2008 Woodie Awards
Road rage? Try pissed parkers
Ticket-writers take abuse, but they know few sympathize
Ben Penn
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: News
In her four years as a university parking enforcement officer, Natalie Harris has been stalked, yelled at and called a bitch.
Drivers on the campus - especially students - do not take kindly to Harris, who doles out 40 to 50 parking tickets each shift.
"I get yelled at pretty much at least once a day," said Harris, a 2006 alumna, as she drove around the campus parking lots and roads, on the lookout for cars without permits or parked at expired meters. "Sometimes people are really disrespectful ... there's definitely a sentiment of entitlement among the students."
But Harris, one of the Department of Transportation Services' 18 parking enforcement officers, would be hard-pressed to find a student who sympathizes with her struggle.
"Some of the [parking enforcement officers] are nice, but some of them are very cold and unapproachable," said senior kinesiology major Robert Duru as he cautiously fed quarters into a meter in Lot Q, just outside Cambridge Hall.
"One time I got a ticket while I was looking for change," Duru continued. "I think they should give a 15-minute grace period."
Harris may not wait 15 minutes, but she said she is flexible.
"I'm not going to be sitting there like '5,4,3 … ' I give a grace period."
Still, Harris' lenience, along with a friendly ticket program implemented in January 2007 that requires officers to issue a warning ticket if the car has no prior parking violations, hardly reduces the campus-wide resentment toward these workers.
DOTS issued about 78,000 parking tickets for a total of $2.7 million in fines during fiscal year 2007, according to the department's website.
The Diamondback rode along with Harris for an hour to see the ticketing from another point of view.
Harris drove for ten minutes, nonchalantly humming along to OutKast's "The Way You Move" playing on the radio, before spotting a violation - a car parked in a courier spot outside Marie Mount Hall.
Drivers on the campus - especially students - do not take kindly to Harris, who doles out 40 to 50 parking tickets each shift.
"I get yelled at pretty much at least once a day," said Harris, a 2006 alumna, as she drove around the campus parking lots and roads, on the lookout for cars without permits or parked at expired meters. "Sometimes people are really disrespectful ... there's definitely a sentiment of entitlement among the students."
But Harris, one of the Department of Transportation Services' 18 parking enforcement officers, would be hard-pressed to find a student who sympathizes with her struggle.
"Some of the [parking enforcement officers] are nice, but some of them are very cold and unapproachable," said senior kinesiology major Robert Duru as he cautiously fed quarters into a meter in Lot Q, just outside Cambridge Hall.
"One time I got a ticket while I was looking for change," Duru continued. "I think they should give a 15-minute grace period."
Harris may not wait 15 minutes, but she said she is flexible.
"I'm not going to be sitting there like '5,4,3 … ' I give a grace period."
Still, Harris' lenience, along with a friendly ticket program implemented in January 2007 that requires officers to issue a warning ticket if the car has no prior parking violations, hardly reduces the campus-wide resentment toward these workers.
DOTS issued about 78,000 parking tickets for a total of $2.7 million in fines during fiscal year 2007, according to the department's website.
The Diamondback rode along with Harris for an hour to see the ticketing from another point of view.
Harris drove for ten minutes, nonchalantly humming along to OutKast's "The Way You Move" playing on the radio, before spotting a violation - a car parked in a courier spot outside Marie Mount Hall.
Submit a letter to the editor or post a comment below.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 11
Harris
posted 3/31/08 @ 4:02 AM EST
A 2006 alum working at such a dead end job. She deserves a lot worse than bitch.
Dan
posted 3/31/08 @ 10:18 AM EST
There are 18 officers. You interviewed one named Kevin who didn't want to be identified with his last name. He has only been on the job for two months. (Continued…)
Emily
posted 3/31/08 @ 11:55 AM EST
I wrote a story similar to this a few years ago called "Smiley on Patrol." It was very fun to follow the parking attendant around campus, because so many people were rude about him doing his job. (Continued…)
KM
posted 3/31/08 @ 1:15 PM EST
Although drivers on campus should respect DOTS employees, DOTS employees should also show the same respect, and maybe a little common sense. After I parked in a lot and got out of my car to check the parking sign for hours, a DOTS truck blocked me in and the employee attempted to write me a ticket, literally one second after I approached the sign to read it. (Continued…)
Stupid is as stupid does...
posted 3/31/08 @ 5:47 PM EST
A "simplified" parking system? What could be more simple than follow the rules listed on the sign? If it is too difficult to figure the time of day and day of the week and reconcile that to the stated hours and parking rules, than you deserve the ticket. (Continued…)
miche.
posted 3/31/08 @ 10:53 PM EST
The article fails to mention how Parking Enforcement basically stalks the metered areas. I'd appreciate DOTS & UM more if they would just be admit that all of those tickets are a cheap ploy to increase revenue for the University. (Continued…)
Students = idiot parkers
posted 3/31/08 @ 11:34 PM EST
Wow, you want simplified??? Do you know the difference between letters and numbers???
Here is a big hint: if you are a student, and that big white sign has a big letter(s) and NOT a number, DON'T PARK THERE! If the lot has a closed gate and you don't have a prox card, DON'T PARK THERE! If the meter is reading zero and you have no change, DON'T PARK THERE (go find some money)!
Pretty simple. (Continued…)
Park
posted 4/01/08 @ 8:45 AM EST
I got a ticket once from DOTS when I first started parking my car on campus. I was in a rush and honestly did not read the sign. I wrote an appeal to DOTS and I did not have to pay the ticket. (Continued…)
parking appeals
posted 4/01/08 @ 2:25 PM EST
I actually had my first TEN parking tickets appealed and dropped, not sure if thats the case anymore. All you have to do is get creative and make up a good story. (Continued…)
funny alumni
posted 4/01/08 @ 2:35 PM EST
when i was a student here i was walking to my car outside of what used to be the HHP building and a woman was writing me a ticket. i walked up to her and gave her a big hug and said thank you and went on my way. (Continued…)
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