Parking legally on campus is the ticket to being fee-free

Harris, a student at The University of Tennessee Knoxville, was taking summer courses at The U of M when he parked at Patterson and Walker Avenue in front of a sign clearly marked “no parking.”

Other cars were there, so Harris said he thought his parking there would be “no big deal.” He had parked there before and had not gotten a ticket.

This time, when Harris went back to his car, he had a $20 reminder on his windshield not to park there again.

“It was my fault,” Harris said. “I paid the ticket.”

Derek Munson, a senior logistics major, parked on the side of Rawls Hall to go to the library. When he came out of the library a half an hour later, he also had a $20 reminder on his windshield.

“It was totally my fault, parking where I shouldn’t have,” Munson said. “I paid the ticket.”

Incoming freshman can take a lesson from both Harris and Munson.

All students must get a permit and validation sticker from U of M’s parking services. If they do not have both, they will get a $15 ticket if they park on campus. General parking stickers are paid for through the maintenance fee portion of semester tuition.

Students who don’t get their permit and validation sticker in the mail should go by the parking services office in the parking garage off Zach Curlin. Priority gate access parking is $72 a semester for 24-hour access and $25 a semester for evening-only access. Resident parking stickers are $25 per semester.

Students who break the parking rules and think they can get a ticket voided will be in for a surprise.

Nicole Taylor, a senior Criminal Justice major and Chief Justice of U of M’s student court, said she has little sympathy for students who violate parking rules.

“If a student’s permit expires, go to the parking services office and pick one up. It’s free,” Taylor said. “If The University does not mail one to a student, they can go and pick one up at the office. It’s their responsibility.”

Taylor and nine other associate justices on The U of M’s student court meet every Monday on the fourth floor of The University Center to hear students appeal their tickets. Taylor said they have heard students give more than a dozen excuses as to why their tickets should be voided.

“Oh, I’ve heard, ‘I put my flashers on,’” Taylor said. “‘I was only in there for a few minutes’. But the few minutes was for the whole class time.”

Taylor, too, is no stranger to parking tickets.

“I parked at a visitor’s meter,” Taylor said. “You know students aren’t suppose to do that. I got a ticket. I paid it. It was my fault. I took responsibility.”

Taylor said she agrees that parking for students is limited, and there are a lot of commuters. However, she said students should not make up excuses for themselves.

“If you parked wrong, then take responsibility and pay the ticket,” Taylor said.

Harris said the parking situation at The U of M is fairly good, and he doesn’t mind the walk because he is used to walking long distances at UT Knoxville.

Munson said he usually doesn’t have a problem parking but thinks the administration should make some changes.

“I feel parking could be better,” Munson said. “They need to start expanding parking facilities. We need another parking garage.”

Sandra Barksdale, manager of parking services, said she has seen a change for the better.

“With the opening of Conlee Lot, I have seen a much improved situation of parking space availability,” Barksdale said.

Barksdale also said the penalty for parking in a reserved spot is a ticket for the first time. Your car may be towed anytime after that. The towing charges to the car owner are $60.

Barksdale suggested students go to The U of M website and look at the parking guidelines. The website outlines the penalties for breaking the rules, the parking options and ways ticket payments are handled.

Munson said he has some words of advice to incoming freshmen.

“Make sure you get to class early, at least until you can figure out your schedule and get a handle on your parking situation,” he said.