Responsibility lays with students in avoiding parking fines
Charles Classen
In a rush to get to class, many students have the tendency to ignore parking restrictions – or maybe just like to test the alertness of MCC’s Public Safety officers. Being strapped for cash is difficult enough without the added burden of charges or fines imposed by the school for parking infractions. To avoid racking up a hefty bill before graduation, there are a few things students might want to take into consideration.
First, and maybe most obvious, make sure the vehicle displays a valid parking permit. They are provided free-of-charge through the Public Safety Office or Office of Student Life and Leadership and are valid at any Maricopa Community College. The permit should ideally be placed in easy view, on the driver’s side toward the bottom of the windshield.
Second, as Paul Springall, the Officer Coordinator and Parking & Traffic Appeals Officer at the MCC Public Safety office, explained, “Student parking is allowed in the white slots only. Even if you’re running late to class and are worried about getting shut out of class, don’t try to park anywhere else.” In their rush, students tend to park where they are not supposed to.
Jared Cripe, a general studies student, has had more than one run-in with the Public Safety office.
“I’ve gotten a couple of tickets so far this semester. I got one for parking in visitor parking and the other for parking in the white crossbars at the end of the parallel parking spots. I can’t afford to pay either of them at the moment,” Cripe said.
Employee parking is reserved solely for vehicles displaying an employee permit; those utilizing visitor parking spots are allotted 30 minutes to conduct their business.
The striped safety zones that people occasionally park in are also off limits.
Students are supposedly allowed one warning before the actual ticketing starts, but according to Public Safety officers, many students tend to disregard the warnings, assuming the College has no ability to actually enforce the ticket charges.
Unfortunately, they do.
College transcripts and grades can be withheld. The school also has the ability to garnish tax returns to recover the fines.
In cases of extreme delinquency, balances are transferred to collection agencies for recovery.
A listing of fine amounts by parking violation can be found on the Public Safety section of the MCC Web site, but the fine will double in 15 calendar days if it goes unpaid.
Springall suggests, “Find a spot in the parking lot on the southeast corner of campus, Lot D. I realize students don’t like to walk, but if you get here on time by leaving a little earlier you probably stand a better chance of finding a spot somewhere else. Otherwise, there are pretty much always spots available in Lot D.”
The majority of tickets are issued by fellow students employed through the Public Safety office.
Anyone wearing a white shirt with the “Safety” logo can potentially ticket your vehicle, so be aware that they do actively monitor the lots for parking violations.
