By Gionna Bean, Opinion Editor
Academic Building lot — Photo by Gionna Bean
Aquinas students have raised concerns regarding parking on campus, citing instances of unwarranted and excessive ticketing. Additionally, some students have reported difficulties finding available spaces in their designated lots and have brought these concerns to the attention of Campus Safety. Although parking challenges have been a persistent issue, many students note that the situation has worsened over the past two semesters.
According to the Parking Information and Regulations section of the Aquinas Website, “[a]ll vehicles require a current and valid Aquinas College parking permit in order to park on campus. Failure to abide by the parking rules and regulations may result in the receipt of parking tickets, the immobilization or towing of a vehicle, and/or the revocation of parking privileges.”
Students are concerned with situations where ticketing could be deemed unfair or excessive. Some cite some officers as being more unforgiving than others. “It’s literally that small blond guy with the red glasses,” sophomore Ella Binning said. “I swear to God, he will ticket anyone. He’ll target people in Sturrus when that’s a public parking lot. I saw he was ticketing someone on a weekend when there was an event going on that wasn’t even from our school.”
Other students have similar grievances about the Sturrus lot, also known as the Fulton lot. “There was one time I parked in the Sturrus lot, because I was carrying back a huge speaker for my team,” sophomore Angelia Cutts said. “It was for about a whole class period, and then I came back and they were ticketing me.”
Fulton lot — Photo by Gionna Bean
The Fulton lot, however, is a commuter lot. “We have been monitoring this lot more because of the spaces needed for the numerous events that have happened in Sturrus lately,” Campus Safety Supervisor Ryan Wendt said. “If residents want to park near Sturrus they need to park in the Mayfield lot, which is on the other side of Sturrus/Alksnis. We try to keep the Sturrus lot/Fulton lot open to commuters and visitors that are here to attend events.”
Some students feel targeted when getting ticketed, because they feel trapped into parking in certain lots. One such example is student workers who feel they should be allowed to park by their place of work. “I once got ticketed twice in one day,” sophomore Michaela Faith said. “The first ticket was still on my windshield. Sometimes there’s such a thing as too much, and the worst part is I literally work at the PAC.”
Another example is students who can’t find a spot in their allotted parking lots, and so have to resort to parking in another. “It’s so dumb that you have to pay over $300 to not even be able to park where you want, only to not have enough parking in your own lots sometimes,” freshman Brooklyn Curtis said. “Then we get ticketed, because we ‘can’t park there.’ I also think it should be cheaper, because the price is ridiculous for two semesters.”
Parking ticket issued by Aquinas College – Photo by Anna Benstead
Aquinas parking permits cost around $165 per semester, depending on the type. In comparison, a typical Central Michigan University permit costs $82.50 per semester. Michigan State University parking permits cost anywhere from $53.50 per semester for one lot to $194 per semester for two. Depending on the type of permit students at these schools choose, their permits can be around $80-$100 cheaper than at Aquinas.
Campus Safety identifies the main issue as students not parking in their designated lots, which prevents others with proper permits from finding spaces and creates a cycle of improper parking across campus.
“We have had quite a few complaints from students that said they continually cannot find a parking spot in their assigned lot and that they know of people parking in their lot that either do not have a permit or do not have the correct permit for that lot,” Wendt said. “They have asked us to monitor those parking lots more, mainly the St. Rose lot and Dominican lot, to make sure that correct cars are parking in the lot and not taking up spaces from the students that paid for a permit for that lot, so we have been trying to check that lot more frequently, and that has resulted in more tickets and in some cases a tire boot for those that are not registered.”
It is important to understand the current rules and regulations for parking on campus to prevent excessive ticketing. Recently and very famously, student Lucas Baker received multiple parking tickets, and got his car booted. He had bought a new car at the beginning of this year and did not register it with Campus Safety, assuming they could not fine him if they did not know it was his car.
“I walked out of a Student Senate meeting and found my car wrapped in tape and booted like it was being held hostage in the Sturrus lot,” Baker said. “It was a low moment. But rather than immediately admitting defeat, I did what any totally rational person would do. I hopped on Amazon and ordered a set of boot-removal keys. Two days, $45 and one questionable life choice later, I was in the parking lot, trying and failing to pop the boot off.” Baker gave in after seeing he could not outsmart Campus Safety and bought a $60 parking pass. His car was freed, but he was left with multiple outstanding tickets to account for and a valuable lesson in Campus parking policies.
Warning sign posted on Lucas Baker’s car – Photo by Snapchat
As parking frustrations continue to build, many students hope that Aquinas will revisit its parking policies and enforcement practices. Meanwhile, Campus Safety encourages students to review the parking rules and regulations to ensure they are making informed decisions when choosing where to park. With concerns about fairness, accessibility and affordability mounting, both students and officials recognize that clearer communication and a better understanding of the rules may be key to improving the parking situation on campus.
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