Features Reporter
Hundreds of parking tickets are written every semester by the campus parking service and the City of Grand Junction.
This can make the job of a parking service employee very exciting. Ben Carlson is a student at CMU and he has been working for the parking service for about two weeks. He and other employees do not always receive the most polite remarks on the job. Carlson has some sort of interesting encounter with angry students and faculty members on a daily basis.
“Yesterday, a woman screamed at me in front of her kid for five minutes about the ticket she got,” Carlson said. “I didn’t even write the ticket!”
Incidents like this happen all the time. One day a student told Carlson he hated him, and then proceeded to apply for a parking service job. He has had someone throw a parking ticket in his face on more than one occasion. In his two weeks of employment, he has quickly growing accustomed to having rude comments shouted at him throughout the day.
“About four times a day, people yell things at us like ‘we hate you!” or ‘go die’. We get colorful things like that,” Carlson said.
Parking tickets vary from $20 to $75. The most common ticket is $20. These tickets are written when a student or faculty member parks in the wrong parking lot. If a student with a resident parking pass is in the commuter parking lot, they will receive a ticket. The most expensive parking ticket of $75 is issued when someone tries to remove a boot from his or her tire.
No one is happy to see a bright orange envelope labeled “Parking Ticket” when they get to their car after a long day of class. Many students are rude and aggressive when they see a parking service employee inspecting their vehicle.
Carlson does not let this negativity get to him. He receives a lot of negative feedback from angry peers on the job, but there are also kind people who are willing to cooperate with him.
“The most rewarding part of my job is helping people who ask for help in a polite way,” Carlson said.
No matter how inconvenient a parking ticket is, a parking service employee is not the one to blame. They are fellow students doing their job properly, and should not be harassed for doing so. All tickets are avoidable. Instead of parking where you are not supposed to, save yourself some money and find the correct spot.
For those without a parking permit, some parking is available off campus. Side-street parking can be found surrounding the campus. As long as you park in the very back of the parking lot behind the store, Albertsons allows students to park for free.
Students interested in purchasing a parking pass can get one online at coloradomesa.edu or at the University Center information desk. They are valid for one year. Parking permits start at $100 per semester and can be as expensive as $300 for a reserved permit. Daily parking passes are also available. For questions and more information, call the parking service at 970-248-1921.
lpratt@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
Recent Comments