On Friday, just hours before Mark Prior dismantled the Atlanta Braves, giving the Cubs a 2-1 series lead, Duke University Parking services decided to work a little magic of their own. They decided that the last three lots in the Blue Zone were undervalued by nearly $175 and that every vehicle occupying a spot deserved a secluded holiday from the Blue Zone. "Quite a few," according to a parking services representative, cars gleefully slid onto tray trucks and went on an all-expenses paid trip to the perimeter parking lot. This adventure, while free for the vehicles, cost each owner dearly. Charges rendered equaled $75 for towing and $100 for violation of event-reserved parking, only $20 less than an annual Blue Zone pass.
Graduate students needed space and why not vacate a couple Blue Zone lots, since the football tailgaters did not necessitate them. Yet unlike the usual pre-game drill, Parking Services sent an e-mail to permit holders Thursday morning at 11:18 a.m., demanding that cars leave the last three lots on the right by 3:30 p.m. Friday, rather than on Wednesday, as they do for football games. Furthermore, Parking Services neglected to post signs displaying the restriction near each lot entrance, as they do for each football game. The signs most likely were deemed too unsightly and instead parking placed a message on the virtual kiosk for all to read. These factors may have contributed to the same parking services representative stating that "more than the usual" number of cars was towed for the lot closures.
Parking Services cleared the lot on false pretenses as well. That night graduate students held their annual "camp-out" for basketball tickets. The events within the two paved parking lots resembled anything but a "camp-out." According to dictionary.com, none of the new Blue Zone occupants qualify as parts of a camp: "A place where tents, huts, or other temporary shelters are set up, as by soldiers, nomads, or travelers."
Moreover, graduate students do not meet the camp builder classifications, nor do Ryder trucks, recreational vehicles and cars without Blue Zone permits qualify as "tents, huts or temporary shelters." Only the plentiful port-a-lets meet "temporary shelter" status and hopefully graduate students did not seek warmth in such places. Even with their mobile, semi-permanent shelters, graduate students did not fill any of the paved lots, leaving an empty row in each. So Parking Services became at least $100 richer and several students lost $175. That's the approximate pay from 23 hours at a work-study position. With those that pay, students could buy: one roundtrip ticket home to Chicago for Thanksgiving, eight symbolic senior class donations, a lifetime Duke Alumni Association membership, Tom Burney's first semester books and 5 tickets to game 5 between the Cubs and Braves.
These purchases, however, seem trivial compared to another somewhat more important Duke bill. The bursar suggests that work-study students pay a portion of their annual tuition. However, this becomes significantly more difficult when one parking ticket equals one-tenth the annual work-study approved funding for many students.
These egregiously high parking fines complicate student efforts to pay their tuition. When compared to several other universities, Duke's Parking Services clearly outcharges the competition. At St. Norbert's College (the Duke of the greater Green Bay area) zone and fire lane violations cost $15 and $10, respectively. At the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, one ticket costs $35. Princeton charges $20 for violations and $70 to tow. Yale magnanimously tows for $55 without an extra fine. The institution down 15-501 charges considerably less at $30 per permit fine and $100 for fire lane parking. Notre Dame, which also makes students move cars for somewhat better attended football games, fines late movers $50 to cover the tow; it also charges $15 and $30 for permit and fire lane violations. Duke needs not look over its shoulder in this category when compared to other academic institutions.
Not even major cities compete with Duke. The city of Chicago doesn't upset residents with such high fines; an expired meter costs $50. This low urban parking fine phenomenon extends beyond the Midwest to America junior, as Quebec City charges just $35 Canadian.
Parking violations should never have become the subject of a column or even campus problems, yet the outrageous fines unfortunately induce such discussion. Parking Services requires an overhaul.
To streamline business, parking should incorporate a first year parking fee of $1,000. This one-time charge, incorporated into the freshman year bursar account, would cover all future tickets, reduce hours of student angst directed towards Parking, reduce expensive hours spent processing, fully fund future projects, pay off the new parking deck and buy parking service H2's. Future fines should flatten off at $12.
Before the Board of Trustees approves these brilliant ideas, amnesty should be given to those students charged extra money for parking in the last two paved lots on the right in the Blue Zone last Friday at 3:30 p.m. Too many diversions from normal Blue Lot vacation procedure occurred from delayed informing and no signs at the parking lots. After all, they were moved to an illegal zone; signs outside perimeter restrict parking until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to permit only. Or was this move the initial sign of greater generosity from Parking Services? Probably not, but we've finally eclipsed our peer institutions. GO CUBS!
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