to go.”
get smart
Ignorance may be bliss, but it could result in a fine. For instance, did you know that parking over the line is a violation? Some spaces aren’t big enough for Vespas, let alone SUVs. Still, take care to park within space markers, or risk a $30 ticket.
When space is scarce, ticketing space-hogging parkers seems fair enough, but Parking Services enforcement supervisor Jeremy Dawson says this violation is tough to enforce and is at the discretion of ticket writers. “You have to look at all the cars in the line,” Dawson says. “Sometimes it’s hard to see which car parked over first and caused the others to be off.”
Permit violations, like parking without the proper permit or lacking a permit, account for 53 percent of tickets, says Mayhew. So pay attention. Every lot has enforcement hours posted and at 7:30 a.m. enforcers are on the job.
Campus construction can change lot designations, too. Mayhew says Parking Services posts warning signs and postpones ticketing in those areas, but if your favorite Z-lot is no longer for commuters, and your first inkling of the change is the official document in government-yellow pinned under your windshield wiper, take the ticket to Parking Services in Green Hall and explain the situation. Unless you’re a habitual offender, the ticket may be forgiven.
Also be aware that when you drive into a Z-lot, there may be other parking designations in the same lot, like a row or two of A-parking. Look for signs above your row.
Mayhew says signs occasionally disappear. If you swear there wasn’t a sign, take a picture and file an appeal. The appeal board will check out the situation, possibly overturn your ticket, and fix the sign.
save money
Many people assume it’s cheaper to purchase a semester permit than to buy a permit each month. But If you plan to pedal to class when the weather warms, consider saving money by purchasing monthly permits. Semester permit costs $71 and monthly permits are $20 month. If you get ticketed because you forget to renew, visit Parking Services within 24 hours. As long as you buy new permit, and are not a repeat offender, your fine may be waived.
Another way to save is to park in the lots that are free after 4 p.m., like the meters near Lory Student Center, and the Morgan Library lot. Others may be free after 7 p.m. It’s all on the signs.
Ticket writers at CSU are students, so spring and winter breaks go unenforced. With planning you can save money by postponing your permit renewal until after break.
“Students get a break, from school and parking rules,” says Mayhew of enforcement over breaks. “If there are safety violations [like cars blocking fire hydrants], we’ll send out our one enforcer.”
park patiently
Spaces often come to those who wait. Most students rush through their favorite parking haunts, and if parking is not immediately available, they move on. This approach can take just as long as watchfully waiting for a departing car, and this lot-to-lot race fuels campus car congestion.
Slow down, even pull to the side, and watch for approaching students. To save fuel and reduce pollution, switch off the car while you wait.
Patience and a positive parking attitude will surely pay off, or at least reduce stress. Occasionally, you’ll be late to class, whether you race from lot-to-lot or stay put.
Even if you get a ticket, it pays to be patient.
One ticket writer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recommends that commuters behave graciously after receiving a ticket.
“Obviously whenever you get a ticket, you’re going to be upset,” she says. “But even the people at the cash register are more likely to be lenient with you if you’re polite.”
Are you beginning to sense a theme? The Parking Services employees are people, too.
“We’re not out there to try to trick and fool,” Mayhew says. Ticket writers say they don’t like to ticket other students. Some students have been yelled at, or even threatened while writing tickets. For this reason, student ticket writers don’t wear uniforms and maintain a low-key presence while working.
With courtesy and knowledge, commuters can improve their parking experience and help enforcers, too. By noticing sign details, slowing the pace, and learning the rules, you can make commuting to CSU one less thing to stress over.
