Cartoon by Tebben Gill Lopez
By Corey Bradley, Andrea Butler, Danielle Griffith, Megan Kuzniewski and Madelyn Wojak
The first snow of the season always hits right around finals week, blanketing the campus in fresh powder. The crisp whiteness of it all makes even the walk to your car less of a trek and more of a stroll through a winter wonderland – until you see it. The offensive spot of neon orange on your car that brings your visions of sugarplums to a crashing halt. That horrid orange slip that makes your stomach drop and signifies you won’t be able to afford your mom’s Christmas present this year.
Between buying books and paying tuition, the old anecdote of the broke college student who lives on a Ramen noodle a day is a sad reality for many of us. A $60 fine just to get to class is not something most students can afford.
The rampant distribution of tickets on campus is one of the biggest issues students have had with the Department of Public Safety. Fairfield’s parking system is so confusing and disorganized that many students, especially beach residents and commuters, simply get aggravated and do not comply. The school should work with students to help make parking better by giving a clearer and comprehensive explanation of campus parking regulations, as well as making the price for parking more reasonable for commuter students.
Why should students who rely on their cars to get to class – both those who choose to live at the beach and those who choose to live home to save money – have to pay the same fee for parking as those students who choose to live on campus and have the option of walking to class? They shouldn’t. Non-resident parking is already extremely limited, which leads to commuters being forced to park in other lots not designated for them. Ticketing discriminates against students that live off campus because for these students, driving to class is not a choice, but a requirement.
With the limited parking situation, you would think that the Department of Public Safety might be a little more forgiving when it comes to handing out tickets; however, we all know that is simply not the case. DPS takes ticketing to a ridiculous level in order to meet their quotas. Parking on a white line and not completely within the spot should not result in a ticket. Having to park over the line because the person next to you is parked on top of you is not something you have control of. It is unexplained rules such as this that enrage students the most.
A better understanding of the campus parking policies and why these policies are in place would be beneficial to everyone. It would allow for students to more easily comply with the policies, leading to fewer tickets being distributed and would foster a more positive student attitude toward DPS.
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