Above photo: Does this car look as if its parked outside the lines? It did to parking enforcement. Courtesy of Jenna Jean
By Jenna Jean
We live in an age where students who go to college aren’t living a perfect fairytale experience.
Students in 2018 are either working to pay for college or working to survive. Let’s face it: Life is expensive, and the stereotypical “mommy and daddy paying for everything” scenario hardly exists anymore because they are trying to survive too.
Now, if your parents are helping you out, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. Trust me, I’m a 22-year-old college student working to make ends meet with my significant other, and I have a mortgage.
So no, University of South Florida, you are not my only concern or obligation.
USF has left a bad taste in my mouth since Hurricane Irma. Everyone saw the headlines and made their own judgments regarding the whole controversy with the ousting of former Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska.
Fast forward to now, and we have all this talk about the “merge” and this new direction for USF St. Petersburg. We receive videos from USF system President Judy Genshaft telling us how much she cares about students and blah blah blah.
Well, on April 9, I learned firsthand how much USF cares about their students: cha-ching.
On Mondays, I start my day at 4:45 a.m. I’m a mother of two furry creatures that are the loves of my life who I care for every morning. I also have a man-child to look after.
After taking care of my pups, I get myself ready for work, pack breakfast and lunch and I’m on the road by 6:20 a.m. to arrive at my job by 7.
By 3 p.m., I’m off work rushing to campus to make my class at 3:30.
I’m the kind of person that sticks to the book. I obey traffic laws, I read the instructions and I pay attention. Anyone who knows me can vouch for that.
On April 9, I parked my car just like I normally do in the narrow, double-lined spots while students zoomed past me. We all know how much of a victory it is getting a spot, because parking is so limited on campus.
After my 3:30 class, my mind was racing as I tried to figure out all my deadlines for the end of the semester as well as what I was going to make for dinner for my significant other and myself. I reminded myself to feed the dogs, pay my credit card bill and touch base with my mother so she knew I was still alive.
However, to my surprise, I had a bright orange love note on my car.
I thought to myself, “This has to be a mistake.” I’ve paid for my outrageously expensive parking pass every semester.
I read further and saw that it is a ticket for being “parked over the line.”
I instantly burst into tears.
Let me note that it wasn’t the cost of the ticket that made me emotional — it was the idea that the university feels the need to pay people to patrol the college’s only parking garage on campus to get more money out of its students.
Is this really worth $15 dollars to the university? Where is the money even going?
The comments on the citation were incorrect. It stated that I crossed the line on the passenger side back tire, when in reality, it was the driver’s side back tire that had barely crossed the line.
Barely.
I posted my experience on Facebook, which I don’t normally do, and received multiple replies and feedback from friends and colleagues that have experienced citations for this same infraction.
The next day, I felt a wave of anxiety driving into the parking garage. This shouldn’t have been my main concern of the day. I should be able to come to campus and just focus on my education.
But no — instead, I found myself focusing on meeting the exact parameters of the parking space so as to avoid another ticket.
I pulled into a spot in the cramped garage and saw that my tire grazed the line. I got back into my car, reversed and re-parked until I felt good about my parking job.
Did my previous job cause any harm? Nope. But apparently to the university, it was worth $15.
My mind started wandering, and I began to walk around the garage looking at the hoods of vehicles to search for citations.
You know what was hardly surprising? I found them. The cars were hardly touching the line, just as mine was on D-day.
While speaking to another student after class about my story, she made an interesting point that made me stop and wonder: The parking garage is supposed to be “self-sustained,” with sun panels that help power it and all.
So that begs the question: Who exactly is our parking pass and citation money benefiting?
I guess the outrageous cost of the parking pass wasn’t good enough, and the university needs to get every dollar out of its students that it can.
I hope that the $15 citation for my my tire barely touching the line helps USF pay Genshaft’s $925,000 salary.
You’re an adult doing basically what every other student is doing; caring for your family, life and studies, this doesn’t make you unique. But more to your point, have you considered that the fees raised by the parking tickets actually helps keep your parking pass fees down. The fees for your pass haven’t been raised in years. When you park over the line, it makes others who have larger vehicles struggle to get out of their doors. Over the line means you run the risk of someone denting your car or you theirs. I think your perspective is purely selfish, why should you get more room for your car than others? And no, your $15 fee doesn’t pay Genshaft’s wages.