Lyndon State College students do not have to pay for a parking pass, but school officials make sure we pay for something.
There are public safety officers that are assigned to walk around the parking lots and make sure students and visitors are parking correctly and have proper parking passes. For visitors, though, the tickets are a novelty.
“When my friend came up to visit, she got a ticket for not having a parking pass, and she left and that was that. So I think if you don’t go here, the tickets are a joke,” said Alise Vandal, a sophomore at LSC.
Current LSC students cannot avoid paying tickets for long, as the unpaid balance will be added to their tuition bill. This poses a problem when it comes time to register for classes and pick housing. If you have an unpaid amount on your bill, the school will put you on financial hold, even if the amount is only a 25-dollar parking ticket.
LSC student Lawrence Olio was upset after being fined for parking in a fire lane, even though it was a friend of his driving the vehicle.
“My dad called me one day asking why I had a 50 dollar charge on my bill. I went to student services and they said it was ticket. Public Safety said it was for parking in a fire lane next to a resident hall door. But it wasn’t even me, it was my friends that got it, and I didn’t think it was fair that I had to pay it. Tickets should go to the person driving the car not just the owner of the car,” he said.
Students can be fined for anything from parking in a prohibited spot, not having a pass, or driving too fast on campus.
Prices range depending on the violation.
Not having a parking pass will earn you a 25-dollar ticket, while parking in a visitors spot earns a fine of 50 dollars.
If a student gets a ticket for speeding on campus, it can range anywhere from 100 to 300 dollars.
Just like a normal traffic ticket, a student can appeal it. There is a form to fill out when you get a ticket that allows the student to explain their side of the story.
After you fill out the paperwork, Public Safety will review it and decide whether to take away the ticket or not.