As we all know, parking on campus is awful and students usually have to drive around for a long time to find a place to park. However, what about the parking tickets?
 In the fall of 2009, there were a total of 5,338 parking spaces. Of those, there were only 3,917 student spaces but 6,820 parking permits were bought.  That is almost double the number of passes given than available spots. If a student is running late for class or a meeting, they are forced to park where a spot is available, like an open reserved spot.  Why should the students be charged another $15 or $20 for a ticket when it’s obvious there are not enough spaces for them to park but there are always several reserved spaces open? 
 Students already pay $50 for a parking pass and another $120 for a transportation fee and a parking facility fee. I understand giving tickets to vehicles that do not have a pass or probably should not be on campus. A student though, should be able to park by Odum Library to get research done, print things, or study for finals without the risk of getting a parking ticket.
 When I was a freshman, I lived in the dorms. When it was time to move out, my father came to help me pack everything up.  While we were inside gathering more things to load in his truck, he received a ticket because it did not have a parking pass. There needs to be a way to monitor the tickets, especially during a busy time like that when parents are moving their children out of the dorms. 
 The ticket fees given out are not unreasonable. They are $15 but if it is not paid after 10 days, it goes up to $20. The issue I have is how often they are given out and for what reason. With all of the fees that students pay and the cost of the parking pass, where does the ticket money go? Several students have to work to support themselves and go to school full time, so to some that $15 or $20 is a lot of money.
Students should be able to get accomplished on campus the things they need and not be worried about getting tickets. I see the parking personnel all day, every day, walking around the parking lots looking to give tickets. How does giving tickets to students help them?  It doesn’t.
 There needs to be a better way to handle giving out tickets. They are given out too much and add more stress to student’s lives which are already stressful enough.