Parking ticket woes

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Spencer Pyke, Fact Checker

During the 2008-2009 school year Lynchburg College Campus Safety and Security collected $30,250 from parking citations ranging from fire lane and handicap violations to parking in an undesignated spot. Money received from parking citations goes into the LC general fund.

LCCSS does not go looking for students who violate the parking rules, but that security is trying to keep the campus safe Assistant Director of Campus Safety and Security Chris Furlough said.

"When we send out our officers we do not send them out to look for students who are violating the parking rules," Furlough said. "We have ticketed faculty and staff members in the past, it is just important that we keep the fire lanes clear for safety and handicap spots open for the handicapped."

Furlough said that students should follow the guidelines in The Hornet about parking and they should also be more patient when looking for a spot.

 "Instead of choosing a spot that opens first, students should drive around once or twice to find a spot that they are allowed to use," Furlough said. "Sometimes it may be better for them to choose a more open parking lot such as Turner or Hobbs."

Junior Rachel Hensley said she attributes her parking citations to what believes is a parking problem behind Montgomery, Hundley and Tate Residence Halls. 

"People who do not have the proper registration still park behind Tate and Hundley taking up people's spots who are allowed to park there," Hensley said. "Then we get ticketed for being in a faculty spot because the night before all the spots for students were taken by cars that are not allowed to be there."

Sophomore Chris Howerin said he thinks the school writes too many parking tickets and said he questions whether monetary reasons are involved.

"My car is parked in the freshman lot, usually and I get tickets because my registration is to McWane's parking lot," Howerin said.  "Me not parking behind McWane opens up one more spot for a student who needs the space and the fact that the lowest citation cost $50 it's not hard to believe that the school is doing it for financial reasons." 

Furlough said citations are used to keep the campus safe and deter people from parking in undesignated spots.

The registration of vehicles for parking decals last year added up to $84,852, which also goes into the LC general fund.