Woops, Got a Parking Ticket for Being Cheap
Posted by Cap in Woops, Bought Crap |…and stupid.
Everytime I act like a cheap bastard, I get my ass handed to me.
Most college students know that college and university parking spaces availability are always built to accomodate a third of the student population; because of the scarcity, most college students also know that when you park at school without a permit, you’re asking for a parking ticket.
Knowing this, I still tried to avoid paying for the extremely low-priced parking permit, which was $20 per semester (ticket is $17). I kept thinking that since I have night classes I can get away with it; because you know, it’s dark at night and they can’t see my car. *rolleyes*
Related Stupidness:
15 Comments to “Woops, Got a Parking Ticket for Being Cheap”
Leave a Comment
Previous Post:
« Don’t Trust Your Parents with Your Credit
« Don’t Trust Your Parents with Your Credit
March 10th, 2007 at 8:21 am
I can’t believe there’s a college with a $20/semester parking permit! They’ve gotta be in the hundreds at my alma mater. Academic standards aren’t as prized as ripping people off.
Do you think you’ll contest the ticket? If it’s your first one, they might let you off. That’s how I got out of mine. Say you didn’t know they checked for permits after the sun went down. Or don’t pay it and just drive a different car any time you’re on campus in the future.
Love the site–
March 10th, 2007 at 10:17 am
$20 per semester!?!?! Cripes, it’s up to $90 per year for students at the university I’m attending ($132 for faculty) and we still have to drive around and around looking for a spot (”Plenty of spots open!” the parking guys said — sure, if you want to park waaay beyond the stadium, and walk a half-mile to class, or wait for the shuttle that never comes), and $69 per year and the smaller university where I teach. $40 per year is a bargain (though ironically, at the cheap community college where I did some part-time teaching, parking was free).
As Kimberley said, you might be able to buck the ticket if you pleaded ignorance of evening parking rules. I escaped one when I was in a hurry I accidentally parked in a faculty area in a large parking lot. The signs designating faculty spots vs. students spots are about the size of a sheet of notebook paper, and they were turned away from the spot where I was parked. The parking committee accepted the excuse, probably because it was my first parking ticket.
March 10th, 2007 at 11:49 am
My school had free parking, or “reserved parking” that you could by a special permit for. They keep expanding the “reserved” lots, so they’re probably going to start charging for all parking.
Of course, you had to have one of the regular “free permits” to park anywhere on campus, but if you didn’t, and they gave you a ticket, then you didn’t really have to pay it, because they didn’t know who you were!
I never got a ticket, because we bought our family van from a place that trains guide dogs, and we left all of their advertisement stickers on the outside of the van – so I could park whereever I wanted and never get a ticket. I never tried parking in the handicapped section, but I probably could have gotten away with it, considering I had a car that was plastered with “Guide Dogs” on every side! =D
March 11th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
You have the right to a jury trial in regards to that ticket! Demand one and they will most likely dimiss that ticket. :-)
March 11th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
For $20? When I went to UCLA, there was a parking lottery. You could only buy a permit if you won the lottery… seriously, dude?! For $20?
March 11th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
:) i love the comments on this one. you knew they’d say that didn’t you :) :)
March 13th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
yeah expected a few “you fool, it’s only $20.”
for my previous university, its about $90-120 per quarter.. and of course you’re not guaranteed a parking space.
anyway this whole thing is pretty silly, I’ll pay the ticket and get myself a parking permit like the good boy that I am.
March 14th, 2007 at 8:19 am
Wait a minute. $17 for a ticket! $20 for a permit! That’s nothing. I went to college 20 years ago and the parking violations were $35. The permits were atleast $50 a semester. I racked up over $400 in fines. Of course I was pissed but I parked in faculty and upperclass lots. It serves you right for trying to weasel out of buying a permit. Lesson learned so get a permit and don’t be a bonehead like me and rack up over $400 in fines.
March 17th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
You know, when I filled out the paper for my parking pass when I was in college (they gave you a “free” one if you were a full time student) I would put down the wrong license plate number. Then, when I was running late and needed to park where my pass wasn’t good, I would take the parking pass off and park. I’d get a ticket but they wouldn’t be able to link it to my account. So, I never paid the tickets. :)
March 19th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
How not to get another ticket:
At my school you could get three parking tickets and break even with the cost of buying the parking permit per term. Here’s what you do: After you pay the ticket, keep it and put it in your window so that as security patrols they think that someone has already written you a ticket. This worked well for me my entire last year at school. ;)
March 19th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Jessica,
As a ticket writer, my favorite response to your trick was to take the ticket (never paid for, that’s a new one to me), write a new one, and place it the way the old one was. Too bad it was usually the parents who paid to get the diploma released and not the students :(
March 23rd, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Jeff’s tricky tactic is also the reason why I don’t use Jessica’s tricky tactic. Although I think the main factor is that, short of paying up to get diploma released, they will report them to the DMV — and anyone sane would like to avoid DMV involvement, in anything, whenever possible.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Wow, Parking At York University Is I Believe 400 for 4 months and up to 1000 for 8months
April 4th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Holy crap people. $20? I go to Arizona State and the cheapest lot, a mile away, is $700 for the year. When I lived in the dorm, I had to pay $900 for the year, and they didn’t even let me park inside- I had to park on the roof of the lot. Some of the lots right on campus are just under $1000 (staying away from the thousands to not scare people off I suppose). I keep getting badgered about a $130 ticket that was not my fault- so I refuse to pay- but they won’t let me appeal because they want my money, so I can’t park in ASU lots and they’re threatening to not let me graduate; I wish I knew not to link my car and student account at the beginning!