Not to be dramatic but getting a parking ticket for parking in student parking is probably the worst way to waste the time of everyone involved. Students who live on campus should be allowed to park in student parking on campus. While I understand that off-campus students need parking, so do students who live at the dorms.
It was a lovely Friday morning when I decided to head to the library to accomplish my goals of being productive, turning in my assignments and making my parents proud. After completing my goals, I was overcome with an intense desire to go out into the world and accomplish something; a bird pooped on my car? That car is getting cleaned! My friends want to binge-watch season one of a show we both loved? Bring on the popcorn! But, as I got into my car, which was parked in the student parking lot beside Rogers Student Center, I noticed a dreaded yellow slip placed neatly beneath the windshield wipers.
Written on that little note were the words “NOT RESIDENT PARKING.” I could only stare from the parking ticket to the student parking pass that had been carefully placed on the bottom left corner of my rear window. I am a student in student parking, what exactly is the problem? When I called the campus police to ask as to why I deserved a ticket of such minuscule pettiness, the lady (who did not give me her name) told me resident students were not allowed to park on campus because these spots were reserved for students who lived off-campus.
Now, I know that parking is a major problem at TJC and maybe I am acting spoiled or petty. I live at Ornelas, where it a fair distance from the main buildings, so when I get to school really early or late, I try my luck in finding a parking spot. I guess as the battle of space is expected to continue until construction is over, campus police are desperate to gain as many new spots as possible. Often during the week, every spot is full and desperate cars line the street. It is just frustrating to have a parking pass and if there is inclement weather, if I wasn’t feeling well or if I didn’t feel safe walking back to my dorm, I couldn’t drive and park somewhere closer on campus because off-campus students take precedence over me.
If a student who lives on campus decides to park on campus, I don’t believe campus police should give them a ticket. Where are students who live on campus supposed to park? By the dorms only?
